Whats for Christmas lunch?

MagsyB

I have just watch Nigella making a really easy Christmas lunch! - it started the day before and then on 'Christmas morning' with her in a dressing gown. A few shots of her children playing so nicely with their Christmas presents to must be about four hours later when she has cooked her huge turkey (marinated the night before) and veg and bread sauce and cranberry sauce and etc etc before she sat down to eat.
Well as others have said I am very chilled - all presents bought (on-line at bargain prices - if not in the January sales (or even recycled works secret santa!). I have had no problems at all with shopping and just want to go out tomorrow afternoon to look for the bargains - sorry for all those that have had a nightmare
Lunch is going to be pate starter, roast beef and a breast joint of goose, for me - normal Sunday veg and a pudding (not yet decided).
So am I the only one who is not preparing the veg (frozen sprouts and a few roast potatoes) the night before?
I wanted a stress free Christmas which I think I have got but now I am wondering if I need to do things (!!) to raise my stress levels in line with the average!
What does everyone else think???
Magsy - chilled out and MSE happy!
Wishing everyone else a chilled out time also!

Pollybear

Sometimes I do feel as though I should be making things more complicated for myself! But I'm just doing a basic roast turkey (no starter), with roast potatoes, sprouts, carrots, peas, stuffing and gravy. I've already prepared the sprouts and put them back in the fridge and I will make the stuffing tomorrow. Just like a normal Sunday dinner really - except the joint is bigger than usual.

Gewens

The less stress the better. I wish i was cooking the dinner.Insted i have been instructed that we are going round the inlaws. That is what i call stress. Does anyone want to swap?

comping_cat

We wont be having a starter, but we will be having roast goose, roast potatoes (in goose fat, from the goose!!!), sausages wrapped in bacon, yorkshire puddings and pork and chestnut stuffing. The veg will be sprouts (for me, the children refuse to try them!!!) cabbage fried in butter, roasted sweet potato and butternut squash, carrot and swede mash, brocolli and cauliflower cheese, peas and sweetcorn. All served with HM gravy, yummy!!!!
I dont think after all that we would want any dessert, but i have already made a christmas cake, and i always make a triffle, which we will have at dinner time, when we will prob tuck in to the cheese and biscuits and maybe a left over goose and pickled onion sandwich!!!!!

I always do the veg the night before, while im waiting for the children to go to sleep so that Father Christmas can come, so not much to do on the day otheer than cook it!!!!

MagsyB

Wow catowen that sounds like you will have every saucepan and dish and tray in use - I am going minimal myself - less is less!! but well done you!
Pollybear - you sound well organised - veg today - stuffing tomorrow - any chance of you chilling out on Christmas day?
Catowen - wow - what no dessert other then the triffle and the Christmas Cake?? - we still havent got one!
Gewens - just think next time you could invite everyone round to yours!! - maybe on reflection not? - lol
Ok I wont raise my stress levels - I will have another beer and wish everyone else a chilled Christmas lunch also!

MissScarlett_3

I always prepare the veg on Christmas eve and make the stuffing and trifle too. On Christmas morning, for breakfast, about 6.30am, while the kids are still asleep, I'm going to have to have croissants and a glass of Bucks Fizz, it's the calm before the storm! With the dinner prepared the previous night the rest of the day is fairly stress free. A glass of wine at regular intervals is the key to a chilled out day I've discovered:rotfl:

aurora_borealis_2

I have finally decided. That was the hardest bit - I honestly don't find it any more difficult than a Sunday lunch (this is my 23rd time though )

Starters: Baked Mushrooms stuffed with cream cheese and avocado, wrapped in parma ham.

Main: Roast Goose stuffed with fruit, turkey crown, bacon wrapped chipolatas, roast potatoes, roast parsnip/pureed parsnip, sprouts, carrots, broccoli/cauli cheese, mashed potato.

