Breaking the mould

[aspergersrus]

Am seriously considering an alternative Christmas this year by not cooking a Christmas dinner and just eating the picky things we enjoy ie smoked salmon and scrambled eggs midday and cheese and biscuits md afternoon etc. I just feel that the whole day is focused on " the lunch" that it takes over the day by the shoppin, prep, cooking etc. we have four children aged 28, 25 +grandchild, 8 and 4 and a set of grandparents ( who are very traditional). We try to please everyone but in fact don't please ourselves. Our 8 year old has aspergers and is not interested in food at all so the meal is quite stressful for him. We just want to chill on Christmas Day and enjoy the day, the tv, the games etc without jumping up to get the potatoes in the oven etc. has anyone else been brave enough to not do what is expected?

[parsnipcake]

We go for a curry or have sausage and mash. I do the big dinner on another day. If anyone questions it, I offer them free reign of the kitchen, but actually it works very well. There is so much rich food, something plain is very welcome.

[SizzleSazz]

Last year we did Xmas dinner at 5pm with the children on Xmas Eve. On Xmas day we had smoked salmon & scrambled eggs, hot sausage rolls and nibbly bits (including turkey mayo sandwiches - yum) all day.

It was brilliant and we will be doing the same this year. Go for it

[Onlyaphase]

We have a big roast on Christmas eve, then on Christmas day we have a buffet lunch with cold beef, ham, new potatoes and lovely salads about 2pm. No massive lunch needing cooking, it is fabulous and makes for a relaxing day for DH and I.

SIL and BIL don't like it much, and would rather have roast turkey etc, but they have to put up with it if they come here.

[MegBusset]

Yes us :) We do a buffet lunch with sandwiches, crisps, party rings, cheese & pineapple hedgehog etc :) The DC are 3 and 5 so much prefer this, it's easier than cooking something suitable for DS1 (multiple allergies) and Dh & I (both veggie), less stressful and loads of fun.

DH and I have a mini Xmas dinner with Quorn roll, roasties etc when the kids are in bed.

[rhondajean]

We go out on Xmas eve and have a full Xmas dinner (at a third of the price the same menu will be the next day) and on the day we stay in and order Chinese.

[ash6605]

We've done that before, when dc's were much younger and not interested in thè food and just wanted to play. We had a buffet style xmas lunch as you would normally have on Boxing day and then a broth with crusty buns at tea time(made in the slow cooker the day before)
This left the day almost free, meant we could play all day with dc's stress free. Then on boxing day we had a Xmas dinner at our local Toby carvery for less than half of the price than if we'd eaten it on Xmas day.

[fuzzpig]

We don't usually have Xmas dinner on the 25th, as it's just the 4 of us - we have a big meal on other days with family.

Not entirely sure what we will do this time, something nice but not too much effort hopefully.

[Ilovecake1]

Yes, an alternative Christmas dinner sounds like a good idea for you. Cook your little boy what he likes and what he will eat!! I really wouldn't worry about others and actually I don't please anyone on Xmas day except my children and hubby...my LO has AS and no one is welcome to our house on Xmas day as she finds all the change to stressful! Our front door doesn't get opened on Xmas day!! Lol

[nameuschangeus]

We always do buffet nibbly bits for Christmas day lunch, the children love it and can eat what they like, it stays out longer so people eat more and we don't usually do dinner in the evening. Go for it I say, and free yourself of the shackles of turkey

[Binfullofgibletsonthe26th]

It's become quite a tradition here (Switzerland) to have fondue chinoise for Christmas day. Very thin slices of meat and vegetables cooked in a broth. Very sociable and you can eat for as long or little as you like. Also popular is raclette - cooking small pieces of meat and raclette cheese, serving with boiled potatoes and pickles etc. great fun, and not stressy.

I tend to prep everything before hand and put in disposable tin foil trays, it's only once a year, and it makes cooking less stressful, so I don't feel too bad.

[Clothilde]

That's the sort of meal my family had when I was little, and I loved it. Smoked salmon, olives, hummous and taramasalata are my traditional festive foods.

[stressedHEmum]

For years and years we have just had a buffet with things the children like for Christmas Lunch. Obviously, the food has changed over the years; it used to be pizza, sausage rolls, crisps, mini sausages and the like, now it's more like a ham, a cheese and potato roll and a pie that I cook on Xmas Eve, crusty bread and pate, cheese and crackers, spiced peaches, kettle chips and dip - a bit more grown up nut much less stressful than cooking a meal that hardly anyone eats.

[fuzzpig]

I think I'll include my horrifically calorific cheese dip with lots of crudités, and our favourite Walslaw (a cross between coleslaw and Waldorf salad - it really works!)

[fuzzpig]

Oh, and twiglets:o

[fuzzpig]

Possibly a nice homemade potato salad too. With crispy onions and bacon bits on the side

[Bewildermum]

Aspergersrus, thanks for starting this thread. That's a great idea - I love Christmas but I absolutely dread doing the dinner and never enjoy it....now to persuade my mother...

[MegBusset]

Yes Twiglets are a must, also pretzels and Cadbury's Fingers :)

[fuzzpig]

I only just noticed your name OP. I misread it as asparagus

I'm expecting to be diagnosed with AS myself next week! (irrelevant to this thread, but just thought I'd share :o)

[CheerMum]

We never do a roast. We have our favourite meals instead. Last year Dh had steak and chips, I had cheese and bacon kievs and crinkle cut chips and dd had lamb, boiled rice and green beans.
It's a lot more relaxed.
This year dd wants bacon wrapped chicken with pork and lamb. I might have chilli.

[GingerPCatt]

My grandma used to always make a big crockpot of chili for Christmas day. I really miss that since now we have to shuttle DS between two families.

[starfishmummy]

We have a nice roast - same as a Sunday dinner but we might upgrade to a dearer cut of meat; we also have it in the evening as it suits us better.
The upside is that certain relatives won't come because it isn't a traditional turkey meal in the middle of the day!