Christmas brings to our minds the peace of a warm fireplace and a beautiful tree with a cup of punch in hand. But before that moment of peace arrives, we all face the stress and hustle of nerve-wracking responsibilities.
Peel the tangerines, lemons and limes. Put 200g of sugar, citrus peels and tangerine juice in a pan and heat over medium heat. Add the cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and a little grated nutmeg. Split the vanilla pod and add it to the pot. Add just enough wine to cover the sugar and let it simmer for about 5 minutes until you get a nice thick syrup. Then reduce the heat to low, add the anise and the rest of the wine. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes and serve.
Clean the potatoes and boil them in salted water in their skins. While still warm, peel them and cut them into slices about half a centimeter thick. In a saucepan, bring the broth, sugar, salt, pepper, and both vinegars to a boil. Stir, add the shallots, and remove from the heat. Stir and pour over the potatoes while still hot. After ten minutes, add the oil and mix carefully. Let the salad rest overnight in the refrigerator. Before serving, mix with chives and serve with lightly seasoned polníčkom.
Cleaning, gifts, Christmas decorations... How about handling everything this year calmly and without stress?Alain Delon Magazine is here to help you get through Christmas with a bang. Here's our checklist to make this year's holidays easier for you.
A month until Christmas
Christmas gifts
We all know it. The desperate search for a parking space in front of the mall, the rush from store to store, buying whatever someone else can't grab from under our hands. Get ahead of everyone this year and take advantage of the quiet period when most people haven't even noticed that Christmas is coming. This will give you plenty of time to really think about gifts for your loved ones. Not only will they be more pleased with a gift chosen especially for them than a random selection, but it will also cost you a lot less stress.
If you need advice on where to start, be inspired by our Gift Guide for everyone.
Christmas decorations
What goes for gifts goes for decorations too. The stores have the biggest selection right at the beginning, so you can choose the perfect decorations, not just the ones that no one wanted two days before Christmas. Plus, having your apartment decorated so early in the day will allow you to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere for much longer than usual and will definitely lift your spirits every evening after you get home from work.
Three weeks until Christmas
Christmas cakes
Our mothers often scolded us children and did not allow us to eat Christmas cakes until Christmas Day. However, after Christmas, a pile of uneaten cakes often ended up in the trash. Bake yours earlier this year, it will not only save you time, but most importantly you can eat great cakes from the beginning of December, a win-win situation for everyone.
However, if you don't feel like baking, why not order some fantastic handmade Christmas pastries from the girls at Giraffe Bakery .
Carols
At Alain Delon Journal, there is nothing we love more than Christmas melodies echoing through our apartments. That is why they are in full swing here at the beginning of the month. In addition to traditional Slovak ones, try to get lost in the slightly jazzy tunes of Diana Krall or the amazing swing interpretations of Postmodern Jukebox this year.
Two weeks until Christmas
Christmas cleaning
Strategy is key when it comes to Christmas cleaning. The two weekends before Christmas Eve are the perfect time to get everyone involved in washing windows, polishing glasses, and other chores that you never manage to do at the last minute. If you can get the big cleans done well in advance, the day before Christmas you can just vacuum, dust, and enjoy.
Christmas mulled wine
There's nothing like the smell of mulled wine to get you in the Christmas spirit. With Christmas just two weeks away, it's time to get in the mood after work.
Here is a great recipe for mulled wine that we have made:
2 tangerines
1 lemon
1 lime
200g brown sugar
6 cloves
1 whole cinnamon stick
1 fresh nutmeg, for grating
3 bay leaves
2 aniseeds
1 vanilla pod
1.5 l red wine
The week before Christmas
Christmas tree
One of the few things worth leaving until the last week is buying a tree. You want it to be as fresh as possible so that it lasts as long as possible. Bring it home, leave it on the balcony for a day so that it gets used to the warmer environment, and most importantly, don't forget to water it. It is a flower, after all, even if it is a little larger than what we are used to.
Christmas salad
The day before Christmas Eve is salad time. We all have our family recipes that we look forward to every year. But if you feel like trying something new, here is our recipe for a healthy, yet equally delicious version of potato salad.
1kg of cooking potatoes, type A
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of powdered sugar
80g finely chopped shallot
200 ml beef broth
5 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 level teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
100g of cornflowers
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
