Christmas with no kitchen?

[Scarlettwaffle]

We have just started work on a 2 story side extension. We know it will not be completed before Christmas, but given the time of year and the unpredictable weather it's anyone's guess what stage we'll actually be at.... part of the work involves completely removing our existing kitchen though so there is a risk we'll be making do with a makeshift kitchen in the lounge (I'm thinking slow-cooker, microwave, actifry type stuff)
We have a couple of options - we could go to my mums, although we'd rather be st home to allow DD to have fun playing with her new toys.
We could eat out, but it's so expensive and not sure if it will be just full of miserable families who don't like each other enough to host & miserable staff who have been forced to work!
Or we could stay at home in our pjs and try to cook something....

What would you do? Or have you eaten out for Christmas dinner and really enjoyed it? Any other ideas?

[GreenTulips]

I always see great posts about excellent atmosphere in restaurants on Christmas Day.

No cooking shopping or washing up!

Buy snacks and your sorted

Recently someone did a 'lonely/singles/elderly type dinner that was contributed to by those attending they had stuff donated - tree crackers cakes etc and they all had a fab time playing games and live music etc

Go for the meal andsucknot it as part of the extension cost

Invite the parents and enjoy

[RumAppleGinger]

Take away? I remember having an amazing Chinese one Christmas when I was a kid (I think it was one year my mum decided to say fuck it). I would always rather be in my house than out at a restaurant at christmas.

[noseyjosey]

Not quite the same, but our oven once broke halfway through Xmas dinner and we had to finish a lot of it in the microwave. So to some degree it’s possible. I’d probably go with the eating out though, and save the microwave effort for a buffet tea.

Loads of pubs etc do Xmas dinner for a couple of hours, then beck in time for a snooze.

[reallybadidea]

I'd definitely go to your mum's. Making Christmas dinner is bad enough without having to do it camping-style. Why can't your dd take her presents with her?

[Mallowmarshmallow]

Have you got a barbecue?

We just about managed to have a mostly functional kitchen a couple of years ago for Christmas but had been 13 weeks without one don’t ask, cocked up with kitchen company choice.....!

We expected to be relying on take aways a lot but actually with the barbecue, a camping stove, slow cooker, table top grill (that would be good on Christmas Day for a non traditional grill your own steak session) and steamer we managed really well.

It’s definitely doable and with two smalls I would definitely choose to stay at home being inventive than taking them away from their toys in the middle of the day to a restaurant.

[peachy94]

I know it's not on the same scale but my oven broke just before Christmas a few years ago. We spent the morning at home opening presents, had nibbles that didn't need cooking then went to my mums and had Christmas dinner there later on around 4. There's a shop near me that's like a butchers but does cooked stuff too but they sell turkeys that they cook and you just reheat? You could try something like that if you want to stay home

[Sparkletastic]

I’d go for a takeaway too if you are near enough to civilisation for such a thing to be a possibility. We tried the BBQ idea one Christmas. Fucking disaster.

[BakedBeans47]

Eat out or Indian takeaway feast!

[Glumglowworm]

The Christmas my stepsisters remember most fondly is when there was a big power cut and they had cheese toasties made on the fire for Christmas dinner

I probably wouldn't bother trying to do a traditional Christmas roast dinner, but would do something different but yummy and lots of chocolate and ready to eat picnic type food

[PickAChew]

I'd go to your mum's. You can bring back leftovers, then!

I find that the actifry makes great roasties when I'm short on oven space, btw, so long as they're not too big.

[herecomesthsun]

I would
-consider going out if there is a reasonable option near you

• maybe get a takeaway if possible
  

-could use a microwave and have really nice MnS food
-smoked salmon, dressed lobster, nice salads, fizz for the adults?
-cold roast chicken with soup and salads and nice treats for the kids
-or you could have a nice Christmas day together all day and pop over to your mum's for a Christmas hello and a warm meal, perhaps a relatively simple one in the evening

lots of ways this could work

Re cooking options, having a microwave would be helpful. If you want Xmas pud you can successfully steam one in that. Lakeland sell a plug in oven-cum-pan which might help with providing hot food anyway. And you could acquire or borrow a 2 ring burner, again if you want more options over this period.

The key thing is the family relationships, it could be fun and different and could be a time to reminisce about later.

hope you have a very Happy Christmas whichever

[Neolara]

After 2 months of living in a building site, you may well change your mind about visiting your mum at Xmas.

[herecomesthsun]

Ah yes and our local church does a Xmas meal for anyone who might want to come along, I am sure littlies would be very welcome at something like that, should you want to join in.

[formerbabe]

We are out one Christmas...went to a lovely gastro type pub...it was lovely, no cooking or cleaning up! Was so happy to go home to a clean kitchen!

[Scarlettwaffle]

Thanks all for your suggestions - still undecided but at least I'm hopeful it won't be the disaster I was expecting... (although my mums cooking isn't great!)

I'm half tempted to stay in our pjs and gorge on cheese & biscuits (& chocolates!) all day!

[BriechonCheese]

We had a similar set up one Christmas when we renovated our old house.
We used our BBQ, slow cooker and microwave/steamer to cobble something Christmassy together for lunch. We went out for the evening.

[babsthebuilder]

Or a mixture of gorging on chocolate and cheese all day, then go out for Xmas dinner on Boxing Day to a local pub or something.