A traditional Christmas meal in the UK

I'm really looking forward to going home to England soon for the Christmas holidays. Christmas is fast approaching so I have been busy buying and wrapping presents for all my friends and family. I think one of the best parts of Christmas is the family meal and it will be particularly special this year, as I haven't seen my family in ages and I'm very much looking forward to some home-cooked food! In the UK on the 25th of December, families normally come together to prepare and enjoy a huge feast. Every family has different traditions but here's a general idea of what goes into a Christmas dinner:

• Roast turkey
• Roast potatoes
• Roast parsnips
• Pigs in blankets (mini sausages wrapped in bacon)
• Stuffing
• Red cabbage
• Boiled vegetables such as peas or carrots
• Brussel sprouts (famously very few people like these, however they are essential at a Christmas meal)
• Bread sauce
• Cranberry sauce
• Gravy

If there are vegetarians in the family, an alternative option to turkey is a nut roast, which is made up of roasted chestnuts, mushrooms and other winter vegetables.

For dessert (if you have room!) we normally have Christmas pudding, a pudding made up of dried fruit and Christmas spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. The pudding is coated in brandy and then set on fire before serving, so it is always a very impressive dish. Mince pies (miniature tartlets filled with dried fruit and spices called mincemeat) are also a hugely popular dessert, served with cream or brandy butter (butter, sugar and brandy mixed together).

Writing this has made me hungry and now I'm even more excited for Christmas!