Healthy Living by Kirstie_McIntosh

An eerie whistle blows through my house. It is very, very quiet. Where is everyone? For the past ten days my home has been the victim of a shocking whirlwind called Christmas. I have not seen my walls in ten whole days. Everywhere you looked a small child was being dangled or jiggled. A gift-bearing figure lurked in every corner. And I swear I even saw a gaggle of relatives in my shed at one point. 

To say we had a full-house was an understatement. But I got so used to it that now I feel very uneasy about the sheer lack of noise. I head to the kitchen to rustle up a clatter. As I shift through my cupboards though, I literally cannot believe the carnage. There is so much leftover food. When people were here I flung food and drink at them. They couldn’t turn around without a glass of bubbly or a tasty treat being placed into their hands. Yet look at all of this?

There are crackers, chocolates, cheese. And more cheese. And more cheese. I’ve got turkey, ham, beef, and salmon. I’ve got so much alcohol I could open up a bar.  At this very minute thousands of shocked faces are staring into their cupboards, observing the crazy amount of food and drink that has been untouched.

So, to try to think of a useful way to use up all of this excess I’ve being doing a little research and have come up with my top three favorite ways to get rid of Christmas leftovers:

• At number one it’s got to be the food parcel. Lots of people box up food to donate before Christmas, but charities are still accepting food throughout the year.

• At number two you could get your craft-on and pop some of those left over chocs into a glass jar. Add a ribbon and voila; a thank you gift for someone.

• At number three it’s throwing a leftovers party. Okay, I realise this is not glam, or chic, or sexy, but most of us find January to be a pretty bleak month, so planning another little gathering is a great distraction and it saves your guests money.  Ask everyone to get thrifty and bring a dish that they’ve rustled up from their uneaten Christmas fare.

So, will you be joining me this year to rid your cupboards of Christmas leftovers? At least with a clear cupboard it will be a lot easier to stick to that January detox.