Old Style preparations for Christmas 2012!!!!!

Pooky

I've made a start on Christmas, a few presents brought and stashed away and will start doing the Christmas food shop over the next few weeks. I aim to have everything in by the end of November, aside from the meat which I pick up from the butchers on Christmas eve and the fresh fruit and veg. I then don't go near a shop or supermarket until after the kids go back to school. I don't see Christmas as just one day but a festive period, so that's what I'm stocking up for.

We buy more meat than we need but left overs get frozen down and form the basis of meals for the next few months, it's cheaper that way. We always have guests on Christmas eve, Christmas day and boxing day and normally have friends round on new years eve, but I plan it that I don't need to buy any extras during at time.

We don't buy some nibble/snacks foods at any other time of year so I like to indulge in a few treats (nice nuts, cheeses etc). At left over cheeses get frozen down for sauces, nuts get used in baking or given to the parrot. Meat carcasses (when there is one) get used for stock and the cats have all the gristly bits of meat that no one wants.

A couple of years ago I made some hessian Christmas stockings instead of crackers, hung one off the back of everyone chairs, a silly hat/hair band each, a handwritten joke, a small toy/game - the mini wind up fishing game that I got at a bootfair for 10p was a huge hit with all age, a couple of chocolate coins and a bar of coal tar soap for the men and an orange face pack or nail varnish for the females (well you've got to have oranges or coal in a stocking!!). They were well recieved and cost a lot less than a box of crackers that just get chucked away. (pics on my blog - somewhere)

Possession

Come to the Preparing for Christmas thread Soworried, it's full of like-minded people who get excited about Christmas from about January. There's also a thread called Let it Snow on the Special Occasions board where you can be as excited as you want. : )

meg72

chirpychick wrote: »

LOL you wana come round mine for a hot chocolate and marshmallows and listen to carols whilst you do it :T

We are going all out this year and buying a Turkey roll from the butchers! I am very excited about this!

Do share your list wont you, so I know if I have forgotten anything :rotfl:

I might also do mine today too.

There is a wonderful slow cooker leftovers recipe i can dig out for you, we usually have this on Boxing day after our walk. It is DELICIOUS! (except we usually have chicken not turkey! Did I mention how excited I am about having Turkey LOL)

Would love the slow cooker recipe please.

whitesatin

Possession wrote: »

Very funny Mumsnet version of an OS Christmas (with tongue firmly in cheek):
http://www.mumsnet.com/christmas/top-tips-for-a-poncetastic-christmas

Yes, that was funny.

Not to do with Christmas (sorry) but if you enjoyed reading that, you would probably enjoy this YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgKrdW38cg0

mummyroysof3

my son wants lego mine set which has rrp of £69.99 cheapest i can find in55.99 in amazon...cant decide if i should get it or hold out incase argh

threemuttleys

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay Crimbo

I am going to be very good this year and have all my shopping done by the end of November. Only will have to get fresh fruit/veg and meat (thinking of getting Beef Forerib...nom nom nom!)

Must start list making, and get Vodkas on the go x

Possession

mummyroysof3 wrote: »

my son wants lego mine set which has rrp of £69.99 cheapest i can find in55.99 in amazon...cant decide if i should get it or hold out incase argh

I would hold out. There were some good lego deals last year.

Just made toffee vodka this afternoon. Werthers are SO hard to smash!

Caterina

Soworried wrote: »

So you have been planning all year for your food. :eek: .

Not really, putting bread heels away is an automatic thing for me now, I use some for bread crumbs too, sometimes use for making other bits and pieces, but the bulk goes into the Christmas lunch, would not call that "planning" LOL

Soworried wrote: »

Your christmas sounds lovely, all that time spent making things like the tree and decorations. To me that is what christmas is about. Time with family and having it the way you want it. :T.

Thank you, yes that is what I love, being with my family in a nice simple way, they love it and it does not stress me (too much)!

Soworried wrote: »

Caterina, my thankyou keeps coming off your post for some reason. Sorry.

I would not worry for a minute!

fuddle

Right, I was in two minds whether to buy vodka to just do blackberry schnapps but toffee vodka? Yum!

We're turning our Christmas day on it's heat this year. We're having a Christmas meal in the evening as opposed to lunch time. We want to capture the darkness, candles flickering, cosiness element connecting our meal (just a Sunday dinner with a few extra treat trimmings)

So, for lunch I fancied doing an 'afternoon tea' idea of sandwich, cake and scone but I wanted to have a christmas twist. Any ideas? Turkey and cranberry sandwiches maybe. A cinnemon based cake - what can you do to scones to Christmas them up?

Justamum

fuddle wrote: »

what can you do to scones to Christmas them up?

Cranberries and mulled wine spices?