The challenge of getting kids to eat their veggies is well known. Save for the occasional child who actually enjoys their vegetables, most kids seem to develop a dislike for them at one point or another.

The top five vegetables that are most frequently greeted with a sour face, or even spat out if you try to hide them under a large lettuce leaf or a mound of mashed potatoes, are:

• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Brussels sprouts
• Kale
• Capsicum

Luckily for mums and dads, there are a few tricks to getting your children to eat (and perhaps even enjoy) these healthy, vitamin packed foods without needing to resort to bribery or threats of an early bedtime. Here they are, in no particular order:

Broccoli and cranberry salad

Cook the broccoli in boiling water until “al dente” – they appear a bright green colour and are not soggy. Drain and toss with a handful of dried cranberries, which will provide a sweet taste without the unhealthy sugar additive.

Add chopped up yellow capsicum and toss in a bowl with some Red Kellys Tasmania Tangy Traditional dressing, and leave in the refrigerator for an hour before serving.

Salad in a jar

This is a really fun idea and very practical if you are having a picnic or eating al fresco, as the kids get to shake up their own meal. You will need to collect a few jars (empty coffee ones are great) and get your children to decorate the outside of their own jars with their name. You also need to be able to wash out the insides, as you will be using these again and again.

For each jar, use a portion of quinoa, a sliced radish, some chopped cucumber, a sliced tomato, a handful of baby spinach leaves and some prawns, adding these a layer at a time. Add a dollop of Red Kellys Tasmania Creamy Caesar dressing, put the lids on, and let your kids have fun shaking up their own meal.

Dip and dunk

Children love brightly coloured things, and they also love to dip and dunk their food in a variety of sauces, so thinly slice red capsicum, carrots and cucumber for a very colourful mixture.

Get a brightly decorated bowl (or their own jar – see above suggestion) that will hold their Red Kellys Tasmania Cajun Ranch dressing, and they’ll have fun dipping their veggies and enjoying the mild smoky barbeque flavour that perfectly complements their greens.

Cook and learn

Getting children cooking from an early age is very important. Not only is cooking a skill for life, but it will also encourage kids to eat and enjoy even their least liked veggies, just because it was something they had a hand in cooking.

Depending on their age, your children may be able to prepare sprouts, and with supervision, cook them until still firm before tossing them in olive oil, salt and pepper, and putting them in the oven to roast. These can be served with Red Kellys Tasmania Basil & Garlic dressing if eaten as part of a hot salad, for example, and they will certainly taste a lot different from plain, soggy boiled sprouts.

Set a dinner date with kale

Not a fan of kale? Try this recipe. Cook bacon until crispy and set aside. Slice kale into thin ribbons, and knead for two minutes until leaves turn soft and bright green.

Toss the kale with some Red Kellys Tasmania Parmesan & Chive Potato or Creamy Caesar dressing, add sliced red onion, four pitted dates and chopped parsley, and stir through. Top with a poached egg and watch your child enjoy a taste sensation – they might not even realise it is kale that they’re eating!

We’ve all got our favourite Christmas carols, but what about Christmas movies? The Nightmare Before Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street and Elf are some of the best seasonal favourites out there, but you might disagree.

That’s totally okay. We understand – movie preferences are subjective. But if you’re after a movie to watch this Christmas Eve, you really can’t go wrong with one of the choices above. Alternatively, you could also pick one of the following, categorised for your convenience:

 
1. For the littlies: A Charlie Brown Christmas

If you need something to keep the kids occupied for a bit so the adults can have a bit of a breather, this is the movie to watch. It tells the story of how Charlie Brown gets depressed by the commercialism he sees around him during Christmastime, but eventually finds the true meaning of the season. It’s got a great message not just for the kids, but for the adults too!

2. For lots of laughs: Home Alone

This is one of those Christmas classics that never get old. Home Alone features a very young and adorable Macaulay Culkin, who plays Kevin, a boy who gets left at home when his family goes on their Christmas vacation. When a couple of inept burglars come along, Kevin takes it upon himself to defend the family home, using some of the most ingenious ways ever!

3. For a touch of romance: Love Actually

Love is in the air in Love Actually, which follows the lives of eight couples in the lead up to Christmas in London one year. Featuring an amazing ensemble cast that includes the likes of Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Bill Nighy and Keira Knightley, this is best enjoyed with your nearest and dearest.

Christmas is that most wonderful time of the year, when family and friends get together to eat, drink and be merry. In short, it’s a time for parties! If you were picked to host your family get-together this year, you’ve probably been planning and preparing your Christmas Day party for weeks. Now, with just two days to go, we’ve got some tips to help you make sure everything goes smoothly. Good luck!

