I am a thirty year old Christmas virgin.

musogirl295

LittleMrsThrifty wrote: »

Thank you. Great advice - although I will admit there are a few things I hadn't even considered (red cabbage, for example )

My plan is to do turkey, gammon (although I may save that for boxing day as I have ordered a 16lb turkey which, having spoken to others, turns out to be a whopper! plus wont have the oven space) roast potatoes, parsnips (space permitting), pigs in blankets, carrots, peas (maybe), sprouts, stuffing, bread sauce, gravy. Now I have written it down it sounds like a lot and isn't half as much as others.

I have now realised that I will need to set my alarm, pop the turkey in and then go back to bed for a while or it will never be cooked by lunchtime.

What time do you want to serve? I always go for a late lunch, around 2.30pm. The key is to make sure everybody has a good breakfast and there are nibbles available to tide people over. I generally put the turkey in around 9.30am and then there's plenty of time for present opening before you have to start on the rest of it.

A good book for timing suggestions and recipe ideas is Nigella Christmas.

Carfal

Peel all the veg the day before, then keep in cold water. Get some wine and a funny film and enough bowls and knives for everyone to help.

If you've got hot gravy and enough roast potatoes, everything else will be forgiven.

Nargleblast

Seeing as it is your first time to do this, why not be kind to yourself and buy ready-prepared frozen roast potatoes and parsnips, maybe even use frozen sprouts and some turkey gravy mix? Some packet stuffing, chipolata sausages wrapped in streaky bacon, jar of cranberry sauce which you sneakily warm up with a dash of port, Christmas pud nuked as suggested previously and served with tinned custard to which you have added some vanilla extract and cinnamon. Offer warmed up mince pies and crackers and cheese with grapes if anyone is still hungry.

Next year, having got an idea of timings and logistics, you can try doing fresh sprouts and parsnips, and during the year get some basic gravy making skills under your belt. Whatever you decide, don't turn it into a stress fest as that defeats the object of the season. Make life easy for yourself and you'll have a good time.

RAS

I seriously would NOT do frozen sprouts - vile. I can cope with most frozen veg but sprouts are vile.

Nargleblast

Breakfast - a huge pan of porridge with a selection of stuff on the table they can add to it. Plate full of toast and selection of jam/marmalade/peanut butter/whatever. Jugs of fruit juice. Tell them to take their pick and point them in the direction of the tea and coffee making facilities.

Nargleblast

RAS has a valid point, I remember having frozen sprouts once. I wouldn't say they were vile, but they were certainly inferior to fresh. You could always do frozen peas instead, although a Christmas dinner without sprouts could start the peasants revolting.

peachyprice

Parsnips - par boil them when you do the potatoes, but only put them in the roasting tray with the potatoes for the last half hour. Come out perfect every time. Ready made frozen roast potatoes won't pass muster in this house.

As for gravy, if you want to make it in advance you can buy chicken stock, that will be just as tasty as turkey gravy and no-one will notice the difference

LittleMrsThrifty

Ready made chicken stock it is! Without wanting to blow my own trumpet, I like to think I am pretty good at roast potatoes and am happy doing pigs in blankets as I can sort this a couple of days before and keep them in the fridge if I buy sausage and bacon with sufficient shelf-life. I might buy frozen parsnips so long as you all promise never to tell my mother.

I should add that my family are all very kind, generous and helpful. They have all asked what they can bring, will all be offering to help on the day. So it's not as though I wil be slaving away in the kitchen whilst they put their feet up expecting me to bring them champagne and mince pies. I think I want to prove to them that I can do it and I can do it without getting in a huff or shouting at anyone which is why I am so grateful to your collective wisdom having experienced all the potential pit-falls before.

I will be having a glass of champagne with breakfast. Nothing phases me after bubbles.

Nix143

USE YOUR STEAMER!

Get one of your house guests to prep the sprouts the night before then you can steam them on the day. My steamer sits on the windowsill out of the way and of all the veg stuff going down the steamed stuff is the easiest.

I premake mashed carrot and swede and freeze that for nuking - have to have carrot and swede at our house! Otherwise carrots in the 2nd tier of the steamer.

Top tier for something else, peas maybe? - just stack them by what takes the longest. Steam them then resteam for a minute or 2 - really easy way to get some veg on the table with minimal fuss.

Thats 3 veg that require you to do virtually nothing on the day, will sit and look after themselves and all you have to do is stick them in a bowl and throw them at someone to put on the table

peachyprice

LittleMrsThrifty wrote: »

Without wanting to blow my own trumpet, I like to think I am pretty good at roast potatoes

That's good, you'll know when to bung the parsnips in then Just stick them in the gaps towards the outside of the tray.

Sprouts are delicious (so I have been told, I cook them but don't eat them) if you steam them briefly earlier in the day for just 5 mins, then throw them in the oven for the last 15 mins with copped bacon.