* Step into Christmas * & 2020 - It's the 2020 Christmas Chatter Thread

Spendless

@rachsecret - What I never revealed on that thread but will say here as it's more 'hidden' is that the bereavement housemate2 had whilst camping in our garden, was a close relative he hadn't seen since he was young following his parents divorce. Years earlier this relative had been involved in a serious accident, which he (relative) was partly to blame for, left him with requiring constant care for injuries and was subject to a huge compensation claim. A solicitor had contacted the housemate about it. Relative died without a will, housemate is the sole beneficiary of a very large estate (over £1 million). He wasn't quite 21 at the time and  I discovered him up early one morning, having had a breakdown in our garden in the early hours over it all. We had to comfort, advise, counsel and pretty much step into the absent parent role he so sorely needed at that point. This was all happening whilst we got the news that MIL's Cancer was more advanced than previously thought. This is why I can't leave them alone in student digs over Christmas. A combo of knowing you're about to inherit a large sum of money whilst having no family to support you sounds a lethal mix to me.

Tree is up. DH says it needs more lights. DD says it needs a different colour decs to ones we already own - they've gone shopping for them! 

kerri_gt

Spendless it sounds like you've been more of a family to DS housemate than his actual family. Xx

Jelly1725

Hi hope you don't mind me joining in, what are people having to eat over Christmas other than lunch, I always spend a small fortune on the food shop but after the Christmas lunch we only seem to have crisps, cheese and crackers and chocolate left over. I would love some ideas for delious food other than snacks, Christmas Eve is always takeaway and I don't like it, it doesn't feel special and boxing day a cheeseboard which is nice but its not really a meal. I want to make this year special.

patentgirl

I am late too this year to thread been following for last month but never get round to posting! Everyone so organised this year I probably nearly finished but need to finish wrapping as often find hidden presents I brought first before I started wrapping need to add up grandchildren to check all got same amount and price or as near as possible. Will just be  DH Dd3 who still lives at home and my DD1 with her DH and 2 of my grandchildren oldest who currently has Covid from school 9 in his class got it God knows how many in total from other classes no wonder we are in tier 3. DS and his family have Decided not to join any ones bubble if they join ours not fair on DILs family so understand completely will drop off presents in morning at doorstep DS is actually looking forward to it he normally designated driver going between us  and both lots of in laws and friends for the whole Xmas break. My dad is in a care home only seen him once since April so we probably won't be allowed to visit him but if we can Will. Although  he not really sure what day it is although not got dementia has become very institutionalised.
Spendless sounds like you are surrogate family bless him.

Beshki

Well I think we are pretty much done give or take the last minute additions which often end up costing quite a lot so I’ll have to keep an eye on that. I’ve spent quite a bit this weekend so i will reign things in a bit now & try to have a few weeks of minimal spending. 

Decided for the ‘family gift that I have no idea what to buy’ them, that I’ll do a ‘cosy afternoon in’ hamper. So a snuggly blanket (£5 Wilko), a disposable bbq & s’mores ‘kit’, hot choc & marshmallows & a gingerbread making kit. I’ll include a DVD or jigsaw if I can find one cheap enough. A bit of a random gift but they really aren’t short of anything & I thought the s’mores making on the bbq might be a lovely fun thing to do as the kids are old enough that Christmas isn’t really magical anymore, so this will hopefully make for a nice memory for them  

I made up my hamper for my OH elderly aunt last night. Was really pleased with the contents but the presentation is shoddy. Unfortunately I really can’t be bothered to re do it all so im going with ‘it’s the thought that counts’ ! lol! 

Trying to be organised so that we aren’t in need of anything nearer to Christmas and don’t have to do shop visiting etc. 

Spendless

Tbh we never have anything that exciting. At some point the leftover turkey gets made into a curry and that's about it. For several years I've always worked Christmas Eve, and usually NYE too, so want to keep it as simple as possible. My mum usually has us all over at some point and does a spread with hot and cold food, but that won't happen this year. My intention for this Christmas is for DH to go collect DS and housemates (3 hours round trip and that's if they're ready and waiting on the pavement when he turns up, which I doubt!) and fetch them back in time for a buffet tea. I intend picking most if not all of this up from the supermarket party ranges as much as packet to table to mouth as possible, with minimum clearing up. 

