This is not a Christmas message

Sleigh bells ring, I'm not listening...

Well, can you believe that Christmas is here again already?  Santa will be polishing his boots and rubbing oil through his beard (even Santa has heard of male grooming products he’s not a caveman you know)!

So how are you feeling? Are you full of the warm glow and roasty toasty chestnuts of the festive season? Are you about as ‘bovvered’ as Catherine Tate? Or are you swallowing down a bowling ball of anxiety, just trying to navigate what can be the most challenging couple of weeks of the year?

Whichever category you fall into, let me assure you that you are loved, you deserve to be happy and don’t be worried about putting yourself first.

Reflection of Christmas

As much as I can’t ignore the festive songs every time I step out in public, my reflection of Christmas is that I’m not really ‘doing’ Christmas this year.  I’m not a Grinch, I’m usually the first to rally everyone around to watch Polar Express (although my now adult kids still maintain to this day, that they hated it).  Usually there’s nothing I love more than wrapping my gifts listening to Wham, Slade and Mariah, but this year is different.

This year my mental health doesn’t want me to take part.  So, I’m listening to it. My heart is hurting, and that makes every loss I’ve ever experienced feel magnified with every Christmas song that somehow manages to get through my filter.

I would have totally smashed the #whamageddon challenge in 2023!

Let's put this into perspective though, it’s been a challenging few months, but nothing that I can’t navigate by acknowledging my feelings and triggers, and giving myself time to heal.  Christmas is a trigger, so no tree, no songs and (thankfully for my waistline) NO MINCE PIES.

Which just leaves the good stuff. 

Me time, family time, better health and healing time.

I’m incredibly lucky to have a large and loving family, that’s something I’m always grateful for.  Christmas day will be spent with them, celebrating them and filled with love. What’s not to look forward to?

If you are reading this, let me assure you that:

You are loved

You deserve to be happy

Don’t feel bad about putting yourself first

Money! Money! Money!

I’m hoping to try and make my money go further in the coming year too (hey, stop laughing, I mean it). 

I’ve already started saving myself a tidy penny on shopping and groceries by making one simple change, and that’s by using Eco Shops. 

As a Community Development worker, I’m lucky to engage and support some of the most resourceful and resilient people at the heart of our neighbourhoods, as individuals and communities.  The introduction of Eco Shops over the last few years is something I’ve witnessed the rise of and I've also been an active part of. 

Genesis Project Middlesbrough Eco Shop

Really, it’s a revolution waiting to happen, and definitely something you need to be a part of.

If you want to learn how to save yourself around £800 a year, then you really need to read my latest article ‘How saving the environment can also save your purse’. In fact, not only read it, but SHARE it with the world, change the world, save the world!

In the article, not only will you find out about a few different ways to save £££s, but you’ll also get access to some tasty recipes which will warm the cockles of your heart.  And if the cockles of your heart are already warm?  You’ll get some tasty low-cost nutritionally balanced recipes.

I really want to share with you this mega-tasty soup that I made last week using produce that I bought at the Genesis Project Eco Shop.

[skip past recipe]

Jayne's Winter Warmer Soup

The soup has a rich and toasty flavour that you get from roasting the vegetables first.  Roasted garlic has a sweet and nutty taste that adds really nice depth to a very basic and low-cost meal.

Ingredients

• 1 x large onion

• 1 x butternut squash

• 2 x carrots

• 2 x potatoes

• A few garlic bulbs

• Ginger puree (you can use fresh)

• Chicken or vegetable stock

• 2 x teaspoons of ground coriander

• 1 x teaspoon of turmeric

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Roughly cut butternut squash and remove the seeds, place into roasting tin or oven dish with peeled and roughly chopped carrots and peeled whole garlic cloves.

Drizzle with any oil you have in the cupboard, or spray with low calorie cooking spray.

Bake on 180c for 40 – 50 minutes until soft.

While that’s baking, peel and chop your onion and potatoes and fry them on a low heat with the turmeric, coriander and again a drizzle of oil or low-calorie cooking spray.  The onions should be translucent but not caramelised (if they start to go brown, turn the heat down).

When the carrots are cooked and the squash is nice and soft, scoop the flesh away from the skin and add it (along with the carrots, garlic and ginger puree) into the pan with the onions and potato. 

Add enough stock to just cover the ingredients and simmer gently for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.

Blitz it up! (I used a stick blender) and season with salt and ground black pepper to your taste. I like mine nice and peppery.

Instead of croutons, I crushed up two wholemeal table crackers.  This is also really nice served with a bit of crumbled feta cheese, which adds a nice salty kick to compliment the sweeter flavour profile of the carrots and squash.

As tasty and healthy as this was, it also came through as about 45p a serving, so you have nothing to lose and lots to save!

Also, if you really want to, you can just throw all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook all day on low before blitzing and enjoying.  Why not have some fun playing around with different flavours you enjoy? Find out more about super slow cooking here.

And with that as I sign off, I’m going to reiterate that this is NOT a Christmas message, but absolutely IS a personal message that I am extending…

A wish for happiness, warmth, and love.

From me to you – Jayne.

• If you are struggling with your mental health and need somebody to talk to please contact Samaritans.

• If you are struggling with money and have no food, please visit Fareshare for support.