Ph'estive LPC Webpage
Welcome to LPC Christmas page. Our traditional Ph'estive page. Following the success of last years page the Comms team decided to again outsource our Christmas content to our committe members!!
The brief was simple submit someting Ph'estive. This year the committee have taken to the internet to find an eclectic mix of festive articles, videos, recipes and images.
The Comms team hope you enjoy the page and would like to wish you all a Merrry Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
The brief was simple submit someting Ph'estive. This year the committee have taken to the internet to find an eclectic mix of festive articles, videos, recipes and images.
The Comms team hope you enjoy the page and would like to wish you all a Merrry Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
Seasonal Greetings and Best Wishes for 2023
From all the members of the LPC
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Why is mistletoe hung at Christmas?
Before it became a romantic symbol, Mistletoe was considered so sacred in ancient Britain that it could only be cut by druids with a golden sickle. The plant had connotations of peace, and people who met underneath it were forbidden from fighting, even if they were bitter enemies. Homes decorated with mistletoe offered shelter and protection to anyone who entered.
Even to this day it is very rare to see a sprig of mistletoe inside a church thanks to its Pagan leanings. To the druids of the old religions it was a potent symbol of fertility, and the Greeks and the Romans regularly parleyed peace beneath its boughs. From the Middle Ages our ancestors hung it above the threshold to ward off evil spirits, although the Victorians helped give the plant its modern, lip-smacking tradition. In the UK, the main mistletoe event of the year is the Tenbury Wells Mistletoe Festival in Worcestershire. |
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Perhaps Your Newest &
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Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's quite ill
He needs a pharmacy to collect his pills His stomach is making so many strange sounds Imodium is required or there’ll some god-awful mounds Rudolph see’s that Santa is in need of a loo I’ll fly to boots but there’s bound to be a Queue Santa Santa please hold on tight I’m off to the pharmacy …….. no Angel Delight. Rudolph eats a little magic dust So he can make an early trip, one that’s a must The journey begins early Christmas Eve Rudolf finds a pharmacy with quite some ease There isn’t a queue, Rudolph is first in line Can I have some Imodium? I’m running out of time We have no Imodium the Pharmacist sighed But don’t worry Rudolph we have loads of Loperamide Rudolph was so happy his nose turned red Back to the Grotto before any leaks on the bed Flying through the sky Rudolph was amazed That the pharmacy was open and the staff weren’t phased Rudolph gave Santa the pills from his quest St Nic ate them quick so he’d be back at his best A short time later Santa was happy as Larry He started his journey delivering presents to you, me and errr … Barry? Well, this poem is going on and on When will it end? I promise you, it won’t be long I just want thank each and everyone Working hard day after day to keep your folk going I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas, the best that can be Seasons Greetings from all at G&ST LPC 
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Combine two very traditional Christmas bakes - gingerbread and mince pies -
to create a brilliant modern classic. Top with mini gingerbread people. Serves 12 Ingredients 400g mincemeat (ensure vegetarian, if needed) 50g stem ginger, chopped, plus 1 tbsp ginger syrup from the jar For the pastry 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting . tsp ground cinnamon . tsp ground ginger 125g cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 3 tbsp golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling 1 egg, beaten You’ll also need 8cm round biscuit cutter mini gingerbread person biscuit cutter Method STEP 1 For the pastry, tip the flour, spices and butter into a large bowl with a large pinch of salt. Rub together with your fingertips until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Add the egg and use a cutlery knife to mix everything until the ingredients start to clump together. Tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly until you have a smooth dough. Or, pulse the ingredients together in a food processor. Shape into a disc, then wrap and chill for at least 30 mins. Will keep chilled for a day or frozen for three months. STEP 2 Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Mix the mincemeat with the ginger and syrup. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm thickness. Stamp out 12 discs using an 8cm biscuit cutter and lightly press into a 12-hole cupcake tin. STEP 3 Fill each pastry case with 1 tbsp of the mincemeat mixture. Re-roll the pastry scraps and stamp out 12 mini gingerbread people, then place one on top of each pie. Will keep frozen for up to two months. STEP 4 Bake for 20 mins, or 30 mins from frozen. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins, then lift out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar. Will keep in an airtight container for up to four days. Did you Know???? - Why we eat mince Pies For good luck, British tradition recommends that everyone should eat a mince pie on each of the twelve days of Christmas. Tradition states that anyone who refuses one of their twelve pies will suffer a year of misfortune (you have been warned!). |
Ingredients
750ml bottle red wine 1 large cinnamon stick, or 2 small ones 2 star anise 4 cloves 2 strips lemon zest, pared using a vegetable peeler 4 tbsp caster sugar Method Step 1 Put the red wine, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, lemon zest and sugar in a large pan. Cook on a low heat for 10 mins. Step 2 Remove from the heat and cool, leaving to infuse for about 30 mins. Step 3 To serve, heat without boiling, stir in the sloe gin (if using, see tip below) and pour into mugs or heatproof glasses. 
