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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To believe that preparing Christmas Dinner is actually not that difficult ?

76 replies

rookiemater · 23/12/2010 16:16

I'm probably going to be flamed for this one, but I just can't quite get the levels of excitement generated about having to make Christmas dinner.

It is as hard or as easy as you want to make it. If you feel that Christmas is not special without Nigellas brine soaked turkey and Heston's ludicrous christmas pudding then fine,knock yourself out but don't then complain about how hard it is to cater on the big day. If like me you are fairly lazy then you go to M&S and buy it all ready made, bung into the oven and hey presto a few minutes effort produces a lovely meal. Perhaps the taste is not quite as good as if it was prepared from "scratch" but is certainly miles better than what you get in most restaurants.

I would imagine the same effect can be generated by visiting Tesco or Asda, but I always associate M&S with Christmas.

I actually find it much easier to do than other meals as at least you don't need to devise a menu plan. In fact I like Christmas dinner so much that as we are going to SIL's this year I have bought and froze all the ingrediants so we can have them at some other time of year.

So really is it that hard to make a turkey dinner?

OP posts:
nickeldonkeybethlehemsinsight · 23/12/2010 16:18

i agree with you to a certain extent.

It's just liek making a sunday dinner.

however, that does depend on how many people you've got - the more people, the bigger the portions and the harder it is to get everything cooked at hte same time.

JemimaMop · 23/12/2010 16:19

I don't think it is difficult, but if you have lots of people coming over it puts extra pressure on and it can be hard to work out how much to cook.

YABU to think that M&S is the answer though, not everyone lives near one believe it or not!

irregularegular · 23/12/2010 16:20

Fine if you're doing it just for a family of four, like a normal roast dinner.

Not so easy if you are doing it for 15 or so, like my mother does. Then even if you keep it fairly simple, just getting everything to the table hot but not overcooked is quite an achievement.

Then I think you need all the extras to make it special and Christmassy.

Megatron · 23/12/2010 16:21

Not difficult at all really, just because someone makes things from scratch doesn't mean that they actually find it difficult. It's a big roast dinner with a bit extra really. I enjoy it, can't imagine enjoying as much if I'd bought it all ready made.

HecTheHallsWithBoughsOfHolly · 23/12/2010 16:21

I agree. It's not hard, it's not stressful.

But then, to me, nor is packing, going on holiday, moving house, christmas shopping, having guests, having a baby, getting married...

and a million other things that people get their knickers in a twist for no reason at all that I can see.

I don't understand why people make things harder for themselves by working themselves up instead of just doing what needs doing. I don't actually see where the 'stress' is. I feel sorry for folks who make it stressful because they just make it ten times harder for them to achieve anything. And after they've wound themselves right up - they've still got to do it all anyway, only now they've got to do it all with a splitting headache and palpitations! Grin

Megatron · 23/12/2010 16:22

Oh and I actually think M & S food is hughly over-rated. I'll get my coat. Grin

faverolles · 23/12/2010 16:24

DH and I do things from scratch, but doing the preparation on Christmas Eve is part of Christmas, and we've never found it stressful or difficult.
MIL used to be up at 4am to make sure the turkey was properly dried out cooked, and made a whole song and dance about Christmas lunch, which ruined the day for her and everyone else there.

Original poster
rookiemater · 23/12/2010 16:25

I do feel for those poor poor people who don't live near M&S Xmas Wink.

I don't mind at all people doing it from scratch if that's what they enjoy. My uncle locks himself in the kitchen on Christmas day and has a great time including preparing yummy brussel sprouts with almons, then leaves the kitchen in a complete state for us to clean up.

That's great and fine, but people seem to be so angsty about it, real vendettas about how many times relatives have been to theirs, complaining about the cost of preparing the meal. Really all it is is a glorified Sunday roast and you don't hear of people getting their knickers in a twist about that.

OP posts:
JemimaMop · 23/12/2010 16:25

I don't think I've ever had Christmas food from M&S, as I say our nearest one is a 1.5 hour drive away.

My meat etc comes from a farm shop and I make most things from scratch and well in advance, which reduces the stress.

