Please share your Christmas Eve prepping tips

[SinkGirl]

Tough Christmas this year - everyone has a horrid cold, and I have a mangled back which is causing horrid pain. I want to try and make Christmas dinner as easy as possible tomorrow so there’s as little standing as possible.

I’ve bought meat from M&S so it literally just has to go in the oven so that should help.

For the rest I’m thinking I can do today:

• Peel and chop potatoes tonight and put in pan of water
• Wrap pigs in blankets and put in foil tray
• Prep parsnips and carrots and put in foil trays (or would they go horrid by morning? They’re baby parsnips and chanteray carrots so don’t need par boiling)
• Make dessert ready to be baked tomorrow
• Wrap last few gifts
• Drink baileys

Anything else useful I can do today without affecting the quality? I know some people roast off potatoes and freeze them but we don’t have the freezer space for that.

If I can do everything in little chunks today so that tomorrow is easier that would help a lot. DH can do the veg prep etc while we take turns wrangling the twins. To be honest cooking is easier on my back than running around after them!

Ooh, and Yorkshire pudding batter today? I know Yorkshires are a controversial Christmas dish but they are crucial here 😬

have you done your gravy?

Leave carrots and parsnips in water overnight, then pat dry before roasting is what I'd do.

Yorkshire batter make in the morning and leave for at least 3 hours before using. I'd not leave it overnight. It's such a quick easy job. I don't bother sifting the flour.

Happy Christmas.

Not to do with the meal, but I have left some bits in a drawer for present opening time - bin bag, scissors and batteries.

Re food, i peel the veg tonight and leave in a bowl of water. Or you can stick them in a plastic bag and suck the air out (make some feel a bit yuck this one).

Set the dining table?

Sorry I see now you did specify dinner tips. Hope you are feeling better soon.

Work out what you and the Dc are going to wear and get it out ready!

Okay, I’ll make the Yorkshire batter in the morning.

I have some pre-bought gravy - plan to make my own but it’s there as a standby if I’m not up to it. I’ve pared everything back and got rid of stuff no one really likes so it should just be a matter of
Make Yorkshire batter
meat in
par boil potatoes, season and roast
Roast veg and pigs in blankets
Make Yorkshires
Make or heat gravy
Get DH to put things in and out of oven.

Just got a new double oven so hopefully that will make things easier - Top one is only little but can hopefully roast the veg and pigs in blankets in there, then use the main oven for potatoes and Yorkshires while meat is resting (it’s only a small joint though so worried it will go really cold even with foil etc)

I normally love cooking Christmas dinner but my back is screwing everything up!

Unless it’s a really tiny joint it’ll be fine - it needs to rest, cover in foil and a tea towel and it’ll hold its heat long enough for the roast pots to cook. Worst comes to worst you’ve got hot gravy to help it along.

To be honest I prefer eating the meat in sandwiches on Boxing Day than with dinner anyway so I’m not too fussed 😂

Presents are now wrapped so now lying on the floor with my Pilates ball thing for a while!

I’d not bother peeling anything. Baby parsnips and carrots wont need it and I haven’t peeled a potato in years (not even for mash, I just add cheese, cream, butter and a solidish green leafy veg like kale or spring greens).

Definitely not peeling the carrots or parsnips- going to make DH do the potatoes before bed 😂

Laying the table, getting out glasses, serving dishes, spoons, pots and pans all helps too.

Cooked the sprouts & bacon ready to be reheated.

Cooked the carrots ready to be buttered and reheated

Peeled spuds

Made bread sauce

Cooked the gammon.

Finally feeling christmassy....

Wrong thread, sorry!