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51 Articles

Welcome to Mindful Christmas, a new magazine and mindset about a different way to ‘do’ Christmas. I’ll let you into a little secret: until quite recently, I had been rather anti-Christmas. I’d always loved it as a child but as the years had gone on the magic had become lost for me. There was just too much shopping and spending and stress and self-indulging to a level where I’d stopped enjoying it. The whole thing seemed to bring out my bad side rather than my better side, and I always felt burnt out and a bit deflated afterwards. So I think Mindful Christmas came along for a reason. Without wanting to sound cheesier than a cracker joke, it’s made me rediscover the joys of Christmas. There are so many ways…

Mindful Christmas contributors

KAY RIBEIRO Kay is a features and entertainment writer from London who enjoys crafting. She’s currently taking weekend pottery classes and is a dab hand at “wonky ceramics”. Every Christmas Kay and her two nieces make home-made gifts for their family, ranging from bookmarks and keyrings to calendars and coasters. Turn to page 92 to read Kay’s feature on the new ways to give at Christmas. KATE FAITHFULL-WILLIAMS Kate is a health coach, wellbeing writer and author of The Feelgood Plan. Kate is mum to two young kids and absolutely “obsessed with sleep”. Says Kate: “All I want for Christmas is a nice lie-in.” Kate writes about taking back your time (and your sleep) this Christmas on page 16. Follow her blog www.heywheredidmydaygo.com and on Instagram (@katefaithfullwilliams). KIRSTY NORTON Kirsty…

Mindful Christmas contributors

Bring back the magic!

What does Christmas mean to you? The chance to eat, drink and be merry? An opportunity to see family and friends? A time to honour traditions, or is it just a welcome break from the bustle of life? Or perhaps even the mention of the word gets your stress levels rising and has you reaching for the mulled wine… There are lots of brilliant things about Christmas and it’s still a wonderful time of year. But these days it can all feel a bit testing rather than resting. Even the best intentions can get swallowed up in the mad, ever-growing beast that is a modern-day consumerist Christmas. Rather than slowing down, we end up speeding up. We buy things we don’t want, eat things we don’t really like, drink when…

Bring back the magic!

HAVE YOU GOT A CASE OF… Christmas-itus?

1. What’s your immediate feeling when you think of Christmas? a) Excitement b) A warm glow c) Ambivalence d) Anxiety or active dread 2. When do you start buying presents? a) The summer of the previous year b) October onwards c) December at the earliest d) At the last possible moment 3. What’s your perfect Christmas? a) Hanging out with friends b) Spending time with family c) Lying on a beach somewhere hot d) Anything that doesn’t involve Christmas… 4. When Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas’ comes on the radio, do you: a) Shout ‘I LOVE this song!’ and turn it up b) Roll your eyes a bit but sing along c) Feel confused. This isn’t 6 Music, is it? d) Throw said radio out of the window…

HAVE YOU GOT A CASE OF… Christmas-itus?

Let’s all gather together

all is calm all is bright Christmas gives us the chance to gather with loved ones and spend time together that we often never seem to find during the rest of the year. No matter what age you are, or whether you’re a parent yourself, there’s nothing like that feeling of ‘going home for Christmas’. Or maybe you feel the joy of hosting for the people you love in the comfort of your own home. But even if we look forward to the prospect of spending time with our relations, the reality can be different. No matter how well we get on with our family, we can all lead pretty separate lives. For 51 weeks of the year we go about our own business but come Christmas we’re all squashed…

Have Christmas on your own time

The average mum has just 17 minutes to herself a day, according to a 2014 survey. Seventeen! ‘Me-time’ is the essential restorative ingredient for feeling calmer and more able to appreciate all the good things in our lives. At Christmas, having me-time is even more important. Ironically, it’s also when that precious time gets torpedoed by festive commitments to our families, friends and, well, everyone. The result: Christmas becomes a stress-fest. Then there’s the flipside – having too much time on our hands. Lots of us know all too well the feeling that everyone else is having festive fun while you’re counting down the days until January. All this is set to become a nightmare of Christmas past. Because this year you can reinvent your me-time during the festive season.…

