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Is anyone taking their OS hat off on xmas day?

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  • I noticed in my *new* local iceland that they have quorn roast for £2 which maybe suitable for veggies without being extra work for you, i had it one year (when i lived at home and decided to become veggies purely so i didn't have to eat my mothers mince) and it was really nice and lasted me till the new year (with only me eating it)
  • maman
    maman Posts: 28,493
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    Unless money is desperately tight I'd say indulge yourself and forget some of your OS ways for the festive season.

    I buy those microwave in the bag carrots and Auntie Bessie's potatoes mainly because the carrots save on hob space and pots are fairly quick and fool proof. Always a shop bought pudding and ready made custard that can be rapidly microwaved too.

    I do save a bit by preparing in advance, did my pigs-in-blankets yesterday. I think I may try freezing my own pots in advance this year (thanks for link funkymonkey). Does anyone know if the same would work for parsnips? And what about microwaving carrots - are they raw or parboiled? During the year it doesn't matter but it's about finding easy ways to cope with cooking for larger numbers.

    Personally I wouldn't welcome help with the cooking. I write out a timetable and with the help of my kitchen timer I just flit in and out as needed. When I do appreciate the help is carving, to carry dishes through to dining room as I fill them and of course washing up!!!
  • purpleivy
    purpleivy Posts: 3,573
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    I don't work well with people in the kitchen really and the last time I would get away with removing the OS cap is at Christmas! In actual fact, my ds is my best helper during cooking and dishing up, as he's the one that does this with me most often. He's useless with a peeler, no fine motor skills whatsoever so someone else has to help with the prep the day before.

    A timetable is an absolute must..it's X O'clock so I should be doing Y and its Z o'clock so someone should be pouring me a drink.

    We are having at least 2 groups of visitors, one at Christmas and after Christmas. There will be a rota going up of who is in charge of morning coffee, afternoon cuppa making duties, who's sous chef and on kitchen duty and who's kitchen maid to help clear away and load dishwasher. Also a drinks monitor in the evening!

    In addition there will be a jobs list for every day after breakfast, swish loos, check for paper, empty the bins WASH HANDS then check there is enough ice in the freezer for later on and the fridge has been restocked with cold drinks.

    I figure if I pair up the resident young people with the visitors then there won't be a problem of where things belong or can't find stuff.

    I'm a hard woman, but one that grew up with her mum posting a dishwashing list on the side of the freezer before Christmas!
    [SIZE=-1]"Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad"[/SIZE]
    Trying not to waste food!:j
    ETA Philosophy is wondering whether a Bloody Mary counts as a Smoothie
  • ALIBOBSY
    ALIBOBSY Posts: 4,527
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    I wouldn't feel guilty about buying in if it stops you being stressed. But I do still keep to OS on Christmas day as I prefer the taste.
    Do as much prep as possible before hand, mince pies and most baked goods freeze beautifully, as does fresh homemade custard (for trifles or hot over a pud). Some people freeze mash but I prefer fresh. OH does the actual ,mashing (he reckons its all in the wrist action ;)).
    Get the family involved, my kids love peeling sprouts and chopping carrots. Most veg can be peeled prepared the day before and stored in water in the fridge. Or I sit at the dining table watching the kids play with a glass of somehting festive in one hand and a peeler in the other (we have a through lounge).
    I love my big steamer, I load up the veg and switch on, no pans to watch, and the veggies are lovely and tasty. Then the only pan will be any mash.

    I peel and freeze the parsnips ready to just cook in hot oil from frozen in the oven on the day, same for pigs in blankets. The roasties is a few of the "mash" spuds pulled out when it has boiled for a couple of mins to start them off.

    This year having a nice FR chicken and alovely peice of well hung beef from a local farm. Chicken just needs to go in about 2 housr ahead, beef about 1 hr 20 for medium. I make up my yorkie pud mix in the morning (takes seconds whilst brewing up or something in the kitchen) and the can sit in the fridge until needed-remember to stir before using. Will do the stuffing the day before and reheat.

