For a lot of people, the Christmas holidays actually aren’t much fun. There are lots of reasons why, but many of them relate to stress.
Some of us are just plain overworked, and Christmas can be the busiest time of the year in some workplaces. On top of that, we feel obliged to be the perfect parent, and the perfect host; providing hospitality, catering for lots of extra people with not enough time, and paying for presents that often aren’t needed or wanted.
And others of us are reminded of what we’ve lost, whether it be loved ones, employment, or just contentment.
Trying to generate special, ‘fun’ activities, is likely to be just one more burden in many cases.
It might, therefore, be time to stop and reset the system. Time to decide what might actually make everyone in your family happy. It might turn out to be just doing nothing much at all. Having time to read a book, play games, muck about on the beach, go for a walk in the sunshine, potter in the garden, or play in the kitchen.
For lots of us, cooking is a joy when there’s enough time, and we’re not trying to do 3 other things simultaneously!
And cooking with a relaxed parent can be great fun for kids. It’s a time of year when a little bit of indulgence does no great harm either. So you can make things that might not get made at more sensible times of the year.
If you love relaxing cooking, here’s are a few recipes that might make the long summer days just a bit more fun for everyone. They aren’t difficult, don’t take a lot of time, and they don’t involve exotic ingredients.
Some of them make really nice gifts this time of year, or easy contributions to pot-luck dinners and family BBQs.
Honey Roast Nuts
Healthy Rice Salad 
Pink Summer Clouds
Mocha Mousse
Blueberry Sauce
Oat Pancakes