Have Christmas on your own time

Calm down your calendar

“I find Christmas socialising quite stressful. I’ve got a lot of different friendship groups: my workmates, old friends, the nice neighbours… Before I know it every December is crazy and I feel I don’t have time for everyone, let alone myself” How many of us can relate to that scenario of barely having enough time? Even if we pace ourselves socially for the rest of the year, there’s something about Christmas that makes us feel like we have to meet up with pretty much everyone in our contacts list – even if we hardly see them from one year to the next or, if we’re honest, don’t actually like them that much… “During the festive period we often feel that we simply ‘must’ see people we haven’t seen for ages,”…

Calm down your calendar

Serene socialising

Swap the annual theatre trip for a Christmas book club Normal activities often get waylaid in December. Going to see a show is great but it can be expensive and involve lots of planning. If you’d like to do something cultural why not host a Christmas book club to discuss a festive classic instead? Go traditional with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, chill yourself with MR James’ Ghost Stories or delight in Jeanette Winterson’s story collection Christmas Days. Switch a boozy lunch for a ‘walk and talk’ Instead of meeting someone for a drink, why not get together for a Christmas ‘walk and talk’? “Walking and talking is my favourite way to catch up with friends because it gets right to the heart of what you want to say,” says…

Serene socialising

An introvert’s guide to embracing Christmas

How do you recharge your batteries? Seeing friends and family and surrounding yourself with the company of others? Or do you need time alone to relax, read and potter about, enjoying your own space and the peace and quiet? Psychoanalyst Carl Jung coined the term ‘extravert’ in the 1960s (though nowadays the spelling has become ‘extrovert’) and most of us are on the introvert/extrovert spectrum to varying degrees. “Introverts tend to gain their energy more internally and are quite comfortable being on their own, whereas extroverts tend to get more energy externally and from being around other people,” explains occupational psychologist Kirsten Godfrey. Come Christmas when the party season gets underway, the mantra of ‘Tis the season to be sociable’ can feel like heaven for some people but more of…

An introvert’s guide to embracing Christmas

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

1. Do you prefer: a) Talking b) Listening 2. Where are you likely to be found at a party? a) Holding court in a group b) Hanging out in the bedroom with the cat 3. How do you prefer to work? a) In a big team with lots of interaction b) By myself or with a small team 4. After a long day at work, do you want to: a) Go out and see friends and let your hair down b) Go home and chill out by yourself 5. You’ve got something on every night for a week. How do you feel? a) Excited and looking forward to it b) Overwhelmed with a slight feeling of panic Mostly a’s = extrovert Mostly b’s = you’ll probably need this guide…

How to thaw your frosty relationships

Disagreements are a part of many family Christmasses – almost a tradition in some cases. But there are ways to defuse tense situations before they blow up. Psychotherapist Lola Borg has some practical ideas to help. Q How do I do Christmas differently? We have the same family Christmas every year. My mum is set in her ways and gets offended if I try to suggest something new. I’m a 33-year-old woman with my own life but I get treated like a teenager when I go home – which admittedly does make me act out. I’ve talked to my sister and we’d like to do something different and have more input. How can we do it without hurting our mum’s feelings or causing an argument? Ali, Cirencester A Lola says: Do…

How to thaw your frosty relationships

Release the pressure

Kundalini yoga contains a number of short and effective meditations that can really support us as real people living real lives,” explains yoga teacher Sirgun, who’s sharing this particular routine with us. “This meditation can be done every day to release a build-up of anger or resentment and can be used as and when it’s needed (hiding in the bathroom is a perfect place!)” 1 Begin Sit or stand, close your eyes. 2 Position Touch each thumb to the base of your little fingers. Close the rest of your fingers over the thumbs to form fists. Raising your arms, begin a backstroke-type movement over your head, alternating left and right arms as you swing up, over and back around again (see the picture above). 3 Breathe Breathe through an O-shaped…

Release the pressure

Will it be lonely this Christmas?

“Look ahead at the kind of Christmas you’re anticipating. If you don’t like the look of it, take steps to change it” We are living in lonely times. Nine million people in the UK are now reporting feelings of loneliness, which can intensify at Christmas. The festive season is meant to be a chance to come together, but some of us just don’t have someone to share Christmas with (or anyone who we want to share it with). Rather than enjoying the holiday season, it can end up being a rather bleak and unhappy experience. “Christmas is a celebration of togetherness,” says consultant clinical psychologist Dr Roderick Orner. “That’s good and well and just as it should be for all those who are fortunate enough to be in company at…

Will it be lonely this Christmas?

