to think its just a roast dinner

[mamamibbo]

my mum keeps going on about christmas dinner and how i wont be able to manage it by myself and she will help, do i need to borrow a gravy boat?

why would i need a gravy boat, i have a pyrex jug;-)

what makes it different to the roast dinners i make my family all the time?

we dont eat turkey, it will be lamb and beef and maybe a cola gammon.

[itsatrap]

We are breaking tradition this year and having Christmas Eve dinner, nice way to start the festive period,and no cooking on the day, plus dcs are too full of sweets and too busy with their new toys to want to sit down for an hour and eat!

[D0oinMeCleanin]

Well it's perfect for me because then if anything goes wrong or is not timed right I can blame everyone else for not helping

Dd1 got into trouble last year because she answered the door and let the foster greyhound out while I was doing the gravy. I had to abandon the gravy to go and fetch the dog back

[Ephiny]

Yes even BearDog will lick the gravy off the sprouts and leave them. And he has a very broad definition of 'food'.

[Anniegetyourgun]

Ooh, ByTheWay1, I think you're going to get torn to shreds for that. Apparently it doesn't count as Christmas dinner unless you've suffered.

[lottiegarbanzo]

You are going to place a Pyrex jug upon your dining table?!

Christmas Eve day is still associated with the smell of silver polish in my mind (as is the taste of said polish with the memory of first course consommé).

Slipping standards amongst you youngsters I say!

[Mrsjay]

Yes even BearDog will lick the gravy off the sprouts and leave them. And he has a very broad definition of 'food'

talking about dogs and food i read that dogs could gnaw on carrots so I got newdog carrots he licked it spat it out and looked as if to say what is this where is my shoes i normally chew

[valiumredhead]

It's just a roast dinner, you are right. No idea why people get into such a flap about it. Unless you can't cook - then it probably seems hard.

[5dcsinneedofacleaner]

My grandmother does this!. She goes on and on about how I need a plan to cook for that many people (10 max) I dare not tell her that since I cook for 7 everyday and regularly for 10 anyway it doesnt really worry at all, I probably dont need a step by step plan. I sort of see why It worries her as she only really ever cooked christmas dinner for 3 but I like that she gets so excited so I join in.

I let her explain ...every... single ...year about the best way to make roast potatoes it like a family tradition now! She also likes colour schemes for the "christmas table" so every year this is the subject of many phone calls from her, I dont mind she is alone now and in sheltered accom so I hope the whole thing gives her a little joy!

[eragon]

its NOT just a roast dinner!

the turkey is brought from the butcher, and I prep it considerably before it goes in oven. baste it carefully.
make sage and onion stuffing / chestnut stuffing / bread sauce from scratch.
I cook the potatos and pasnips in goose fat, and make gravy from giblet stock, there is NO way this is a normal sunday roast at all!

[valiumredhead]

Sounds like a normal roast dinner to me eragon

[D0oinMeCleanin]

I can cook. I actually don't find Christmas dinner that hard, I just need for everyone to stay out of the kitchen so they can't see me singing along to my ipod whilst sipping the spare bottle of Asti no-one else knows about. They need to think it's really, really hard work and worship me for the rest of day because of how good to them I am doing all that hard work in the kitchen

[EIizaDay]

We go on holiday to get away from all this! Usually manage to have a pizza or a curry. Mmmmm

[Icelollycraving]

Oh & Buck's Fizz with disarrano is dh drink of choice at Christmas big girls blouse

[eragon]

valiumredhead, you eat like that every sunday?

wow



p.s do have help with turkey as its about 25-28lbs and is heavy to get out of the oven. also use about 2 packs of butter, fresh sage and lots of streaky bacon.

[HauntedLittleLunatic]

For me it is different. I do extras that I don't normally/always do (pigs in blanket and roast potatoes).

For me I will be trying to cook it while the kids ate.trying to.get me to unpackage and set up and show them how to play random stuff.

We will eat.it at a dressed table with wine (adults) and schloer (kids).

The kids probably won't eat much cos they will be stuffed from sweets and chocolate but I will let them off.

Often but not always there will be extra guests increasing quantities, finding places to sit, some wanting to take over and do it their way or insist you do it but there way or there precious loved ones will 'never eat it' when in reality they love it/dont notice the difference.

I will be half drunk by the time it is served.

So it is different...but you can negate the pressure by having all veg prepped and in saucepans the night before. Pigs in blankets, rosaries etc. Trayed up the night before. A list of what time to put everything in oven/turn on etc. The day before (this last point is critical because of afforementioned wine).

So it is different but easily manageable.

[valiumredhead]

eragon not every Sunday because we don't have a roast every Sunday but when we do I do the full works.

[ChaoticismyLife]

I haven't had a roast dinner at christmas in years.

I do like the idea of a chinese though Pity there's no chance around here on christmas day

[MildredIsMyAlterEgo]

I accidentally cooked my turkey upside down on Xmas eve one year I was pissed and shouldn't have been anywhere near an oven tbh after the initial and the next morning we were pleasantly surprised at how beautifully tender it was!

Spent Christmas in Poland last year - their dinner is wrong wrong wrong (buffet with lots of fish dishes, rollmop herrings, poppy seeds in everything, flaki (tripe soup ) washed down with tea which tastes like old socks. No wonder they drink lots of vodka.

[imnotmymum]

Do people not have honeyed parsnips, pigs in blankets etc on a normal roast dinner. And nice crockery? Table is decorated of course but every Sunday our roast is special.

[bradywasmyfavouriteking]

It IS just a roast dinner. Maybe a little bit fancier.

Which is why we are having a meze instead. Greek food all over the place, people allowed to take as long as they want.

Can't wait. Although I don't cook any of it, that's dhs job. :)

[PatriciaHolm]

It is just a blinged up roast.

I don't routinely cook a roast for 17 people though...

[fuzzpig]

It's just a roast with loads of extras... pigs in blankets, yorkies, stuffing, apple sauce, cranberry sauce, more types of veg... YUM

no sprouts though. and no xmas pud or mince pies or xmas cake either - don't like any of them. eton mess perhaps :)

Can't wait! We aren't actually having that on xmas day though, it'll be on a different day.

[dinkystinky]

DH used to say it was just a roast dinner until he was charged with making it last year -now he swears he'll never make it again (he messed up timings, killed the potatoes and murdered an unsuspecting xmas pudding - rest of it was lovely though). I think he forgot to factor in the whole opening presents part...