* Driving Home for Christmas * - It's the 2021 Christmas Chatter Thread!

princesskitty29

I was thinking about our Christmas dinner this year and puddings, I always make a trifle as that's what I had growing up and it wouldn't be Christmas without one, but I do like to have another pudding in case anyone doesn't like/want trifle and to eat over the few days. I usually just buy a ready made gateau but was thinking of doing something different this year, i'd be interested to hear what puddings you all have on Christmas day? I need some inspiration!

Spendless

@princesskitty29 - My DS dislikes dried fruit so each year he would request the large sponge puddings  (jam, chocolate, syrup)Tesco do at this time of year instead. For ease I prefer a dessert where you just cut and serve, so tend to have a walk along the frozen aisle to what they've got,prefer something that is limited and fetched out for the Xmas season than anything you can buy all year round.

DH has invited several of his relatives for Xmas day and only told me after he'd done it. They're close relatives so I can't say they're not coming but I have spoken to him before about his tendancy to 'sign me up' for things he hasn't discussed in advance with me. As I now have anywhere between 6 - 9 coming I intend making it as easy as possible. I thinking I'm abandoning a starter and dessert will be as described. DH cooks the dinner, but that's the operation word he 'cooks' I do everything else and I do it this way because if I cooked, I would have to constantly asking or doing myself the prep of veg, laying the table, making the starters, whereas if DH cooks all these additional things happen by magic, in much the same way present buying does. 

zafiro1984

princesskitty29 said:

I was thinking about our Christmas dinner this year and puddings, I always make a trifle as that's what I had growing up and it wouldn't be Christmas without one, but I do like to have another pudding in case anyone doesn't like/want trifle and to eat over the few days. I usually just buy a ready made gateau but was thinking of doing something different this year, i'd be interested to hear what puddings you all have on Christmas day? I need some inspiration!

Delia Smith's - Chocolate Torte - an absolute winner. I use her recipe in the original Christmas book, but you can probably find it online. The best thing is you can make it beforehand and it freezes beautifully.

I've started doing things for Christmas. We don't buy many Christmas presents anymore and we restrict the amount of money spent on each other (me and DH)
Christmas is no holiday here as we have loads of animals which don't recognise it as being any different from any other day plus no staff so I make an effort to have as much prepared beforehand as possible. Also I make more than we need as it takes us through into the New Year when things come back to normal.

So far:- The turkey is in the freezer - a home grown bronze one.
I've made a huge casserole of venison done in stout with port/brandy and pickled walnuts. Frozen in 2 person portions - if people arrive unexpectantly it's easy to defrost and add to a meal.
I've made most of the chutneys and yesterday did the pickled pears.
The Christmas pudding is made; I'd forgotten just how much the recipe produced so I've got a further 8x2portion ones in the freezer.

Today - I'll have a go at blackcurrant sorbet from the hairy bikers book. I didn't need to buy any of the ingredients, blackcurrants being in the freezer from the bushes this summer and surprisingly I had some cassis in the cupboard from last year.

kerri_gt

@Spendless my OH used to have a habit of inviting friends up for the day who'd otherwise be on their own. Food wise I'd always have been cooking enough anyway but it would've always been nice to have been asked beforehand. For me it was just more stressful knowing there were extra guests coming. Looking back I do kind of miss it. One friend who has now moved away but was back visiting said how much he enjoyed our xmas days and how relaxed they were 🙈 little did he know my stress levels would be stratospheric but glad it didn't show clearly.

I'd make xmas dessert as easy as poss if I were you. Usually we don't want much after a big dinner. Vienetta is always a fav of OH, and i noticed Iceland have Baileys profiteroles this year so may get those. Its a bit of a toughy in our house as DM likes a lemony dessert as she finds it 'refreshing 'after dinner. Unfortunately lemony desserts are usually my last item of choice 🙈

Spendless

Thanks kerri - Told DH I didn't want to do a starter as too many people coming and the meal will be down to me and him with little to no help from anyone else and he insisted he did (want a starter)  and would ask one of our guests to provide it. I said ok but it has to include the vegetarian members coming, and not like a relative used to do which was always prawn cocktail starter, but if anyone didn't like/eat prawns they just got lettuce and cocktail sauce not an alternative.  Anyway I've said I'm not doing, preparing or buying one and I will leave it with him to sort 100% if he wants one.  