Make the Christmas you want

Bea a rainbow in someone else’s cloudMaya Angelou The perennial question at this time of year is ‘what are you doing for Christmas?’ Away from the images of roaring log fires and mince pies, we all take our time off differently. For some of us it’s the chance to stop, do very little and stay close to home. For others, it’s about packing our bags and jumping on a plane or train to hit the beach or explore a new city. Some people love a packed social schedule while others crave deserted beach walks or solitude. The Christmas break is exactly that: the chance to snap out of your usual routine. But our precious time off is increasingly under threat. Modern life demands our attention. We live in a 24/7…

Ringing the changes

Sometimes it’s good to shake things up. At a time of year where it’s normal to break from the routine of work and school, Christmas can be the perfect opportunity to do this. Meet two people who decided to do something alternative – and changed their Christmas for the better. The Inspirational Indian Christmas Mindful Christmas Editor Jo Carnegie spent one memorable Christmas trekking into the desert. For Christmas 2014 I was in Rajasthan, volunteering at an animal shelter called Tree of Life for Animals (tolfa.org.uk). When I’d told friends in the UK I’d be away from October to January the general reaction was, ‘Oh, so you’ll be away for Christmas!’. To be honest, that’s why I’d booked it. I did enjoy Christmas but it had got the same over…

Ringing the changes

Alternative Christmas days

Enjoy an ‘orphans’ Christmas’ rather than homesick holidays If you’re thousands of miles away from family, an ‘orphans’ Christmas lunch’ could be for you. Originally started by Antipodean communities in the UK, orphans’ Christmases have become an increasingly popular way for lone travellers across the world to get together and celebrate. “Even though it’s not the same as being with family there’s that home connection,” says Nic, a New Zealander who’s been living in London for five years. Swap sitting by the fireside for hitting the beach Get outdoors and try braving the waters for a Christmas or Boxing Day dip. In the UK, the best beaches for a seasonal swim include Croyde in Devon, Fistral in Cornwall, Brighton beach, Coney Beach at Porthcawl, and Tenby in Pembrokeshire. “It’s become…

Alternative Christmas days

Celebrate solstice

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more! Dr. Seuss, How The Grinch Stole Christmas! Winter Solstice, also known as hibernal solstice and midwinter, is the shortest day and longest night of the year,” says kundalini yoga teacher Sirgun (www.gracefulwomen.com.au), who’s devised this midwinter ritual for us. “Traditionally a pagan festival, it’s also a great way for anyone to observe this important natural event and set some new intentions. “The term solstice means ‘sun stands still’. It’s from this day that we begin to move back toward the light. As the sun returns to the sky we’re gifted the opportunity of renewal, rebirth and ultimately the choice to begin again.…

Celebrate solstice

The wonder of a winter pilgrimage

St Michael’s Way Lelant to St Michael’s Mount, Cornwall One day, 11.5 miles This is a coast-to-coast micro-pilgrimage in the westernmost reaches of Cornwall: “a great walk to do if you want folklore and mythology,” says Guy. “There are stories of giants throwing stones across valleys, and the landscape is steeped in holiness. It’s also an amazing part of the countryside.” This particular pilgrimage offers a wide range of mythology to discover, and winter can be a time when the beauty of nature in this summer holiday destination can surprise and delight you. The Rosslyn Chapel Way Rosslyn Chapel to St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh One day, 10 miles Visit the famous church that inspired Dan Brown to write one of the bestselling books of all time, The Da Vinci Code.…

A path with purpose

These days our rooms are centrally heated and we sit inside on our computers, or else we fly off abroad on holiday to get away from the reality of winter. Getting outside and meeting the elements gives us back the connection with those rhythms of the year that has been lost. By going on a walk, you acknowledge what’s going on outside. The days are shorter but can feel much more immersive. The vistas are wider and the skies feel more present. It can help you find clarity of that bigger vision. A pilgrimage is significant at this time of year because you’re in a different space at Christmas. There’s the whole party side and all the feasting and fun, but there’s another side where people feel more spiritual and…

