Last shopping dates and supermarket delivery windows might be passing, but you can still stock up for any festive entertaining you have planned
*Magnum (150cl) of prosecco, £18.99, from Sainsburys*
What could be more festive than a gigantic bottle of prosecco with which to greet your guests? (Answer: several of the above.) Or you could hide in the kitchen with it, of course. Sainsbury's Conegliano prosecco is particularly fine – Decanter agrees. Big, fat and creamy, they say, refraining admirably from adding a Father Christmas gag. Rumour has it, though, that Father C prefers this to sherry on his Christmas Eve rounds. At least, that's what the note we got last year said.
*Cheese selection, £10.99, from Abel and Cole*
If you are entertaining but can't face any actual cooking, or perhaps just want to line stomachs before those magnums of prosecco disappear, then a cheese selection and some fresh bread should keep the hordes from raiding your fridge. Abel & Cole has a very tasty selection pack, which includes Greens of Glastonbury's farmhouse cheddar, Cropwell Bishop blue stilton, Cotswold Brie and Cowslip. They are all British cheeses, by the way. Munch while watching seasonal repeats of Wallace and Gromit.
*Jude's ice cream, £4.69 (500ml), at Waitrose and Co-op*
Christmas pudding and mince pies are all very well, but really, it's all about the accessories. By which I mean cream, clotted cream, sour cream, ice-cream, custard … mmm … sorry, where was I? Oh yes, ice-cream. If you are partial to the good stuff, then there is none better than Jude's. Coming in a range of lovely flavours – including a festive cinnamon or a ginger spice. But their old-school favourites are also superb – a vanilla that really sings of vanilla pods, and a salted caramel that is dangerously moreish.
*Mulled wine, £6.99 from Marks and Spencers, £5.79 from Sainbury's*
Christmas parties, whether they consist of two people or 200, would not be the the same without mulled wine. But who has the time to mull their own? (If you do, here's a fantastic-sounding recipe for chocolate mulled wine from the Guardian's own Annalisa Barbieri). Luckily, the supermarkets have some really excellent offerings that just involve heating and serving – you can add fresh fruit or some rum or another spirit for a kick, but these two are a really tasty treats all by themselves. So warming and fragrant, they must be part of your five a day, right?
*Tyrell's snacks, all major supermarkets*
You've got the hot drinks, cold drinks, cheeseboard and decadent ice-cream sorted. Now you just need some snacks with which to waft elegantly around your party (try not to be caught cramming them into your own mouth). Tyrell's have an ever-growing range, including festive crisp flavours (apparently they are Santa's favourite). From what I hear, Rudolph has a bit of a weakness for sweet and salt popcorn. Carrots, you say? Hey, it's Christmas. There is time enough for vegetables in the new year. Reported by guardian.co.uk 3 days ago.
*Magnum (150cl) of prosecco, £18.99, from Sainsburys*
What could be more festive than a gigantic bottle of prosecco with which to greet your guests? (Answer: several of the above.) Or you could hide in the kitchen with it, of course. Sainsbury's Conegliano prosecco is particularly fine – Decanter agrees. Big, fat and creamy, they say, refraining admirably from adding a Father Christmas gag. Rumour has it, though, that Father C prefers this to sherry on his Christmas Eve rounds. At least, that's what the note we got last year said.
*Cheese selection, £10.99, from Abel and Cole*
If you are entertaining but can't face any actual cooking, or perhaps just want to line stomachs before those magnums of prosecco disappear, then a cheese selection and some fresh bread should keep the hordes from raiding your fridge. Abel & Cole has a very tasty selection pack, which includes Greens of Glastonbury's farmhouse cheddar, Cropwell Bishop blue stilton, Cotswold Brie and Cowslip. They are all British cheeses, by the way. Munch while watching seasonal repeats of Wallace and Gromit.
*Jude's ice cream, £4.69 (500ml), at Waitrose and Co-op*
Christmas pudding and mince pies are all very well, but really, it's all about the accessories. By which I mean cream, clotted cream, sour cream, ice-cream, custard … mmm … sorry, where was I? Oh yes, ice-cream. If you are partial to the good stuff, then there is none better than Jude's. Coming in a range of lovely flavours – including a festive cinnamon or a ginger spice. But their old-school favourites are also superb – a vanilla that really sings of vanilla pods, and a salted caramel that is dangerously moreish.
*Mulled wine, £6.99 from Marks and Spencers, £5.79 from Sainbury's*
Christmas parties, whether they consist of two people or 200, would not be the the same without mulled wine. But who has the time to mull their own? (If you do, here's a fantastic-sounding recipe for chocolate mulled wine from the Guardian's own Annalisa Barbieri). Luckily, the supermarkets have some really excellent offerings that just involve heating and serving – you can add fresh fruit or some rum or another spirit for a kick, but these two are a really tasty treats all by themselves. So warming and fragrant, they must be part of your five a day, right?
*Tyrell's snacks, all major supermarkets*
You've got the hot drinks, cold drinks, cheeseboard and decadent ice-cream sorted. Now you just need some snacks with which to waft elegantly around your party (try not to be caught cramming them into your own mouth). Tyrell's have an ever-growing range, including festive crisp flavours (apparently they are Santa's favourite). From what I hear, Rudolph has a bit of a weakness for sweet and salt popcorn. Carrots, you say? Hey, it's Christmas. There is time enough for vegetables in the new year. Reported by guardian.co.uk 3 days ago.