We eat traditional Christmas fare at Christmas Time, so it’s interesting to look back and see what was eaten in medieval England…
England’s King John held a Christmas feast in 1213, and royal administrative records show that he was ordering large amounts of food. One order included 24 hogshead of wine, 200 head of pork, 1,000 hens, 500 lbs of wax, 50 lbs of pepper, 2 lbs of saffron, 100 lbs of almonds, along other spices, napkins and linen. If that was not enough, the King also sent an order to the Sheriff of Canterbury to supply 10,000 salt eels. Even at a slightly lower level of wealth the Christmas meal was still elaborate. Richard of Swinfield, Bishop of Hereford, invited 41 guests to his Christmas feast in 1289. Over the three meals that were held that day, the guests ate two carcasses and three-quarters of beef, two calves, four does, four pigs, sixty fowls, eight partridges, two geese, along with bread and cheese. No one kept track of how much beer was drank, but the guests managed to consume 40 gallons of red wine and another four gallons of white. |
Christmas Song Lyrics About Pharmacy
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Santa Claus is coming to town: “He’s making a list, And checking it twice; Gonna find out Who’s naughty and nice” Is Santa a GPhC inspector? Last Christmas: “Last Christmas, I gave you my heart but the very next day, you gave it away” Clearly, this is about the time I gave Mrs Smith an emergency supply of Cardicor last Christmas and she promised she would start bringing her in her prescriptions but she was lying! Feed the World: “Do they know it’s Christmas time again? NO, THEY BLOODY DONT! TWO DAYS! TWO BLEEDING DAYS! THAT’S ALL WE ARE SHUT!… I’m ok now All I want for Christmas: “I don’t want a lot for Christmas, There is just one thing I need” My 15 item prescription dispensing at 17.55pm on Xmas Eve… Merry Xmas [War is Over]: “ Let’s stop all the fight Now” GP receptionist and pharmacy staff should get on with each other Fairytale of New York: “They got cars big as bars /They got rivers of gold” GPs Rudolph the red nose reindeer: “Had a very shiny nose,/And if you ever saw it,/You would even say it glows.” – Does sir require a decongestant and some nose balm? Step into Christmas: “Welcome to my Christmas song/ I’d like to thank you for the year/ So I’m sending you this Christmas card /To say it’s nice to have you here” – Aw shucks but where is our tin of biscuits?! (Produced by Mr Dispenser) |
If you love eggnog, this is the perfect make-ahead breakfast for friends.
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YIELDS:6
PREP TIME:0 HOURS 15 MINS TOTAL TIME:3 HOURS 40 MINS INGREDIENTS Butter, for dish 1 large loaf bread, sliced 1" thick 4 large eggs, whisked 4 c. eggnog 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. ground nutmeg Warm maple syrup, for drizzling 1/4 c. chopped pecans, for topping |
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DIRECTIONS
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Ingredients
For the brandy buttercream
To finish
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Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 190ºC/170ºC fan.
- Beat together the butter (100g) and caster sugar (100g) until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs (2 eggs) one at a time, beat after adding each egg until full combined.
- Add the almond extract (1 tsp).
- Sift in the self-raising flour (100g) and ground almonds (25g) and mix until fully combined.
- Divide the mixture equally between 6 cupcake cases.
- Use the back of a teaspoon to make a dip in the centre of each cupcake.
- Add a generous teaspoon of mincemeat into the centre of each cupcake (120g in total).
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top of the cupcakes is golden (sadly the skewer test doesn’t work on these due to the mincemeat centre).
- Place onto a cooling rack to cool while you make the buttercream.
- Make the buttercream by beating 75g butter until soft. Add the icing sugar (75g) a spoon at a time (as this helps to prevent sugar flying everywhere) and beat until fully combined.
- If you’ve been using a mixer you want to switch to doing the next bit by hand. Add the brandy (35ml) very gradually to the butter/icing sugar mix. Beat in each addition until fully combined before adding more.
- Place the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe into the cupcakes.
- Top with a few festive sprinkles.
As the festive season is fast approaching and with healthier eating becoming a greater concern I thought I would share a festive plant based recipe that we use to make those vegetables that some find less palatable easier to swallow.
I’m not keen on Brussel Sprouts (can’t stand the taste) but typically these cruciferous vegetables like broccoli (another one I’m not really a fan of) are exactly what the body requires for a healthy immune system.
So the pharmacist in me thought they would be more palatable with a better taste to help them go down. With this quick, simple and tasty recipe you no longer have to struggle taking your medicine.
I’m not keen on Brussel Sprouts (can’t stand the taste) but typically these cruciferous vegetables like broccoli (another one I’m not really a fan of) are exactly what the body requires for a healthy immune system.
So the pharmacist in me thought they would be more palatable with a better taste to help them go down. With this quick, simple and tasty recipe you no longer have to struggle taking your medicine.
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Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts (cleaned and halved) 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3/4 teaspoon salt (optional) 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon honey |
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Method
- Preheat your oven to 425°F / 215oC. Line a baking tray with foil.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of the Olive oil, salt and pepper then coat the sprouts with the mixture.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes (turning half way through) until sprouts are golden brown and tender.
- Mix the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and the honey then drizzle over the sprouts. Make sure they are evenly coated and cook for a further 5 minutes or until they are as preferred.
- Serve & enjoy!