I would think that battling my way around a supermarket (even M&S) to pick up food at this time of year would be sheer hell.

diddl · 23/12/2010 16:25

I don´t think it is, but I think that compared to a lot we have a fairly basic meal tbh, and the most I´ve ever cooked for is 5.

What different veg to people do?

Couldn´t find parsnips today-will look again tomorrow-will Christmas dinner be ruined without them?[blush)(grin]

JustinCaseyHowls · 23/12/2010 16:25

yanbu. What a palaver.

dockate · 23/12/2010 16:26

Completely agree. It's one meal that requires no real thought; you know pretty much what you're having (bar a few creative changes here and there) and when you've done it all once you'll never find it difficult again. When DD was 13 days old, we had the entire extended family round for Christmas day; people thought we were mad, but it was no big deal at all simply because it is suc a straightforward meal to make, even in large quantities.

dockate · 23/12/2010 16:26

such not suc

JemimaMop · 23/12/2010 16:27

Parsnips might be in short supply if the ground is frozen and they can't be dug up. On the plus side a frost is supposed to sweeten them, so if you can get some they will be really nice.

BuzzLightBeer · 23/12/2010 16:27

we are 22 for xmas dinner, so yabu if you mean me!

Original poster
rookiemater · 23/12/2010 16:28

Oh yes faverolles my granny would have the turkey on from the night before, drove my uncle crazy, he would rush to take it out the minute he got there and desperately try to reinject some flavour into the poor dessicated bird

OP posts:
Original poster
rookiemater · 23/12/2010 16:28

Ok if you are preparing for > 20 you are allowed to fret just a wee bit

OP posts:
faverolles · 23/12/2010 16:30

Lemons - we've had to buy parsnips, cos they're all stuck in the permafrost!
We're having to buy eggs for the first time in years, because the chooks have all gone on strike (and I can't say I blame them!)

carocaro · 23/12/2010 16:30

The thing that can make it stressfull is other people faffing about in the kitchen, putting in their ten pence worth, those who want bread sauce when no one else likes it, those who want to eat at three but those who want to eat at 6pm

And if you have people staying, getting their/rooms bed readys etc and having the extra food for breakfast and lunch on the other days, the clearing up afterwards etc because house guests that are relatives tend to be lazy bastards.

All the above is from personal experience so,

I detest having people to stay, so it's me, DH and DS x2 and it will be just lovely.

faverolles · 23/12/2010 16:31

Lemons? That was meant to be Jemima.
Damn you autocorrect!

create · 23/12/2010 16:31

It depends how much of a "feast day" you want to make it. Yes it can be a regular Sunday Roast, but to me that's not Christmas Dinner. When I do it it's at least 2 types of stuffing, 2 types of sausage, plus pigs in blankets and bacon rolls made with the Turkey livers. 2 types of potato minimum, numerous veg, plus cauliflower cheese and chestnuts. Homemade Cranberry and Bread Sauce....It's not difficult, but it does need careful planning to make sure you have enough pots and pans and that everything can fit in the oven, especially if you're having a lot of people (my record is 23)

It's a bit like weddings though. It is just another day, but there can be quite a bit of pressure for everything to be perfect. I don't feel like that. I love doing it and if bits go wrong that's all part of the fun and I do make a point of having enough beans in the house that I can do beans on toast if all else fails. Grin

It's also important to have a glass of sherry in your hand at all times when in the kitchen. Would never dream of drinking sherry at any other time, but my Gran used this survival method - Grandad invited waifs and strays from the whole region and Christmas at their house was huge.

sarah293 · 23/12/2010 16:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

CuddlyNotFat · 23/12/2010 16:36

Hec - you sound really sorted - I'm going to try and keep in mind your words 'cos I was beginning to get a teeny bit stressy...and now I feel much better!

Thankyou!

((makes new year's resolution to hero-worship Hec..))

Original poster
rookiemater · 23/12/2010 16:37

Ooh actually I have changed my mind about M&S think I will just hot foot it round to creates instead.....

OP posts:
MrsDingDongMerrily · 23/12/2010 16:41

How do you keep it all hot though when you do so many things? I have a double oven, but even so, it's hard to fit it all in to be cooked, let alone keeping stuff warm, and have very little worktop, a resting turkey takes up most of it. It is the one time of year when I really crave the huge kitchens you see on property programmer.