I am always roped into cooking for the family at Christmas because of what I do, and although I enjoy doing this, it still means that I have to do quite a lot of planning to make sure everything goes smoothly. For me, cakes and sliders are key to making the meals more exciting and every year I love to experiment with the classic ingredients of the season.At my house we do turkey on Christmas day and a goose on Boxing Day and the two side dishes ahead are perfect for both occasions. The carrots are especially stress-free because you can make them earlier and simply warm them up in a hot oven with their sweet syrup making them the ultimate carrot sliders. I have made sprouts hundreds of different ways but I always seem to come back to this quick recipe. This year I've added sprout flowers to the format which add a welcome splash of colour to the famous Christmas vegetable and will go heavenly with any plate of turkey and gravy.I am also sharing my favourite, the one and only Christmas tipple, spiced mulled wine with blackberries made using xylitol. This makes the drink a little less sweet but it definitely doesn’t skip on flavour. It goes wonderfully with my spelt mince pies, which will be a permanent fixture in the Parker household this Christmas. I must mention though, the pies are a particular favourite with dads; you have been warned.I hope you enjoy them and have a very Happy Christmas!Love Nina