It sounds like I may have already overwhelmed housemate1 (DS' girlfriend). I asked about starters, she's allergic to fish so I suggested garlic mushrooms instead of a prawn cocktail  like DD has, she doesn't like them. DS has rang me this afternoon to tell me gf has never had a starter in her life before Christmas dinner. You forget other households do it differently -ooops. 
I know many people do get a take away on Xmas Eve, completely understandable when they're busy, the likely long delivery time has meant it's never appealed to me hahaha.  
What about a gammon joint at some point? Cheap, long dated and loads of festive recipes about. 

rachsecret

Spendless said:

@rachsecret - What I never revealed on that thread but will say here as it's more 'hidden' is that the bereavement housemate2 had whilst camping in our garden, was a close relative he hadn't seen since he was young following his parents divorce. Years earlier this relative had been involved in a serious accident, which he (relative) was partly to blame for, left him with requiring constant care for injuries and was subject to a huge compensation claim. A solicitor had contacted the housemate about it. Relative died without a will, housemate is the sole beneficiary of a very large estate (over £1 million). He wasn't quite 21 at the time and  I discovered him up early one morning, having had a breakdown in our garden in the early hours over it all. We had to comfort, advise, counsel and pretty much step into the absent parent role he so sorely needed at that point. This was all happening whilst we got the news that MIL's Cancer was more advanced than previously thought. This is why I can't leave them alone in student digs over Christmas. A combo of knowing you're about to inherit a large sum of money whilst having no family to support you sounds a lethal mix to me.

Gosh! got a little emotional reading this and really appreciate your openness. Poor lad having to go through all of that at such a young age and with no no family support. I am sure he probably thinks the world of you for your support. My mum was like that for all my friends in my teens. More than one of them ran away from home...to our house spilling their heart out to my mum who always managed to get them back home after they'd resolved things with their own families, but to this day thirty odd years later they all love her to bits for what she did for them. Totally agree re Christmas; not a good time for anyone on their, but more than ever, he needs a little TLC.

@Jelly1725 I plan our meals well in advance as DH is vegan, son a health freak and I follow a keto diet so it needs serious consideration lol. Our food plans for various xmas events are as follows:
Next weekend I am doing a festive brunch with scrambled egg and salmon, smoothies, granola shots, pastries, pancakes followed by wreath making
In a couple of weeks we are having a festive afternoon tea at home with mince pies, turkey sandwiches, (cucumber for DH) xmas cake, cranberry scones, etc
Christmas eve: I am going to make grading boards filled with cheeses, charcuterie, snacks party food type stuff etc. I bought cheap festive trays for making these on from the online pound store
CD: the usual Turkey, gammon joint studded with cloves, roasties, peas, mash, red cabbage, carrots/swede etc. M-I-L making us a HM plum pudding. Turkey sandwiches if peckish at night. 
Boxing day: will be either a buffet of cold cuts, blue cheese & radditio salad, chutneys, jacket potatoes, etc
27th: will make some things from the rest of the turkey and freezing them: turkey & veg soup, turkey, ham and stuffing pie, turkey curry if any extra left over
NYE: making a taps meal for the three of us
NYD....not sure yet but probably some sort of roast dinner or I might do a curry

Spendless

Or do you have a slow cooker? I do a really simple pulled pork. Spray SC lightly with oil (I use a spray). Put sliced onions all along the bottom of SC. Put pork shoulder (need shoulder) on top of onions. Pour BBQ sauce (any, whatever you have) over  the pork, enough to coat the meat but not submerge it. Leave to cook. When done take  pork out of sc and 'shred' (you use 2 forks to do this). Dischard, skin, bone fat. Put the meat back in  the slow cooker and it mixes in with the onion and juices. My SC has a warm facility so I normally turn it to that at that point and get the rest of the stuff ready eg, bread rolls, potato wedges, coleslaw.

Or 'Mike's chops' named after DH's Unlce Mike who invented them. Take pork steaks or chops, coat in  dark soy sauce and sprinkle with garlic granules. Leave to marinade (the longer the better) then put in oven till cooked.

Or my late MIL's 'German' potato salad (from the days when she lived over there as an army housewife). Cut and boil new potatoes, Slice in an onion into a pyrex bowl. When spuds cook pour them on top of onion. They heat doesn't make them cook but does take that raw edge off them. Leave to cool. Mix with mayo and a chopped gherkin into it.

I am NO cookbut he above are all family favourites and very simple to do. 

kerri_gt

Jelli1275 do you have a Cook! Shop near you (www.coofood.net) they have some fabulous food options. They're not super cheap but i get most of our xmad dinner from there as I am not spending Christmas day in the kitchen alone. They have a great entertaining selection to choose from.
Beshki I am sure the hamper looks fabulous, we're always the most crucial of our own work.
For the family gift have you thought about checking the charity shops or FB selling pages for DVD / jigsaws. There's always ones that pop up and often good condition. Even if a dvd  case is a bit grubby you could swap it out for a clean one / one from the £ shops new.

C_J

Beshki - your cosy afternoon hamper sounds lovely but please don’t include a disposable barbecue. If these are used indoors they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning and can be fatal.