Homemade cranberry sauce, bread sauce, giblet gravy.

Dessert: Christmas pudding/Brandy butter

Cheeseboard


Good luck everyone

nearlyrich

Gewens wrote:

The less stress the better. I wish i was cooking the dinner.Insted i have been instructed that we are going round the inlaws. That is what i call stress. Does anyone want to swap?

No thanks !

I will be making a large pan of soup as a starter, Butternut Squash and Parsnip this year with bread rolls ( part baked so easy to serve warm and fresh)

Turkey Crown, Rib of beef, Roast potatoes, roast Parsnips, new boiled potatoes in jackets, chantenay carrots, sprouts, brocolli, cauli and green beans.

Accompanied by sausage & bacon rolls, apple sauce (made in September from neighbours windfall Bramleys that she gave me when they had too many to use, and frozen), H M sage and onion stuffing, (breadcrumbs in freezer) and sage hanging in the kitchem (reduced to 20p in Tesco the other week) and Cranberry sauce and Horseradish Sauce (BOGOF with Cranberry)

There is a slim possibility that some of the 14 will want Christmas Pud with cream or custard and if they do it will be dinged in the microwave.

Coffee and mints....

LilacLillie

I also feel that after all the years of stressing, that I should be rushing around panicking with the rest of the crowds but am glad I'm not.
I joined MSE in 2004, so last Christmas was quite organised, but this year have got it down to a T.
Blanched and frozen cut priced/reduced veg, beginning of the month. Made yorkshire puds and frozen them, basically just the turkey & potatoes to cook on the day.
2 Sons and their wife/girlfriend coming, so each are cooking a piece of meat. 1 doing lamb the other pork.
Also bought sooooooooooo many bargain pressies throughout this year haven't had to go out and buy ANY presents at all. Even the wrapping paper I used was all reduced in Boots to 25p a roll.
So tomorrow I will probably go out in the afternoon and see what bargains I can pick up to use this coming year. Its interesting watching just how stressed out people are getting over Christmas. Should we let on about this site I wonder?
I think I could get used to this relaxing Christmas thing after all....................
LL

livinginhope

I don't understand why people get so worked up over cooking christmas dinner.I get everything prepared christmas eve,leaving not much to do on the day.I never pick dishes that I haven't done before,so I never muck up
This year we are having,starters,smoked salmon and horeradish on homemeade olive toast,main,roast turkey,gammon,pork with roast spuds,roast carrots,parsnips,cauli cheese,sprouts with bacon,mashed swede,sausages wrapped in bacon and yorkshire puds,for afters we have christmas pud with custard and cream,we will also have a cheeseboard.Feeling stuffed reading it back
LIH

Bad-Boy-Button

I've just finished the first leg of prep for christmas day. I'm cooking for 12 this year and honestly love my time in the kitchen.

Starter; Potato & leek soup (one or two spring onions in too to carry the flavour through the cream)

Roast Turkey with bacon under the skin, wok fried in butter to crisp everything before a slow roast tomorrow. I've just took the honey glazed gammon out of the oven and it tastes fantastic. I have a sausage, onion and fresh sage stuffing and a apricot and breadcrumb stuffing. Vegetables are; roast baby carrots with thyme, sprouts with bacon, creamed cauli, roast potatoes, honey roast parsnips (Honey from the gammon), and creamy mash potato ( always drop an egg into the pots before you hand mash to get the perfect light and fluffy texture )
The gravey will be the juices from the turkey and the boiled veg, reduced and thickened with a butter rue.

For dessert, I have reduced 1/2 a bottle of mulled wine, and tomorrow I am going to poach 12 pears in it. They are to be served on a chocolate sponge with chocolate syrup then drizzled with a reduced and sugared stock from the wine and pears.

I love cooking and cannot wait to sit down and enjoy the day once everything is cooked/ heated and served.

All to be washed down with copious amounts of stella. Tinned and from the fridge.