A path with purpose

Celebrate natural beauty

Even the most humble abode comes alive at Christmas. Whether you rent a one-bedroom flat or own a four-bedroom house, whether you live in a city centre or the middle of the country, it’s the chance to festoon your home with texture and colour. In a world where we don’t often take the time to savour the small moments or make things from scratch, hanging decorations and putting up the Christmas tree are important rituals. Even for those of us who think we haven’t got a creative bone in our bodies, decorating our home is a great way to channel our inner artists: are you a Scandi-inspired minimalist? Or maybe a ‘more the merrier’ Christmas maximalist? Not just for Christmas? Our inner magpies come out at Christmas. It’s so easy…

Mindful ideas for Christmas interiors

Whether you like to crack out the decorations on 1 December or wait until Christmas Eve rolls around, adorning our homes with seasonal paraphernalia is, for many, a ritual as important as Christmas pudding or the Queen’s speech. It’s a chance to add a little magic to our spaces and celebrate this special time of year. Yet with Christmas now so commercialised, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the huge range of stores stuffed with sparkly baubles and shiny garlands (often as early as September), and it’s a fact that the constant consumption of new décor every holiday season isn’t doing our planet any favours. What’s more, a study in the US has found that many decorative products contain hazardous elements such as lead and bromine, and that these items…

Mindful ideas for Christmas interiors

The 12 natural scents of Christmas

Christmas is a time when we fill our homes with candles, pot pourri and other festive aromas. But as well as smelling nice, fragrances have other benefits for our minds, bodies and environments. Nicola Elliott is an essential oils expert and founder of all-natural wellbeing brand Neom Organics. Here, she reveals the twelve key scents to keep you calm, happy and energised throughout the season. To find out more about Nicola’s range of fragrances, beauty products and more, visit www.neomorganics.com…

The 12 natural scents of Christmas

Where natural meets neutral

“I think about ways that past generations would have celebrated Christmas. It would have been simpler because they didn’t have so much” With four children, Christmas could have the potential to be overwhelming, costly and stressful for Sarah Blankenship. But she views the holiday season in a very different way, keeping things simple with a focus on experience and family time. “It was several years ago that my approach to Christmas changed. I watched as the children ripped open their Christmas gifts and then tossed them aside for the next one. There seemed to be little gratitude and enjoyment of what they had received.” One year, the family took a holiday away from home for Christmas and it was this that made Sarah realise that the children remembered moments and…

Where natural meets neutral

Easy homemade decorations

Gingerbread stars Edible decorations are twice as good as the regular sort: not only do they look great, but they’re delicious too. And they’re very easy to make – perfect for getting children to help out (particularly if you promise to let them test them once they’re baked!). Sarah’s recipe creates wonderfully chewy biscuits that will fit in perfectly with a traditional or Scandinavian decor scheme. Find out how to make your own batch of biscuits at bit.ly/mindfulginger. Cranberry garland Tangy cranberries are always associated with a Christmas feast, but these shiny red berries are also perfectly suited to decorating. Like orange slices, cranberries will need to be prepared for crafting (you can find full instructions on Sarah’s blog at bit.ly/mindfulcranberry) – if you simply use fresh berries they won’t…

Easy homemade decorations

YOU WILL NEED * Wire wreath frame * Floristry scissors or secateurs * Ribbon (of medium/large thickness) * Reel wire * Moss * A selection of hardy foliage and pine (a mix of different shades of greens and textures works really well – here we’ve used eucalyptus and bay) * A selection of decorations: we like to keep ours quite natural and green so we’ve used poppy heads, pine cones and nigella flower seed heads. You can also add cinnamon sticks, orange/lime slices, sprayed foliage or bells. 1 Attach one end of the reel wire to your frame with a few twists. 2 Secure bundles of bunched up moss to the frame by wrapping the reel wire around them. We use moss as it gives depth to the wreath –…

