I am really baffled about Christmas treats. Come and tell me when you.......

[TheOneWithTheHair]

eat yours.

I mean what time of day? There are loads of things that I would love to make but I know they will end up going to waste.

There are five of us and the only time I can think of when it won't interfere with meals is mid-afternoon. It shouldn't be this hard to fit it in surely?

So what do you do?

[Goandplay]

Boxing Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas night..

[Goandplay]

What sort of treats?

[TheOneWithTheHair]

I was talking about sweet treats really. The stuff you wouldn't have as a meal. We just don't seem to be able to fit it in anywhere in the day.

[GeraldineH]

Chocolates in the evening when watching Christmas specials on TV. Lovely cheese and biscuits in mid afternoon, pain au chocolate for breakfast with bucks fizz. God, I can't wait!

[lightrain]

What an odd question. Replace snack or dessert with Christmas treat.

[StockingFilly]

Christmas Eve we eat all kinds of yummy shit treats. Boxing Day is the classic munching day, too, surely?

[headfairy]

I'm not sure that I eat that many treats over Christmas. Doesn't make me an angel, I eat tons anyway, but what with all the over consumption I just don't fancy anything. I save them for the week between Christmas and new year.

You're not legally obliged to eat chocolates in between every meal between Christmas eve and Boxing day you know :o

[Doilooklikeatourist]

We tend to have the treats instead of a meal , you have the big Christmas dinner , then later on have some lovely cheese and a glass of port .

Chocolates / mince pie / cake when watching a film or Christmas special in the afternoon , after a bracing cold winter walk , then left over fry up for dinner .

We always go out to Tenby on New Years Day , taking a picnic of leftover treats , picnic treats , one of the great dishes of the world.

[TheOneWithTheHair]

Thanks for the replies. It's interesting to find out.

It may seem like an odd question but I have honestly got all confused about it.

I think it's because we don't normally indulge like this and I don't want to end up wasting it. My parents never did this so I'm not used to it iyswim.

[TheOneWithTheHair]

New Years Day picnic sounds fab. As does a day off cooking on Boxing Day.

[RudolphiaRedNose]

I like stollen, panettone etc for breakfast in the xmas holidays. (Stollen lightly toasted, with nutella on it is AMAZING.) Mince pies are for elevenses, or pudding after dinner. Chestnuts and marshmallows for roasting at open fire on a sunday afternoon.

I think when there is a load of christmas food around we probably don't eat as much at main meals - for example if we feel quite full we'll just have beans on toast for tea, or cheese and biscuits.

[purrpurr]

You have no time in your day to eat junk? Seriously? Don't be ridiculous.

[TheOneWithTheHair]

Of course there is time to eat junk and I'm sorry you think I'm being rediculous. It was a simple question because I wanted to know. Sorry if it upsets you!

Thank you Rudolphia. So general consensus is that it doesn't matter if meals slip a bit then?

[Goandplay]

I think once they're in the house you do just eat them, fit them in etc.

I love having something later on in tge evening in front of the tv. I agree with what other people saying that between Christmas and New Year you don't tend to have 3 meals a day like normal.

We didn't have anything extra as a child either except 1 tub of Christmas sweets.

[NotQuitePerfect]

No it doesn't matter at all!

Make your own rules. This year I'm looking forward to a glass of champagne and a slice of cranberry topped pork pie for elevenses on Christmas day.

But I'm not bothering with the tins of Quality Street/Celebrations. They're generally quite horrible & I end up throwing most of them away, but for years have continued to buy them because I thought you had to!

Christmas cake/mince pie & good cheese is enough for supper on Christmas Day/Boxing Day.

Happy Christmas!

[DontmindifIdo]

well, are you planning on cooking two big meals on christmas day? Surely it's breakfast (bacon sarnies is the norm here), a few christmas chocolates before getting dressed, then the big Christmas dinner for lunch, then it's a case of empty all those treats and a few savory picnic type things on to the dining table and everyone just grazes/snacks until bedtime. I'll bring out some bread rolls, butter, niace ham and a cheese board around 5 ish and that's the closest you're getting to a 'dinner/tea' from me.

(now I'm worried other people actuall make effort to produce a proper meal for christmas evening...)

[NotQuitePerfect]

We do the same as you don'tmind

[AltinkumATEalltheTurkey]

We do the same as don'tmind, one big meal, followed by savoury snacks and cheese board.

[WheresMyJinglingCowBells]

Are we related Dontmind that is exactly what we do

[WhoKnowsWhereTheMistletoes]

We tend to stick to our normal mealtime routines apart from Christmas Day, there might be some chocolates or other sweets nibbled between meals but that's about it. I do buy nicer versions of things we normally have, like special cheeses instead of just cheddar, the butter with salt crystals in it instead of normal, Mince pies instead of normal puddings, that sort of thing. Definitely back to normal from Boxing Day onwards though apart from finishing off the chocs.

Christmas Day itself is croissants for breakfast, canapes for lunchtime nibbles, dinner at about 2-3ish, then a few crackers and cheese or a mince pie later if needed (usually it is not).

[TheOneWithTheHair]

Well we usually have a cooked breakfast and the eat about 3/4ish and that's it for meals. Boxing Day is relatives day and MIL does a buffet tea.

I think if I want to make all these nice things I'm going to have to relax about the dcs being too full to eat properly.

Between Christmas and New Year seems to be a good idea and one week a year won't do any harm I suppose.

Thank you to everyone who wasn't sneery.

[DoubleMum]

ooh butter with salt crystals in sounds lovely - what brand is it please?

[NotQuitePerfect]

Tesco do a Finest Normandy Butter with salt crystals. It's utterly delicious.

[SantaWearsGreen]

Christmas eve we make FC cookies and nick some for ourselves , we also have a few mince pies with mulled wine in the evening& we have hot chocolate and marshmallows.

On Christmas day we sort of graze all day on mince pies, biscuits, chocolates etc. Have a three course dinner and have the chocolates in the evening with champagne

[CharlotteBronteSaurus]

we don't cook for about three days after christmas. just graze on ham, cheese, chutneys, christmas cake and chocolate.