    All things I can do in "bits" around the celebrations. I also don't try to pressure myself into a big "lunch" on the day. We have a sort of brunch or starter cousre around 11 , followed by the main event mid afternoon, whenever it and we are ready. Usually around 4. The kids will be up early and go to bed late so we might sneak in a supper at around 7 or 8 but only butties or leftovers. Kids will munch all day on chocolate anyway so the times are flexible.

    Merry Christmas

    ali x
    "Overthinking every little thing
    Acknowledge the bell you cant unring"

  • ALIBOBSY
    ALIBOBSY Posts: 4,527
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    Most of all remember its just a sunday dinner with hats lol.

    ali x
    "Overthinking every little thing
    Acknowledge the bell you cant unring"

  • I cook from scratch for all meals - even Xmas dinner .....but I am lucky that I was bought a 'hostess trolley' by my Mum and Dad for my 1st married Xmas (25 years ago). I have used it regularly over the years despite getting a lot of ribbing from friend & colleagues about being posh [ nothing could be further from the truth] and since we have worked opposite shifts at lot of the time - it has meant cooking once and bunging eveything in for everyone to help themselves. Food keeps cooking while its in there [very slowly) so you only have to part cook veggies before popping them in. Its also good for assembling a large cooked meal in advance at Xmas and so forth.

    I do't know if they still make these trolleys but they do crop up in the small ads and sale rooms - often they go cheap or even free if the heating element has gone. Its relatively cheap [£15} to have one made by a electrical factoring company and they last for years so grab one if you ever get the chance ;)
    :heartpuls The best things in life aren't things :heartpuls

    2017 Grocery challenge £110.00 per week/ £5720 a year






  • Olliebeak
    Olliebeak Posts: 3,167 Forumite
    ALIBOBSY wrote: »
    Most of all remember its just a sunday dinner with hats lol.

    ali x

    Well said, Alibobsy! Hear, Hear!!
  • nearlyrich
    nearlyrich Posts: 13,698
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    If anything Christmas is the time I am most OS, using recipes from my mum and from my grandma..I have 16 coming to lunch this year, DGD was having a veggie phase two years ago so I bought a Quorn roast, it was disgusting and I think that made her rethink her eating style. (no disrespect to genuine vegetarians but this was a teenage phase) DSD doesn't eat red meat but it's a taste thing so she will use the same gravy as everyone else.

    My secret weapon is my Hostess Trolley without which I would struggle to keep everything hot.
    Free impartial debt advice from: National Debtline or Stepchange[/CENTER]
  • nearlyrich wrote: »
    My secret weapon is my Hostess Trolley without which I would struggle to keep everything hot.

    :T Snap! :T
    :heartpuls The best things in life aren't things :heartpuls

    2017 Grocery challenge £110.00 per week/ £5720 a year






  • M.E.
    M.E. Posts: 680
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    For many years I was too poorly with M.E. to do the whole roast thing, especially as no-one except me liked dark turkey meat, one didn't like meat anyway and the other two didn't like meat with bones in.
    We all liked Christmas pudding though.
    So,,,,, we bought frozen dinners... platters and I added yorkshire puddings, cranberry sauce, apple sauce, veggie gravy.
    The meals were easy to prepare.. just heated up in the oven, and no waste as the portions were small enough not to overfill us.
    Then we had Christmas pudding... set alight with brandy and icecream, brandy butter, cream etc. As we were not too full from the first course we enjoyed the Christmas pudding.
    This year we have a veggie, a lactose intolerant and a gluten intolerant and one who doesn't like bones.
    So although I'm cooking from scratch this year it will be a huge variety of vegetables plus small boneless portions of turkey, duck, quorn, beef and pork. The quorn will be cooked separately but the meats will be cooked together in the slow cooker in wine. I might roast a couple of quail for the two non-fussy eaters as well.
    Then home-made Christmas pudding (no milk and no gluten) with a variety of ice-cream and brandy sauce and home made lemon and brandy sorbet.
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