Enjoy what money can’t buy

Decorating your home for the holiday season need not be expensive or stressful. As with most things in life, less is most definitely more. There’s no need to completely transform your home (unless you really want to, of course) – you can simply add touches here and there that will bring festivity to your space in an effortlessly stylish way. And you can make decorating an enjoyable part of the process in the run-up to Christmas by involving children in making things both for displaying and for gifting. Given commercial pressures at this time of year, with advertising at every turn asking us to buy expensive presents and decorations, going handmade can also be a way to avoid a high-street scrum, save money and ensure your home looks exactly how…

Enjoy what money can’t buy

Harmony at home

Crystals have always been used for their healing properties. They’re naturally formed under pressure and they’re a good support network: they work with our energy to draw in what we need and draw out what we no longer need. When it comes to using crystals in the home, it’s your space so it’s up to you where you put them. If you want to bring more love in, where is the heart of your home? Or maybe you want to get more creative in the kitchen, so let’s put in some crystals to promote that. It’s all about using your own intuition. Crystals are great at Christmas to bring in a sense of calm or an energy that you feel is lacking. They work both ways! Crystal Christmas presents If…

Harmony at home

Share the gift of Christmas

Christmas shopping. Two words to strike fear into even the most enthusiastic of retail lovers. The whole season can disappear into a blur of credit card use, novelty gifts and a plethora of shopping bags. While the joy of giving to others can never be underestimated, shopping is now undoubtably one of the biggest things about Christmas. We can end up spending most of our time and money on it – along with everyone else trudging around the shopping centre. The pressure to ‘buy’ into the perfect Christmas starts early and it can feel hard to escape. Swap chaos for calm But Christmas shopping doesn’t have to be a stressful (or expensive) experience. How about making it a bit less consumerist and chaotic and a little more calm, considered and…

A new kind of present

While researching this article, I put a question to a group of my friends: “If I say the words ‘Christmas shopping’ what’s the first feeling or emotion that comes to mind?” The responses came in thick and fast. “Dread,” said my friend W who holds down a demanding job as a detective with the police. “The whole thing makes me feel anxious. Last year I did the whole thing online. Still stressed me out.” “Stress. Have I forgotten someone?” said L, the most organised person I know. “I usually buy online at the last minute and spend too much and then end up skint.” “Dread,” (that word again) said K. “That feeling of buying into a tradition that has got so consumerist. It feels like you’re having to prove your…

A new kind of present

Mini shopping meditation

High street help “It’s easy to get caught up in the craziness of Christmas,” says Kirsty Norton, yoga teacher and meditation practitioner (www.kirstynortonyoga.co.uk). “The first step is to notice when you’re being swept up in it and are feeling overwhelmed. This is a very simple breath practice that you can practice anywhere, whether it be in a crowd of people, standing in a queue or sitting in your car.” • Take a moment to notice your body and feel the sensations running through it. There is no right or wrong to this so just feel what is happening in your body. No need to judge, just feel. • Then silently repeat to yourself “I am here, here I am” to bring yourself back to a state of awareness internally. You…

Mini shopping meditation

The thoughtful book-lover’s gift guide

Reading a book is a private experience, but it’s also an act of communication with public words. That’s what makes it so powerful: reading is intimate and exposed at the same time. It can be a place to escape to, or a source of comfort. Books can be with us in the most difficult times – literally, in the case of the beloved paperback you can slip into your bag and bring out when you need it. They can be healing, offering consolation to the kind of grief that feels too hard even to talk about. They are a source of joy: it’s very hard to feel sad when you’re giggling over a Wodehouse, and harder still to resist reading out the best bits to bystanders. And reading can change…

The thoughtful book-lover’s gift guide

Six inspired books to give

For self-discovery Hidden Nature by Alys Fowler (Hodder, £9.99) Life for Alys Fowler seemed settled. She had her husband, their home in Birmingham and a garden which she tended meticulously, as you’d expect from a gardening columnist and Gardener’s World presenter. But was this really where a child who had dreamed of adventure should end up? Her curious spirit found an outlet when she discovered the secret world of the city’s canals, paddling them in a solo canoe, and finding that unruly life persists however hard humans work to contain it. She found love, too – with someone who made her reconsider the most essential parts of her identity. Alys’s book is a beautiful piece of nature writing with a deeply personal story inside it. For justice The Fact Of…