I heard from DD last night and something she said was how much the satin pillowcases have helped both  her skin and hair. She said she's getting compliments on her skin from numerous people. She bought a pillow case as a present for her male flatmate. He has Nigerian parentage and absolutely loves the effect it's had on his hair. I've bought another set for  son's gf and think I'll go and get another lot in a different colour for DS.

I ordered DD's 2 main gifts the other night. One some ugg slippers and the other a v expensive yoga mat (that I had to ask about elsewhere on here). She insists that she definitely wanted it. I was fortunate enough to find one item on offer and a small discount code for the other. As these 2 items took up her 'main present' budget, we have come to the decision that the suitcase bought in anticipation of a hol next year will be moved to her birthday instead. Her course doesn't finish until early March and her birthday is a few weeks later, so she won't have need of it prior to that anyway and it takes away the 'rawness' of the reason why it was initially bought if we give it at a later stage.

I have had an additional thought about my Dad and his need to keep warm and remembered I loved a pair of thermal socks I had to keep out the cold in a previous job, so will pick some up when out and about.

Xmas paper can't be found. Sending DH up the attic to look for it. That's my next job. Get extended family presents wrapped, so they are out of the way, whilst I concentrate on the others. . 

C_J

@princesskitty29 : I always make a trifle too, as it isn't Christmas without one. My second dessert this year will be a strawberry prosecco terrine thing, from a recipe in the Sainsbury magazine a couple of years ago.

I have found my stash of Christmas wrapping paper which is good. I haven't managed to get around to sewing the Christmas fabric gift bags which I had planned on using, but perhaps there is still time........

I have had an email from the company in Germany confirming that Monty's rake has been dispatched, along with a tracking number which confirms that it is on its way to the UK to be handed over to Parcelforce for the final leg of the journey. I'm beside myself with excitement, although there's still lots which could go wrong!  Fingers crossed for me please everyone.

kerri_gt

Wonder if the rake is being flown in in lieu of a broom tonight @C_J? 

@Spendless i am deff going to have a look / think about the pillowcasw idea. Will pop up to our local TKM / Homesense when I'm feeling a bit better and have a nose. I did check the Primark receipt for things that will need to go back and got a pleasant surprise they fall into the extended xmas returns period so I have until Jan anyway. Result there!

I can get some TKM vouchers through a work scheme so even if i do go over my normal budget, I'll still be within actual real money spend amount (IYKWIM) and will think about popping in some slipper socks maybe so all 3 have something similar.

zafiro1984

Spendless said:

I have had an additional thought about my Dad and his need to keep warm and remembered I loved a pair of thermal socks I had to keep out the cold in a previous job, so will pick some up when out and about.

Xmas paper can't be found. 

Last year I bought a heated Gillet through Amazon for DH. It runs off a rechargeable battery and wasn't overly expensive. He got a lot of use out of it as he spends a lot of time outdoors.
Xmas paper - thanks for the reminder.

More things added to the freezer Christmas drawer. sausage rolls and blackcurrant sorbet.

princesskitty29

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PEPPA! I hope you have a lovely day and are spoilt rotten!

 

Thank you for your pudding suggestions, they all sound delicious! Spendless you reminded me of a pudding my friend made a few years ago, holiday hot cake, it’s a Nigella recipe and it a gently spiced sponge pudding that would be a great alternative to anyone who doesn’t like Christmas pudding. Although I’m thinking maybe I should make something chocolate based so my youngest will actually eat it rather than just having ice cream, it’s all food for thought – excuse the pun!

 

I picked up a 2022 diary for DH when I was in Tesco the other day, I get him one for Christmas every year as he needs one and he is very much a no-frills kind of guy, he’s not really into fancy things so a £2 diary from Tesco is perfect for him! I also ordered DS2 some kinetic sand in a box, my friend has it and it’s a great idea for indoor play as it doesn’t make any mess. It was much bigger than I thought when it arrived though!

 

I’m planning a big shopping trip this week to my nearest large shopping centre now the extended returns period has started so I’m hoping to get quite a few things ticked off my list.

