to provide this food...

[Whathashappenedtomyboobs]

So, this Christmas I have 11 family members (including DH, DS and I) coming to my home for Christmas dinner.

I really don't want to spend ALL of my time in the kitchen sweating over a hot stove, so today I went out and brought frozen Roast potatoes, parsnips, mixed veg, yorkshire pudding and peas. Nothing fresh in this house apart from the turkey I'm picking up Christmas eve and the puddings my mum will be making.

Calm down FellatioNelson it wasn't a personal attack on you :)

ha ha thanks Ruby

It was posted on am I being unreasonable, people said she was being unreasonable in their views. Surely that is the idea of AIBU? It would be pretty boring if everyone just said "oh that would be lovely" wouldn't it?

It is not food snobbery, it is just wanting to eat things that taste lovely on a special day.

If you cook a proper roast most weekends like I do and many others, then just ramping it up a bit for Christmas day doesn't seem daunting with a bit of planning. Why would you want to downgrade what you eat on a regular basis for your Christmas feast with family? It just doesn't make sense to me on any level.

If you are a regular user of frozen potatoes, yorkshires (not that they should be with a turkey...), and other veg then fair enough because you and presumably your guests are used to it.

The Asda woman is an idiot because she enlists no help and does all the prep on the day.
We are at my parents this year, and Christmas eve will see me and mum stuffing the turkey while DH and my brothers peel a potato mountain and prep the sprouts

Frozen roast dinners are ok by me on your average sunday, but christmas day I'd be gutted! Especially roast potatoes. Peeling is the only time difference with fresh and frozen parsnips and fresh are much nicer. Or do crushed parsnips?

I remember turning up at my mums one christmas eve and she told me she hadn't bought any fresh veg this year because she couldn't be bothered. I was gutted, and rushed out to buy the last of the fresh veg from the local shop, and prepped it all myself. We always do that on christmas eve together now and leave it in pans of water, never wait until the day, that would be unneccesary time in the kitchen. Sometimes we do the turkey christmas eve. Sometimes a turkey crown on the day and a ham in the slow cooker.

Inviting that many people and then saying it's too much is strange, don't invite them if you don't want to do it! Delegate dishes. I'd much rather be asked to bring a plate of roasties or some yorkshire batter than eat frozen.

You don't have to be a martyr to cook a proper dinner, it should be at least a 50-50 job with your partner if you don't want to ask other guests for help.

OP glad you have a sensible solution. You could also make some stuffing in advance! I'm just so envious - I'm overseas and tied into a bbq with friends (and it will be too damn hot for roast), mouthwatering at all this talk! I hope you have a lovely day.

"If you have neither the time nor the inclination to prepare your own, and you'd rather spend the day actually interacting with your family then they're not going to be a bad option."

Or you parboil them the week/month before and stick them in the freezer. No-one with half an ounce of common sense does all this on Christmas day do they?

OP that sounds lovely, I am also buying gravy, would do with yorkshires or peas if was doing. Luckily my DDad peels all our veg while DS, DD, me, MIL and DM are at Christinglecservice (DH at work). My DBro does pigs in blankets, my parents bring stuffing and pudding, MIL an amazing trifle (trad here!). On the day, DH & I share 'the timing plan', every time the timer rings we take it in turns to go and do the next thing then set the timer again. Same spreadsheet each year!

Better than Denise's attempt on Royle family at any rate!!! Have to agree though, potatoes & parsnips best done yourself.

Frozen Yorkshires are what you always get in this house.
Other veg would be fresh.

We often have frozen roasties as DD2 likes them and they are quick, but at Christmas it has to be the real thing

OP if you invited me for dinner I'd happily eat what you put out and be grateful. Even your frozen roasters.

MY friend once went out at 6 pm on christmas eve because she had no STAR ANISE apparently she had seen it on a cooking show for gravy was a must apparently , some people do get into such a tizz, mum buys cranberry jelly for me cos i like it I dont like cranberry sauce but i spoon a little on my plate

Better than Denise's attempt on Royle family at any rate!

Carrot crush and cupasoup

Thanks fellatio

OP I think about myself as a good cook but I am at some of the answers.
Frozen vegs aren't dire as such. Peas, green beans, cauliflower all come to mind as just as good as the fresh stuff. (And where are you going to find fresh peas at this time the year anyway?)

I would say you do need to think about how you are going to cook them though and decide if you want them fresh or not.
I think root veg don't seem to do well when frozen so I tend to get parsnips, carrots, potatoes from fresh.
Green beans, peas always frozen.
Sprouts from frozen do very well is you cook them with your roast meat. They soak up the juices and really taste and look good.

As for the Yorkshire pudding... I have yet to meet someone who baked them at home from scratch, even on Christmas day. What I have heard though is lots and lots of stories about how people have tried to make some and failed, ending up with 'something' that didn't remotely look like a yorkshire pudding. So unless you know you can bake them well, I would stay clear of them and just buy frozen.

Seriously, a good meal isn't about whether the ingredients were frozen in the first place or not. It's about how you have prepared them.

I buy ready cut veg from Asda and then cook everything from scratch. It is the prep of peeling that I take an age over so this saves time.
The soup and pudding will be made on Christmas eve.
I then have the timings written down like a military operation. Im cooking for 9 adults and 4 kids this year.

exactly Alibaba

usual - it takes about 1.5 hours, we listen to the carols while we do it. Then we have a yummy dinner, go to the pub and come home and finish the wrapping drunk fighting over who gets the scissors.

Thank you Fellatio

Some really nice posts and some not but I'm loving the people that actually give advise not just say its vile then brag about how perfect they are at cooking.
Now, I invited 11 over because I wanted to, not because I had to or any other reason.
I've been going thru my cook books which where Xmas gifts (umm....!!!) And have thought about it and I'm going to attempt to cook a nice meal.
If everyone's Shitting Xmas eve then its your fault!

I buy frozen roasties and yorkshire puddings, Nothing wrong with using them Christmas day at all.
My 10 hungry guests have never said they're horrible and I always have clean plates at the end of a Christmas meal.
If you want to, then there's no reason why you can't.
Enjoy