Six inspired books to give

The art of mindful giving

Think of Christmas and what springs to mind? An idyllic scene of the family gathered around a beautifully decorated tree, opening gorgeously wrapped gifts? That’s the dream for most of us, but the reality is often very different. With the pressure to create the perfect Christmas weighing heavily from the opening chords of the first Christmas radio jingle, the stress on our minds and purses can be immense. As the list of presents to buy grows longer and the prospect of battling frenzied festive shoppers for last-minute panic-purchases looms, we become so tightly wound that a mid-December meltdown can feel inevitable. “I have a festive LAY [Look After Yourself] programme dedicated to supporting women to cope with the pressures of Christmas,” says Karen Heras-Kelly, feminine empowerment coach at A Tribe…

The art of mindful giving

Bamboo toothbrushes (or a subscription) A thoughtful everyday present, bamboo toothbrushes are biodegradable so you can put them in the compost when you’re ready for a new one (just cut o! the nylon bristles first). Buy a set in a variety of colours or a subscription: a new brush is delivered every one or two months. www.wearebristle.com Personalised reusable shopping bags We’re all aware of the global drive to ban single-use plastic. Most plastic isn’t biodegradable or recyclable, so it will feel good to give a set of stylish re-useable cotton bags or a special personalised one for plastic-free shopping. www.notonthehighstreet.com A beautiful reusable coffee cup The number of disposable coffee cups used daily around the world is eye-wateringly high. Reusable cups are a great way to reduce that pile,…

Wrappers’ delight

Some of us are naturally gifted giftwrappers who can make any present look exquisite – and enjoy doing so. For others, wrapping can seem like one more chore to be done, rushed through alone once everyone is asleep. Then there’s the aftermath: who hasn’t been left the middle of mountains of discarded paper, feeling guilty about what to do with it all? Wrapping is often a hurried job but taking your time to giftwrap a present for someone who’s special to you can feel very symbolic (check out our wrapping meditation on page 101 to find out how). We can also find more natural inspiration for Christmas coverings in surprisingly easy and cheap ways. “If you’ve cleaned up after a Christmas present opening session, you’ll know just how much paper…

Wrappers’ delight

TAP HERE FOR YOUR PRINTABLE CARDS postcards Send some love this Christmas with these exclusive cards. They’re a fresh alternative to a traditional greetings card at this time of year, or perhaps you could send one as a thank you to brighten up someone’s January! TAP HERE FOR YOUR PRINTABLE TAGS gift tags Take as much care with your giftwrapping as you do with choosing the gift itself and it’s sure to be appreciated. Our beautiful tags will enhance any package. Try tucking a few sprigs of fragrant foliage next to each tag for a finishing touch.…

Wrap yourself calm

We can make many of the things we do at Christmas more meditative, and wrapping presents is one of them,” says yoga and meditation teacher Sirgun (www.gracefulwomen.com.au). “Send your presents for loved ones with positive intentions and they’ll definitely be well received!” Set a date Set a date in your diary for your wrapping, making sure you’ve bought or made all your gifts by this point. On the day, find a quiet space, turn your phone off and make a pot of Christmas-infused tea such as nutmeg, cinnamon or juniper. Get into your body To begin the meditation, light a candle and sit down. Take a moment to feel your whole body. Feel all of you and relax all of you. Take three deep breaths. Set your intention. Perhaps your…

Wrap yourself calm

Eat, drink and be merry!

Festive food. We get so excited about it and often spend weeks, if not months, planning what we’re going to eat and who we’re going to cook for. Healthy eating is shelved in favour of sugar, and it’s the only time of year where it’s apparently acceptable to make every evening a ‘go on, just more more’ type of night. It’s good to indulge ourselves from time to time and do something decadent, and the festive season is the epitome of that. But there can be too much of a good thing. What starts out as something enjoyable can turn into a gastronomic endurance test as our bodies and brains are left bamboozled and battered from a whirlwind of alcohol and rich food. Vegetables get swappped for vol-au-vents. Morning smoothies…

Eat, drink and be mindful!