 

zafiro are the animals part of your work? It sounds like you’re doing well with the Christmas food prep, I’m hoping to fill my freezer this month. The chocolate torte you mentioned sounds delicious, I will take a look.

 

kerri could you go for individual puddings to cater for everyone’s tastes?

 

CJ ah we’re kindred trifle spirits! Thanks for the link to the recipe it looks delicious, I’m going to stash that away for future use! I’m planning to sew several sets of bunting as gifts, I thought I would have done some before now but I’m hoping I can get them all done in time. Fingers crossed for the rake!

Spendless

zafiro1984 said:

Spendless said:

I have had an additional thought about my Dad and his need to keep warm and remembered I loved a pair of thermal socks I had to keep out the cold in a previous job, so will pick some up when out and about.

Xmas paper can't be found. 

Last year I bought a heated Gillet through Amazon for DH. It runs off a rechargeable battery and wasn't overly expensive. He got a lot of use out of it as he spends a lot of time outdoors.
Xmas paper - thanks for the reminder.

More things added to the freezer Christmas drawer. sausage rolls and blackcurrant sorbet.

I've never heard of a heated gilet. I've looked and it sounds good. I've used my budget already to buy my Dad's presents but he has a Feb birthday and is very difficult to buy for, so I'll look into that for then. Thank you.

Xmas paper found though I have a lot of similar looking paper. Some years back, sick of writing out gift tags to the kids from me and DH, I started wrapping in different paper instead. With DS not here for Christmas day, I probably don't need to do that this year, but I still need to able to easily identify which  wrapped present belongs to who whist it's still in my present cupboard. I'll try and get some different ones today, so I can embark on a wrapping session. I have a couple of papers that are a bit young in theme so they will either do for the dog or for DD's stocking presents.

As we all seem to enjoy  hearing other's traditions, I thought I'd tell the story of how stockings evolved in our house. I have said it before on previous threads, so apologies if you've read before.

As a child I didn't have a stocking. I had stocking filler presents certainly eg gold coins or a mini bubble bath, but every one was wrapped up and under the tree downstairs. A few years ago I asked my Mum why this was and she said because the type of stocking you buy nowadays was not commercially available to buy when I was a child (or at least not where we lived).

Consequently when I had my own kids I never did a stocking for them. Then DS at around 3 years old asked for one as he saw them on Xmas films he watched. It was close to Xmas day when he asked, I had to use a decorative one I had and go to a local shop and fill in with bits. I then left it downstairs on the mantle piece and it got overlooked on the day in favour of the bigger presents and only looked at days later. Having no childhood tradition of my own to fall back on as to how to do them, over the year I continued putting them downstairs and the same thing happened. I tried putting them in their bedroom as  I went to bed and DS especially because he always considered sleep optional would wake see that Santa had been, wake up up  and want to go downstairs to open the other presents. I tried leaving on the outside of the bedroom door instead, but DS would still wake and check. The items I put in them I sort of got the ideas from lists on forums but bought because they were small enough to fit not for any other reason. I felt the kids weren't really interested in the stocking contents and tried to stop doing them, but they didn't want me to.

Then DD got to around 8 and it must have been one of my conversations about 'do you really want a stocking this year?' that changed things. She described stockings that they should be 'like a lucky dip but the prizes out were all  aimed at your life' This made a lot more sense to me than the items I had been buying just because they were small. She also suggested I wrap each item as from that very first stocking I never had. She said that she'd prefer to open each item up rather than shake the contents out and see what was in. So that's what I started doing. This also had the added bonus of using up oddments of wrapping paper. . Until the kids got older I left the stocking in our room and would only hang them on the outside of their bedroom doors early in the morning, usually when I got up to use the bathroom. The kids evolved to one of them going into the others room to open and we said they were fine to do that and us not watch, but they were to tell us when they'd finished so we could see them open the larger items downstairs. Me and DH used their stocking opening time to 'come round'. . As to the contents I've slipped up once since I improved for us how I did stockings. That was the year that with several other confectionery bits in DD's stocking, I never bought chocolate coins. Only to discover they're the first thing she searches for. Now gold coins are the one consistent in the stocking in the toe and the only thing that remains unwrapped so they are found easily.