to NOT be stressed about cooking Christmas dinner. It's only a roast FGS

[GetOrfMoiLand]

Why the stress?

Loads of threads on here. And SIL harping on at the weekend about how stressful it is, she always ends up tears on the morning, there is so much pressure.

I actually said to her 'it's only a jumped up roast dinner, what's so stressful about that' and she looked just looked at me and started talking about sprout preperation.

Just get on with it.

It's not even a jumped up roast dinner here. It is a roast dinner!

YANBU
I've cooked every Christmas Dinner for the last 10 years (barring one year), sometimes for 10-12 people. Space can be an issue for us, but really it is no biggie.
And if you cook it yourself you never have to worry about soggy veg or doing any washing up/dishwasher stuff afterwards.

I can understand stressing about it a bit, but in October? She wastes 3 months a year stressing?

YANBU. I've never got this. MIL used to get up at 4.30am on Christmas day to make sure everything was overcooked to her satisfaction, and then be too knackered to enjoy any part of the day.

DH and I prepare everything the day before, so all we have to do is bung everything in the oven.

SIL is just one of those people who harps on about everything.

I normally tune her out. Yesterday she was banging on about a Christmas dinner she cooked in the mid 80s where she forgott to buy cranberry sauce and her husband has never let her live it down.

I just assume they have no hobbies in life.

I have no idea, I've never cooked a roast dinner in my life

I am going to do Jamie Oliver's 30min roast dinner this year. Will also put out crackers and a chocolate log. Done!

It's just a roast!!

YANBU....I love Christmas dinner but can never work out why people get themselves in such a bother about it.

I do everything the night before as well (all the veg prep and stuffing making etc). It is one of my loved Christmas rituals, I get absolutely tanked on mulled wine and amaretto whilst doing it.

Then just shove everything in the oven on the day. It will be ready at some point in the afternoon. No need to plan like military campaign.

I would assume they have no life

I love cooking x-mas dinner. I keep trying to invite more people around but no-one will come because they don't want to upset my Nana, who has always cooked at hers for all the family and has always whined and whinged about it for months before hand. We had a falling out two years ago about x-mas dinner, so I always cook my own now.

Dh offered to pay over £150 for us all to eat out this year. But I told him I'd rather him give me the £150 to take down to the farmers market and get some really nice cuts if meat and seasonal veg. And then we could spend the most of it the change on nice wine and Asti

I'm all excited about x-mas dinner now. I can't wait.

[needs a life emoticon]

I never cook a roast (perhaps once or twice a year) so actually look forward to it,

I would never every eat out on Christmas day - vile mass prepared food yuk.

(referring to people harping on about forgetting cranberry sauce in 1985)

If you are cooking for other people, you really want to get it right. Christmas is special and people do have high expectations.

I am really looking forward to it this year as I am (for the first time) just cooking for me, DH and DCs(haven't told MIL yet, but that's another thread).

YANBU, it's a roast, I love cooking Christmas dinner.

D

X-mas dinner is so much more than just a roast. We have a roast dinner once a week. it's just roast meat with mash, veg and gravy. Usually chicken, unless lamb or pork is on offer.

X-mas dinner is so much better. We get two really good quality joints. Normally a leg of lamb and a pork shoulder. We have little chipolata sausges with bacon on. Roasties roasted in goose fat. Home made stuffing. Home made x-mas pudding with Brandy butter and/or fresh cream.

So much more than just a roast. If your x-mas is just a roast, then you are doing it all wrong imo.

I find Christmas dinner really easy!

DH cooks it

I do moan about doing it because I want everyone to know what a grand effort I am going to but I secretly love it.

Last year was a revelation. I prepared it all on christmas eve, after going to church, and got tanked up on Bailey's. It made me feel all christmassy and the house smelled like red cabbage and apples cooking. Yum.

YANBU.

I stressed a bit about Christmas roast when younger but am now fairly blasé about it, which is good because I can now experiment a bit. When you have cooked enough Sunday Roasts, Christmas lunch is a breeze - you don't even have to plan the menu, it's already there.

right if we are doing Christmas dinner top trumps...

Roast turkey and cook a ham as well
Roast pots OBV
Parsnips in honey
Red cabbage with spices and sultanas
Sprouts with pancetta (urgh, but have to cook as tradition)
Pureed swede
Stuffing (homemade)
Sausages in bacon

I would do most of teh above for a normal roast dinner tbh (except sprouts and pigs in blankets)

Do not bother with pudding but there are probably 1000 mince pies in the house, loads of clotted cream and a load of cheese and biscuits.

Cupcakes - agree with the lovely Christmassy feeling you get when you prep veg in a fog of tipsiness with christmas carols tape playing to sing along to (and I am an atheist, but love Oh Little Town of Bethlehem after a few sherbets)