Has this been the year when you’ve made changes to the way you shop, cook and eat? If you’ve embraced a plant-based diet or tried to shop ethically, the impending month of excess could feel intimidating. Navigating Christmas is a lot to think about, but enjoying the festive period and indulging in food and drink that you love doesn’t have to derail your new mindset. It’s simply a matter of staying aware of what you’re buying and eating. Pick your priorities First, decide what’s most important to you, prioritise that, and don’t beat yourself up for not being perfect or able to tackle everything at once. If keeping single-use plastic to a minimum is what matters to you, concentrate on that and buy appropriately. Forget individually wrapped chocolates – you…

Eat, drink and be mindful!

Roasted cabbage steaks with a hazelnut dressing

METHOD 1 Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas mark 6. Remove any bruised or damaged leaves from the cabbage and cut it into four 2cm thick steaks, leaving the stalk on so they stay intact. 2 Brush both sides with oil, season and put on a baking paper-lined tray. Roast for 30-40 minutes until golden and a knife pierces the stalk easily. Turn the steaks over halfway through cooking, and if they’re browning too much before they’re tender, cover them with foil and keep cooking. 3 Toast the hazelnuts in a dry frying pan until golden and toasted. Tip out and leave to cool, then roughly chop. Tip into a bowl with the chilli, mint, lemon zest and juice, maple syrup and 3 tbsp oil. Season and drizzle over the…

Roasted cabbage steaks with a hazelnut dressing

@we_are_food This is the page of vegetarian cook and bestselling author Anna Jones. Not only is her food pretty as a picture, but Anna’s inspiring recipes are simple, accessible and always work. @ritaserano Rita’s brilliant recipes from her book Vegan In 7 were featured in olive magazine earlier this year, and they went down a storm. Serious flavour with minimal effort. @erinireland We’re addicted to Vancouver-based Erin’s Insta stories, where she always proves that you really don’t need to compromise when enjoying a vegan diet.…

Whole roast cauliflower with warm harissa hummus

METHOD 1 Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas mark 6. Put the vegetable oil and the spices into a bowl with some seasoning and mix together. Add the cauliflower and toss really well, making sure the cauliflower is well covered. Put on a baking tray and roast for 75-90 minutes or until the stem is tender when pierced with a knife. 2 Meanwhile, whisk together the red wine vinegar and chilli oil with some seasoning, then stir in the pomegranate seeds. 3 Near the end of the cauliflower’s cooking time, make the hummus. Heat the olive oil in a pan with the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook gently for 5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir through the chickpeas and heat…

Whole roast cauliflower with warm harissa hummus

Whole roasted pineapple in spiced caramel

METHOD 1 Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas mark 4. Put the brown sugar into a medium frying pan over a low heat with 1 tbsp of water. As it melts, turn up the heat and keep shaking and swirling the pan until it forms a caramel the colour of a rusty penny. Add the pomegranate molasses and balsamic vinegar, and whisk the mixture well. Bubble for 2 minutes, then add the salt and chilli flakes. Put the whole pineapple in a roasting dish and pour over the caramel, ensuring it’s completely coated. Roast for 45-50 minutes, basting with the caramel a couple of times, until really tender to the point of a knife. 2 Remove from the oven and transfer the pineapple to a plate, covering it with foil…

Whole roasted pineapple in spiced caramel

Fresh festive flavours

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitalityWashington Irving Swap chocolate for fruity, vegan energy balls It can be so easy to reach for the nearest box of chocolates if you need a quick calorie fix over Christmas, but if you’ve got healthier options to hand the temptation will be lessened. These coconut, date and cranberry protein balls are rich, fruity and packed with energy – perfect for snacking, or packing for a winter walk. Find the recipe online at bit.ly/oliveenergy. Perk up your leftovers with hot pepper jam Unless you’ve planned your meals perfectly, chances are you’ll be faced with some leftovers after any Christmas gathering. (Although there’s a lot to be said for cooking more than you need as it’ll save time, effort and energy when…

Fresh festive flavours

Welcome to the world of winefulness

Sensible drinking tends to go out of the window at Christmas. We might feel queasy at the thought of drinking warm spiced merlot for eleven months of the year, but come December we’re chucking back the mulled wine like there’s no tomorrow. Drinking prosecco for breakfast becomes socially acceptable. Meeting up for a ‘quiet drink’ can end in you rolling home four hours later than intended, singing carols at the top of your voice. Or how about when all you want is a night on the sofa, but instead you drink your way through the office party and then feel terrible the next day? (Or even worse, tell your annoying colleague what you really think of them.) While it’s lovely to get together with friends and family, too much of…