1. Many hands make light work

It’s a family get-together so get the family involved! Ask for help if you need it and don’t take it upon yourself to do every single thing. A big part of the fun is having everyone working together and contributing to make your party the best it can be. From deciding the menu and setting the table to tidying up and prepping the food, there’s a task for everybody.

2. Stick with seasonal, fresh produce

Good quality produce is key to a delicious meal. Luckily, we have an abundance of top quality produce here in Tasmania that would make the most amazing Christmas feast, so shop seasonal and shop local whenever you can. Your wallet (and guests) will thank you!

3. Keep it simple outdoors

Forget the large plastic Santa or blow-up reindeer. Keep things simple and elegant outdoors with a moderate amount of white lights, just enough to add a festive feel, a wreath on your front door, perhaps a sign welcoming Santa to your residence, and oversized red bows in your plants and bushes.

4. Don’t overdo the decorations indoors too

“Less is more” is a good tip when it comes to Christmas decorations. Keep your colour palette to just one or two colours for an elegant, fuss free look – yes, even for your Christmas tree! Add white lights or candles, and keep the rest of your decorations to a minimum.

5. Party favours

Favours are always a nice touch for Christmas parties. You don’t have to buy anything expensive; in fact, the best Christmas party favours are often homemade food items. Cookies, candy, cakes or jams are always popular, or perhaps even Christmas tree ornaments.

6. Buffet style dining

While there’s something elegant and glamorous about a sit-down dinner, don’t be so quick to dismiss the humble buffet. Not only do buffets allow you to get the dishes out quickly and save you the hassle of serving each guest individually, everyone also gets to mingle and chat while helping themselves to the delicious spread.

7. Make your appetisers in advance

Again, these don’t have to be the most exquisite hors d’oeuvres you could find on the Internet. Find simple ideas that you can make the day before to minimise prep and cooking time on the day. For that matter, do as much food prep beforehand as you can so you don’t spend all Christmas Day slaving away in the kitchen.

8. Set up a self serve drinks bar

Don’t feel like you need to personally fix each guest his or her drink. Set up a simple drinks and cocktail bar, making sure the kids’ drinks and the adults’ drinks are separate or at least clearly indicated, and let everyone have fun fixing their own cocktails. To help your guests along, put out some simple cocktail recipes.

9. Use your barbecue

One of the geographical benefits of living in Australia is being able to fire up that barbecue for your Christmas parties! It’s perfect for your meats, there’s a lot less mess and clean up involved, and it’s a great way to get the men involved in the cooking!

10. Enjoy

Finally, enjoy yourself! Don’t stress over the little things; chances are your guests won’t even notice them. What they will notice is whether or not you’re having a good time, and if you are, they will too!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 4pcs chicken fillets, cut into half through the centre to form 2 thinner fillets
• 500g Desiree potatoes, halved
• 3 corn cobs, peeled, washed, sliced into 3cm thick pieces
• 250g punnet cherry tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ cup flat-leaf parsley (leaves only), finely chopped
• 1tbs olive oil
• Salt & black pepper
• ½ cup Red Kellys Sweet Chilli & Lime Dressing

Method

Step 1:

Marinade chicken fillets with Red Kellys Sweet Chilli & Lime Dressing, garlic and some salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate between 2-4 hours.

Step 2:

Meanwhile, wash potatoes and place into a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high power (100%) for about 5 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.

Place corn in a microwave-safe dish and cook for about 6 minutes or until corn is just tender.

In a big bowl, combine potatoes and corn and toss through with oil and parsley.

Step 3:

Heat barbecue plate on medium-high. Cook potatoes and corn for 5-6 minutes, turning frequently, or until golden. Add tomatoes and cook for about 3 minutes or until warmed through.

Step 4:

Cook chicken on grill plate for about 2 minutes each side or until just cooked through. Serve immediately with barbecued vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Crafts are one of the best ways to keep the kids occupied during the school holidays, so get them involved this Christmas by letting them make decorations for their rooms, the family Christmas tree, or even as gifts for their friends!

1. Easy Homemade Christmas Ornaments

2. Christmas Candy Cane Reindeer

3. Make your own Sock Snowman

Christmas is such a ubiquitous part of our lives that many of us don’t give it a second thought. But do you really know how Santa Claus came about and is Christmas Day really the birthday of Jesus Christ? Here are 5 facts about Christmas that you might not have known. Save these up for your Christmas party, perhaps?

