frozen roast potatoes are for emergencies not for Christmas day

[PrincessScrumpy]

I made a double chocolate baked cheese cake for Christmas with the in-laws - they didn't eat it and chose tesco value chocolate cake over my homemade dessert. I had to laugh - my dessert was yummy and dh and dd both ate mine. dh was horrified that his family were so rude and also by their taste buds.

I was alarmed when I went to the fridge on Christmas eve for dd's milk to see no sign of a Christmas dinner. My assumptions were correct - all from the freezer - even the veg including roast potatoes and yorkshire puddings to go with the Iceland roast pork and lamb.

Luckily, my aunt made a fab Christmas dinner on Monday so at least I've had real Christmas dinner.

Don't mean to sound snobby, but I come from a family that enjoys homemade food.

Nothing wrong with stairs off the kitchen-my family's farm has them.They were originally intended for your servants to use LeQueen.Don't tell me that you let them use the front staircase?

I have just realised that I did have an emergency which I used frozen roast potatoes for.

The weekend before Christmas we had a friend to stay. On the Sunday the rain was so bad (went out and had to come back as I couldn't see when I was going) that we couldn't go out and so eating at a nice resturant couldn't happen. It was v disappointing as my friend was only with us for 2 days and had come half way round the world.

I had a nice piece of free range pork from the market so we cooked that. Despite the rain it was still very hot and humid (I live in NZ) and I didn't want to spend hours standing over a hot cooker. So I prepared some vegetables in the steamer and took the frozen potatoes/parsnips out and put them in the oven. This allowed me to enterain my jet lagged friend and we all had a delicious meal.

P.S. I have no stairs in my whole house, not sure what this says about me. However we do have someone else's sheep pooing at our back door a lot so I don't think we are very up market.

Can I point out though that they were homemade roast potaotes. I always make double and freeze the third half that are left.

Also I did make stuffing and apple sauce from scratch - it was too hot to make gravy.

Fellatio and LeQueen sounds like a sixties TV series, like um...Randall and Hopkirk, only ruder and better.

I have arrived back in the new house and I am looking at the wallpaper. It will have to go. Call in Fellation & McQueen!

Ironically, our stairs may, at some point, need to be removed as they are sub-building regulations height and my OH keeps hitting his head on the ceiling.

Fellation & McQueen?!!! Where did that come from?

incidentally, I love the way a poster wanders in every now and again and actually addresses their mind to the question of roast potatoes, determinedly ignoring the random blether.

My friend has stairs from her kitchen. They go right past the second and third floord up to a loft type area where staff used to reside. The au pair lives there now but its going to be a great teenage retreat.

Horopu I think it must be Very Posh Indeed to have sheep pooing at your back door.

By the way, do roast potatoes freeze well? What does it do to the texture?

It was rude and ungrateful not to even try your pudding. But I see nothing wrong with aunt bessies roast potatoes, stuffing balls etc. Frozen veg is ok as well IMO. You can enjoy the day more if you cut down on the cooking stress. Didn't know you could get aunt bessie cauliflower cheese - off to look for it online shop.

My point exactly r.e stairs. Fret not LeQ.

I remember a thread about guests always removing shoes in the house, even at parties so as not to spoil the new flooring.

A lovely regular also possessed of a beautiful house pointed out that the flagstones dipped in places because of the traipsing of servants in the past. Your previous owners would have bought pine-coloured laminate to cover such an imperfection no doubt

Anyway. The thread seems to have moved on and we are in the realms of Aunt Bessie's cauliflower cheese. Jesus wept!

Happy to help there,LeQueen.

Ignore this bit lequeen et al, I realise your mind is on higher things.

Aquavit - Well according to others up the thread it changes the texture but I have not noticed a difference.

To br honest the sheep is really starting to annoy me, my kids are worried it is going to eat the sweetcorn plants and it keeps eyeing up the rabbits' haybale. It is someone's pet that they let wander free which is quite mean to it I think. Everyone else who had a sheep for Pet and Show Day has eaten it or given back to the farmer by now.

I'll pay the 25 for the hot bath as advertised in that house...as long as I can use it to wash out my eyes. Oh, that pain of it!

Think the Fellatio and LeQueen decorating business a fabulous idea, however, with that name surely potential customers would expect a couple of flaming gay men to show up and put their house to rights? I know I certainly would. :o

Are seashells in apothecary jars considered "pebbley shit"?

I think Fellatio & LeQueen should take on my decorator when they set up their business.He is so camp that he makes Elton John look butch and he is an absolute scream.He can spot F&B paint at 20 paces and tell you exactly what shade it is.