Welcome to the world of winefulness

The three-step Christmas winefulness practice

“You know this potentially stressful thing is coming up so you’re probably already monitoring how you’re feeling,” explains Manish Singh, summing up how you might feel ahead of a social gathering. “You’re having a bit of reactivity to it and having anxiety about sitting next to people you don’t get on with. Most people won’t be doing that. When you get there, take a ‘baseline reading’ of how you’re feeling and think, ‘Where am I? What’s happening with me and my thinking? What’s happening in my body?’ Order or pour your drink. That glass and the winefulness is going to turn out to be a little bit like your ‘life preserver’ in that it’s going to be your point of focus throughout the whole practice.” 1 LOOK & LISTEN Look…

OMBAR CENTRES Every one of us, every day, needs a moment of comfort and bliss. When you pause, take a deep breath, centre yourself, and enjoy a little piece of pleasure just for you. We call this the Om moment. Whether you join your favourite yoga class, grab a cuppa with a friend, sink into a hot bath, or dive into some seriously good chocolate, you deserve to indulge your senses and recharge. Enter the new Ombar Centres Pistachio chocolate bar. A creamy, nutty-flavoured truffle centre wrapped in 60% dark chocolate. Seize your Om moment. Embrace the bliss. Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @OmbarChocolate. www.ombar.co.uk NOBLE ISLE Noble Isle is an exquisite, fine-fragrance bath and body brand inspired by the natural and cultural riches of the British Isles, featuring extracts sourced…

A meat-free masterclass

With almost half a million subscribers to his YouTube channel, Gaz Oakley – AKA the Avant Garde Vegan – has become the poster boy for a plant-based diet. His inventive meat-free recipes have proved a hit with vegans and non-vegans alike, and following the success of his first book, Vegan 100, he’s just released Vegan Christmas, a collection of over 70 dishes to try over the holidays. We caught up with Gaz for a chat about festive catering and why it’s time to dispel some of the myths about veganism… You started full-time work as a chef when you were just 16. What drove you? I was just really motivated to be the best chef I could become. I wanted to get a Michelin star, I wanted to go to…

A meat-free masterclass

Christmas sauces

CRANBERRY AND ORANGE SAUCE METHOD 1 To sterilise your jars, place them in a large saucepan filled with cold water, place over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes then turn off the heat. Carefully remove the jars from the water when you’re ready to fill them. 2 Heat all the ingredients in a heavy-based pan over a low heat with the lid on. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. 3 Remove the jars from the water, spoon the sauce into them and seal. It will keep for four weeks in the fridge. HORSERADISH SAUCE METHOD 1 Drain the soaked horseradish and mix with the other ingredients in a small bowl. Serve the same day as making. MINT SAUCE METHOD 1 Finely chop the mint…

Christmas sauces

Boozy mince pies

METHOD 1 Thoroughly combine all the filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cover the bowl and leave the mixture overnight, or for at least 12 hours, stirring every now and then if possible. (If you don’t want to make your pies straight away, spoon the filling into sterilised jars (see page 124) – it will keep for two months in the fridge.) 2 To make the pastry, combine the "our, sugar, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add the vegan spread and rub into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mix is a breadcrumblike consistency. 3 Pour in enough milk to bring the mixture together to form a ball of dough and pick up all the bits from the bowl. Give it a slight knead for…

Boozy mince pies

Coconut bounties

METHOD 1 Line a 23cm (9in) square, loose-bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper. Put all the filling ingredients in a blender and whizz until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Tip the mixture into the lined cake tin and push it into the corners. Press the mixture down with the back of a wooden spoon until it’s level, then pop the cake tin into your freezer to set while you melt the chocolate. 2 Melt the chopped chocolate in a heatproof mixing bowl set over a small saucepan of simmering water. When all the chocolate has melted, lift the bowl off the pan and set aside to cool slightly. 3 Take the chilled filling out of the freezer and slice the coconut into eight bars. Warm your knife under hot…

Coconut bounties

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