Good things to remember for next year

petrichor

Did anyone else do something so different from their usual routine that can be recommended and remembered for next (or rather this) year?

I ask this as a cooker of 'turkey and all the trimmings' stuff for more years than I care to remember but this year I followed Jamie Oliver's recipe for 'Overnight slow-roasted pork' and it was superb!! The mashed roasted veg were a taste sensation despite the initial burnt look in the pan.

Not only is it quite mse but also time saving (a valuable commodity to busy parents on Christmas morning) and, no doubt, it's an obvious way of cooking to some people (my mother used to cook the turkey overnight and it put me off this method - so I used to cook my turkey during the morning etc etc)

Next year I intend to use this method again and cook boulangere potatoes to make life even easier.

I wish that I'd used this method when I used to cook for children, parents and in-laws etc.

Did anyone else try this and find it as useful as I did?

:j A Happy New Year To All :j

aurora_borealis_2

Not very MSE, but I will definitely have goose again. It's worth it just for the amount of fat that I've frozen for later. I had a turkey crown too and not a scrap of food was wasted.

I'm hoping not to have a nut/fish allergy guest next year though. That was nervewracking

kathyd_2

Don't forget about the 'not so good things' to remember ie I could have done with less chocolates and biscuits - more weight to lose now :eek: Also less cream - was looking for ways to use it up without wasting it (or should that be 'waisting?')

morganb

This year everyone who came to mine on Christmas Day had to bring something with them! My Mum and Dad brought the turkey, bread sauce and parsnips, my brother will next year bring the wine ... and it made it so much easier and less stressful for everyone!

janeym8

i will remember not to cook the bacon wrapped sausages and sausages in the bottom of the oven-could have used them as charcoal on the BBQ

janey xxx

STORM_2

Not to be out done by Mse my hubby came up with an money saving idea for Xmas Presents. He suggested that you request gift vouchers for your Xmas Presents and then use these the next year to buy people their presents. Then you do the same each year........ not very xmasy........

looneyleo

It's always the small things isn't it that make the difference. I made some bookmarks with my kids...printed a photo on some paper...got them to draw a picture and write their name, laminated them, put some ribbon on the bottom and bob's your uncle...12 stocking fillers for aunts, uncles, grandparents etc..cost nothing and they all loved them. Will make something similar next year...but not leave it until December this time! Felt like a bit of a prodcuction line with making cards too!

looneyleo

It's always the small things isn't it that make the difference. I made some bookmarks with my kids...printed a photo on some paper...got them to draw a picture and write their name, laminated them, put some ribbon on the bottom and bob's your uncle...12 stocking fillers for aunts, uncles, grandparents etc..cost nothing and they all loved them. Will make something similar next year...but not leave it until December this time! Felt like a bit of a prodcuction line with making cards too!

nikiyoung

Ok I did something very different this year as it was our first Christmas without any family here (sister stayed at homein newcastle with her in-laws brother went to partners family and parents wanted Christmas on own for first time in 30+ yrs but popped in later in the day). So hubby DD's and I decided that we didn't want a "Christmas Dinner" as such (and i would spend Christmas day stressing over the meal and my kids wouldn't eat it anyway so why bother!) so we decided to have nibbles through out the day.
I did a tray party food from Mr Tesco sausage rolls sausage on a stick, chicken satay, chinese duck and pancakes, crisps etc and kept it topped up during the day. It made our Christmas this year a stress free day!
HTH
Niki

play2day

Good for you Niki. I bet the kids enjoyed it far better....

victory

I prepared everything like 'Jamie Oliver' says in his xmas dvd on xmas eve and so on the actual day there was nothing to do apart from put the turkey crown in and put a light under the veg!!
Oh, it was all so simple the Jamie way, so much more time to play with the kids and their toys and we had xmas lunch at 12.45 cooked to perfection and fantastically tasty, brill!
This year in the sales quite a lot of stuff I had bought went down obviously so this year I am buying my eldest gift vouchers so he can wait those two three more days and buy it then so much cheaper!! xx

Oh yes too many chocs, biscuits, sweets etc were bought so cut back on them(the shops do only close for 1/2 days not a week!!) and if you can hold your nerve wait for the food as the supermarkets reduced them to ridiculous prices as xmas day approaches....