1. Saint Nicholas is more than just the patron saint of children

Saint Nicholas, the man who inspired Santa Claus, is widely regarded as the patron saint of children because of his good deeds in saving and helping children in need. But Catholics in 7 countries recognise him as more than just that. According to the book Saints Preserved: An Encyclopedia of Relics, Saint Nicholas is also the patron saint of unmarried women, prisoners, thieves and pawnbrokers.

2. The original Santa didn’t have a beard

You read that right. According to the book One Night Stands with American History, the original Saint Nicholas a.k.a. Santa Claus that 17th century Dutch settlers brought with them to America was “tall, slender and very dignified”. The beard and jolly, plump figure only came later when the artist and political cartoonist Thomas Nast added them to his Santa Claus in Harper’s Weekly in the late 19th century.

3. Jesus Christ wasn’t actually born on 25 December

Christmas might be when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but Jesus wasn’t actually born on 25 December. Early theologians are apparently unable to agree on an actual date; for example, an Alexandrian bishop claims that Jesus was born on 18 November while others have cited a document found in North Africa that purportedly show Jesus was born on 28 March. The date 25 December was eventually chosen in the 4th century, and that’s the date we’ve kept till this day.

4. ‘Jingle Bells’ was supposed to be a Thanksgiving jingle

For many of us, ‘Jingle Bells’ is the Christmas song, but it wasn’t originally intended as such. According to Mental_Floss Magazine, the composer of ‘Jingle Bells’, James Lord Pierpont, wrote the song in the 1850s to play for his Boston Sunday school class during Thanksgiving. Kids and adults alike loved the song so much that someone eventually changed the lyrics to fit Christmas instead.

5. The real meaning (and use) of mistletoe

The word “mistletoe” is today associated with Christmas parties and kissing underneath it, but the Germanic word for mistletoe actually means, “dung on a twig”. Reason: A bird called the mistle thrush eats the berries of the mistletoe plant, digests the seeds and leaves droppings that eventually grow into new mistletoe plants, hence its name. Also, more than just being useful for stealing a kiss, mistletoe has long been a symbol of virility and fertility in some cultures, with the Druids believing it to be a physical aphrodisiac.

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut pumpkin (about 1.5kg), quartered lengthways, peeled, de-seeded, thinly sliced
• 3 medium red onions, cut into wedges
• 300g baby spinach leaves
• 200g feta, crumbled
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3tbs maple syrup or honey
• Salt & black pepper to season
• ½ cup Red Kellys Traditional Dressing
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (if desired)

Method

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Place cut pumpkin in a baking tray and the onions in another. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and black pepper before baking.

Step 2:

Bake pumpkin and onions for about 15-20 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

Prepare dressing by combining maple syrup (or honey) and Red Kellys Traditional Dressing.

Step 3:

Place spinach, feta, pumpkin and onions in a big bowl. Drizzle over with dressing and toss gently to combine. If using walnuts, sprinkle over before serving. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Christmas decorations aren’t complete without a Christmas stocking (or three), but instead of running out to the shops for one, why not try your hand at making your own?

This DIY Christmas stocking tutorial that we found on YouTube looks easy enough, even for DIY stocking novices such as ourselves! Sewing machine and basic sewing skills highly recommended.

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh strawberries, stem removed, halved
• 8 cups watermelon, deseeded, roughly chopped up
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• ½ cup sugar (or adjust to taste)
• 2 cups water (or 3 cups ice cubes on a hot day)
• Some mint leaves and thinly sliced lemon for garnishing

Method

Step 1:

Combine strawberries, watermelon, lemon and lime juice, sugar and water (or ice cubes) in a blender until smooth.

Step 2

Strain and pour into glasses. Garnish before serving. Enjoy!

Servings: 12

Ingredients:

• 12pcs Atlantic salmon fillets, skin on
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup dill (leaves only), finely chopped
• 1 bunch lemon thyme, finely chopped
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 lemons, juiced
• Salt & pepper for seasoning
• ½ cup Red Kellys Traditional Dressing
• Lemon wedges to serve

Method

Step 1:

In a big jug, combine garlic, dill, lemon thyme, olive oil, lemon juice and Red Kellys Traditional Dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Place salmon fillets on a large tray and pour over half the marinade. Turn salmon over and pour over the remaining half. Cover and refrigerate for between 2-4 hours. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before cooking.

Step 2:

Preheat a greased barbecue plate on medium-high heat. Cook salmon, skin side up, for about 3 minutes. Turn and barbecue, brushing occasionally with marinade, for 4-5 minutes depending on thickness or until just cooked.

Serve immediately with lemon wedges. Enjoy!