What are your festive menus?

annaangeluk_2

corker wrote: »

Cheese and pineapple is naff??!! I adore the stuff.

I'm glad someone else loves them!! I even go the whole way and do the tinfoil hedgehog thing!! Last year at dd's birthday party I didn't do any and there was uproar!! I always feel better calling it retro! :rotfl:

superpup

Hi

I've only just started thinking about what we'll be having this Xmas so this thread is quite timely and useful. Just the 3 of us at home but both girls' boyfriends will be here quite a bit.

Xmas Eve - will depend on who's around. DD1 is going out on a bender from lunchtime onwards with work so don't expect to be feeding her (more like collecting and putting her to bed lol). We may have 'pick' (which has appeared above as 'party for tea') - homemade sausage rolls, home baked gammon, salad, cheeses, dips, crackers, pickles, nice bread etc. I think we've had Chinese once or twice.

Xmas B'fast - will ask the girls what they would like. Previous b'fasts have been croissants, scrambled egg and bacon, bacon sarnies, pancakes (choice, not all at once!) Bucks fizz.

Xmas Lunch - occasionally we have a starter, something simple like prawn cocktail or baked camembert, but girls prefer to stuff up on main course.

Roast duck, roast pots, delia's parmesan parsnips (these are lush and we have them regularly but try not to have them after September so we appreciate them more on the day), DDs have requested mashed swede, carrots, broccoli, fine beans and butternut squash. Will prob have pigs in blankets, some sort of stuffing and homemade redcurrant jelly. Don't do sprouts. DD1 would eat them but I think they're gross!

Have a homemade Xmas Pud in the freezer from last year but will be too stuffed to eat it on Xmas day. Will prob have something light with meringue or cheesecake or icecream. We'll have the Xmas Pud another day.

We have this about 3pm so no need for another meal later. We just have 'pick' then. We pretty much eat 'pick' for the rest of the holidays unless I get the urge to cook a full meal. Always loads of leftovers lying around. New Years day is always a roast. We may have lamb or beef.

sp x

AussieLass

Xmas Morning: Ham & poached eggs.

Lunch: Cold Turkey, chicken, ham, aberdeen sausage, mini-pies, coleslaw, potato salad, marshmallow & pineapple salad, rice salad, mixed salads etc (Nothing hot it's usually a scorcher)

Dessert: Cheesecake or trifle

Tea: Usual hot meats with roast veggies etc.

Dessert: Plum pudding & cinnamon custard

I became veggie this year so I'll be still making all that and will have a few alternatives for me. :rolleyes: More work. Ho Hum.

Boxing Day: Leftovers.

shimmigirl

AussieLass wrote: »

marshmallow & pineapple salad

ok - explain! - two of my favourite things so would be a good salad for me

haylibo

Kimevans, if you don't find the recipe for the parsnips I can 'ping' it to you. Can't believe there are people in the world who don't like chestnuts!!!!!
BW

AussieLass

shimmigirl wrote: »

ok - explain! - two of my favourite things so would be a good salad for me

Ok here it is. It really is nice although it sounds weird.

1 pkt marshmallows
1 tin drained mandarin pieces
1 tin drained pineapple pieces
300 ml cream
shredded coconut

I cut up marshmallows in bits with scissors. Place all in bowl and mix in cream with a handful of coconut. Refrigerate.

haylibo

A little off topic and don't know whether I should start a new thread but... how do you make the perfect roast potato? Do people roast with the bird (I find the bottoms can become a little soggy) or seperately and at what temp?

ashli_2

I love seeing everyone's menus


Christmas eve will be a takeaway


Christmas day breakfast: Smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels and christmas morning muffins

Christmas lunch: Might do a starter of pate and melba toast.

turkey with cranberry and chestnut stuffing, chicken with apple and sage stuffing, roast pots, sherry glazed parsnips, spiced red cabbage, sprouts, pigs in blankets, yorkshire puds cranberry sauce and gravy

Dessert will be something bought in, I am not good at puds. Nothing traditional though, we are not keen.

Boxing day breakfast: Full english

Dinner: I am doing a seafood feast so spaghetti with mussles, scallops with black pudding and roast red pepper sauce and crab crostini


Any meal not taken care of above will be cheeses, pate, salamis, houmous, sun dried tomatoes, fresh bread and various continental nibbly bits.


I'm not going to buy any sweet bits in this year as we end up eating them for the sake of it but I will make a few kinds of biscuits.


I may have gone over the top a little :rotfl:

ashli_2

haylibo wrote: »

A little off topic and don't know whether I should start a new thread but... how do you make the perfect roast potato? Do people roast with the bird (I find the bottoms can become a little soggy) or seperately and at what temp?

I parboil mine until quite fluffy, give them a shake to ruffle the edges, and tip them into a pan of hot oil. I normally give them a minute or so on the hob and stir them round so they are all coated and hot, before putting them back into a hot oven- 200 degrees or so.


They normally turn out great but I do find with roasties they are different every time you do them even if you think you have done it exactly the same!

haylibo

Thanks Ashli,
I agree they do turn out different and I hate it when they are too soft. Going to give our method a whirl today with dinner. I've tried Nigella's way of shaking in semolina but that was tooooo crunchy. I've never thought of giving them a turn on the stove top first. TY