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SUNDAY IS A day of rest allegedly, but not if you’re the one tasked with cooking the Sunday roast.
The pressure is on and the heat is up. So we’ve come to the rescue with some foolproof tips and tricks to make this Sunday roast the best one ever.
First things first – you have to start with the perfect recipe. Hopefully yours has been handed down the generations but just in case it wasn’t, we’ve got a pretty easy, spectacularly tasty roast lamb (with rosemary and garlic) recipe right here.
Preparation is key – get those potatoes and carrots peeled first thing and you’ll be away in a hack.
Roast potatoes are compulsory of course, and par-boiling them for five minutes, giving them a shake in the saucepan before dousing them in very hot oil and whacking them in the oven will give you the crispiest roastie you’ve ever had in your life.
The side dishes are where you can get fancy or keep things traditional.
Honey-glazed roasted carrots sound like a lot of work, but here’s how easy it is:
Couldn’t be easier. You could even chuck in a few parsnips for good measure.
Some peas add a little colour, a jug of gravy and you’re done!
I love Christmas but this article resonates on some points and I am sure will do the same for many,
I would add:
Try and get 30mins exercise in each day. A brisk walk will be fine. It keeps the mince pies at bay and boosts your mood. Double whammy.
And remember, if it is not a good time of year, it is short lived. It’ll be over soon.
@Gus McIntosh: I may or may not call clients in my pj’s on my exercise bike when it’s raining.
Stop listening to RTÉ news headlines and Clare Byrne
@James Fox: advice for life, not just Christmas
Dare to hope! Life and love will prevail.
We really are all in this together, look after yourself and your loved ones and don’t put any unneeded pressure on yourself. It’s Christmas, there’s one every year.
@Sean Kirwan: we’re not though. At all.
@Fergal McDonagh: bit if you try real hard when you close your eyes you can convince yourself that we are. Then get back to ignoring the horrible truths in society. Sure its Christmas….Best time of the year to paint over the cracks till next year.
Great article and very helpful thank you.
A whole industry really has grown around the lack of mental wellness that is being driven by contaminants in our food and other man made chemicals we did not evolve to exist with. What we eat, drink and breathe is making us sick and there is no shortage of experts who proclaim to understand our anxiety as an emotion whereas for many it is likely an artificial sensation of fear being triggered by chemicals in our food, drink, breathing air and personal care products. Anxiety is not mental it is immunological for many if not most.
@Gavin Tobin: It can’t be all down to that at all. For an example, watch a few episodes of the Flintstones – Barney Rubble was clearly of a very nervous disposition, constantly worried about things going wrong.
That was a few million years before processed foods and diesel particulates.
@Gavin Tobin: Personally I’m fed up with the constant touting of “detox” products. Our bodies have perfectly functional livers and kidneys and no one needs plastic patches of colour-changing gunk to “filter” any alleged toxins. I wouldn’t take them if they were free, but they’re obviously very lucrative for the sellers to impulse buyers with no notion of human biology at all.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: Yea I’ve seen some fall recently for the ear candle scam which are sold by reputable pharmacies like Boots etc.
One major problem is listed allergens like SO2/Sulphites can be legally hidden and for some this is an overlooked problem.
For example 10% of asthmatics are believed to have a SO2/Sulphite allergy so our food safety laws expose them to a known listed allergen that is hidden from food labelling.
A little bit of inflammation can drive inflammation of CNS driving allergy in particular. Liver & kidneys can’t help here.
@Gavin Tobin: What an absolute load. Being prone to anxiety is a consequence of bad past experiences or just their natural disposition. Some people are naturally pessimistic or wary and never believe good things can happen without ten bad things ruining it afterwards. They might have low self esteem and are convinced they don’t deserve to feel relaxed or happy about anything, and when they do, they dont feel that way for long. Some people think life is empty and meaningless and will feel despair and anxiety over that. Blaming peoples anxiety on what they ingest is completely undermining their anxiety. I feel anxiety constantly, and believe me, its got nothing to do with what i eat and drink and everything to do with my life and the effect its had on me.
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