to think that they can get what they are given and be bloody grateful

[bogie]

Christmas dinner... was planning, Soup to start then Turkey, roasties, parsnip and mustard mash, brussells, stuffing, pigs in blankets and carrot ribbons with honey and parsly then christmas pud or chocolate triffle (cheese board in the evening)..... I am cooking for 15!! with 3 under 5's wanting to open and play with all their presents.... and now SIL and her DP have decided that this is not good enough because sil's dp doesn't like parsnip or brussels so I will need to do mash potato and a tin of sweetcorn for him and her 2yo ds, now I only have a small oven and a small kitchen, I have planned it all and now I am getting pissed off, if they were going to a resturant they couldn't say oh and you will have to change your menu because my 26 year old boyfriend doesn't like it so cook sweetcorn and mash aswell.

[Jux]

Oooh yes, you can suggest your SIL does it next year. You will have mash, sweetcorn and chicken nuggets. Lovely.

[diddl]

DO NOT DO MASH & SWEETCORN.

There-did you hear that?

There is plenty for him to eat.

Your menu sounds lovely, and there is nothing outrageous on it, just food you might well expect on a Christmas menu.
(And I don´t mean that as an insult).

When he hosts, he can cook what he wants.

[ClaireDeLoon]

Really bogie, don't do the mash and sweetcorn. It's just so rude of them both to expect it. Your menu sounds lovely and just the right mix of things. Better to do a few things really well than to overload the table with many dishes.

[fruitstick]

I cooked for my entire family ladt year. My sister tried to decide what time we would be having dinner, what we would have etc. I ignored her.

Don't bother with starter. Everyone will be too full anyway.

No way give into sweetcorn and mash - there will be more than enough food for him to go without veg if he doesn't like it.

I would go for roast parsnip not madh though, unless you are planning to make in advance and reheat.

Avoid as much pre-service faffing as possible.

[onceamai]

I have pandered to DH's family for nearly 20 years. The rod on my back is big, heavy and ugly. This needs nipping in the bud right now. Simply say, you have been invited and this is what I'm cooking, I shan't be offended if you don't want to try everything but I am cooking for 15 and cannot provide any extras.

[bogie]

We don'tusally have a starter but I thought it would be nice more for dp's grandparents than anyone else?!? not sure why have given me somthing to think about now... but nothing beats a good soup though, and will be making a day ahead and just heating up so not much bother

[Niecie]

I'm going to contraversial here and say drop the soup. You don't need a starter with a Christmas lunch (unless you are normally dead posh and have one most days). That will take the pressure off and you can with good grace just microwave some sweetcorn and have done with it.

And you get to enjoy yourself a bit more if you don't have to do soup.

[DrSeuss]

It is basic good manners to eat what you are given as a guest unless you have a medical reason for doing otherwise. Do not change your menu one tiny bit. It sounds delicious, has taken you a lot of time and trouble and I would love to join such a gracious hostess to eat. do these people not realise that you are voluntarily cooking for huge numbers in a tiny kitchen? Has even one of them offered to help or bring something? Just stick it on the table and they can damn well eat it or starve. and what a dreadful example to set children!

[Jux]

Ignore her. Do the menu you want to do. He can eat the bits he wants and refuse the bits he doesn't. Best to serve it to him though, then he might be embarrassed enough to give 'em a go. About time your MIL stopped catering to his demands and you can set the example.

[nickelpombear]

delicious
left hand is colder than right...

[nickelpombear]

Lovecat, i agree that it sounds bloody delicisou, but I prefer something a bit less soggy with my dinner.
I have to say, I actually like nut roast (i have a friend whose mum does a wonderfully moist one, yumyum!!)
strangely enough, I don't mind gravy-soaked yorkshires at all!

on your sister's behalf

[NestaFiesta]

I disagree with giving in to Mr Fussy and his sweetcorn and mash request. If you give in then he will always expect people to revolve around him. Teach him he can't always have his own way. (out of interest, is he an only child?)

If he is craving sweetcorn and mash on Xmas day he can go home in the evening and have a plateful. You're cooking for fifteen- if you gave them all exactly what they wanted HOW they wanted it, you'd be a cafe and you'd be charging double.

They should be glad they are not having to cook for fifteen people and eat what's there.

[Lovecat]

nickelpombear - this is something I made several years ago for the veggie in question, they loved it and have insisted on having it again for Christmas - but we are Northern, so soggy, gravy-soaked pastry = yum...

The gravy incident that sent my sister sobbing out of the house in her Morrissey-loving student days('they just don't care!') was because my mum had run out of Bisto 2 days before Christmas and thought she was treating us by buying in some posh ready-prepared wine and shallot gravy... which of course was made with a chicken stock base...

[nickelpombear]

because gravy is lovely.

I always swamp my dinner with gravy.
and sometimes I use my gravy to make a lake in the middle of my mash - v similar to a sandcastle on the beach.

[JinnyS]

They are only asking for tinned sweetcorn anyway. Ready prepared mash that can be microwaved is pretty good now - the only problem is that everyone will want some :)

[hairytriangle]

YANBU, if you are cooking, but some mash and sweetcorn isn't that big a deal - buy some smash and get some tinned sweetcorn. that'll shut them up.

[LetThereBeRock]

That's a general 'you' btw.

[LetThereBeRock]

Why would you want to pour gravy all over perfectly good meat and vegetables?

[nickelpombear]

LoveCat
As a vegetarian, I'd advise to stay clear of anything with puff pastry wrapped round it - it will go all soggy in the gravy and not be nice.

And if you're worried about gravy - use Bisto gravy granules (the beef ones are veggie) and make it up using the water from the veg.
My family has always done this (well, powder before granules existed!), and my dad is very against vegetarians!

[JinnyS]

Mashed and roast in this house because DS1, BIL and GPs doesn't like roast and DS2 and SIL doesn't like mash.

Brussels and another green veg (possibly leeks this year) because BIL, DS1 and DS2 doesn't like brussels.

Two different stuffings because GPs only eat sage and onion and other people prefer the more adventurous flavours.

Roast parsnips and roast carrots because I hate parsnips.

I also do a steamer load of frozen peas, cauli and broccoli just in case there is a new dislike that has appeared since the last time I catered for the family

It's once a year and not a big deal to put another couple of pans on. I'd rather have people coming to eat with me knowing that I've remembered their preferences and taken them on board than feel that I've just done what I want to do.

[BeaSpellsaLot]

Not here! Mash with everything, I don't like the texture of mashed potato and get made to feel very awkward for asking for anything else.

Roasties are like rocks as they don't seem to be parboiled, but just thrown in the oven.

If we go out for Sunday roast (apart from my sister's) I end up having chips. Can you imagine, chips for a Sunday roast!

[diddl]

Oh we eat quite a bit of mashed potato, but generally it´s roast pot with a roast, isn´t it?

[BeaSpellsaLot]

Mashed potato probably an Irish thing, it's served with everything here

[Lovecat]

Alibaba - I only have to do it once every 3 years, and I love cooking.

Elderly rellies and nephews/nieces keep DD occupied, SIL sits in the kitchen and does veg prep and gossip with me, DH knows to keep us topped up with gin, we have the ipod on loud - it's lovely :)

Also the gammon gets cooked on Christmas Eve while we're out at midnight mass, the trifle and choc log are made the day before, as is the filling for the veggie main and the prep for the bread sauce. So it's basically a large roast dinner and I'm lucky enough to have a huge cooker. I don't tell DH that, though, otherwise the gin supply might dry up...