Does anyone else cheat at the Christmas meal? And I mean really cheat?

[bbface]

I keep hearing and reading about everyone making their own Christmas cake, cranberry sauce, cooking roasties in goose fat, making a trifle, delicious home made stuffing, ordering the turkey from a local farm shop... The list goes on.

Fact is, I cheat at almost everything, and without M&S I would be up the creek without a paddle. I buy one of their ready stuffed turkeys, I buy their sauces, their trimmings, their mince pies. Everyone basically. Oh, I make my own roasties, but the fuss and the mess I create.... You would think I was doing something truly special and inventive, as opposed to peeling potatoes and then bunging them in the oven.

I have to go very quiet when discussions turn to recipes, as I have nothing to contribute, other than the latest new trimmings at marks. I love reading the Sunday supplements about how to cook the tastiest this and that, but I never actually deliver the goods.

My family are all very sweet about about it, and make a big deal about what a lovely meal I have served, when in reality my job has been to manage all the different oven timings for my various dishes.

Does anyone else cheat? Or is it just me, as it sure as hell feels like that!!!!!

You are unreasonable, but only because you gave me ideas and I'm after splashing out loads of dosh on Marks and Spencer goodies! However, I'm now looking forward to a stress-free Christmas day - thanks OP

I would never consider it cheating.

However I do most of it myself, but I keep it fairly simple (roasted parsnips yes, but none of that 'honeyed / with maple syrup' faffing about!). The reason why I do is certainly cost, but I also like to know exactly what goes into my food, and I am quite picky about taste and quality. Nobody makes red cabbage like I do - that's been in the freezer for quite a while already.
I have helpful family coming who chip in, and am only cooking for 6 so it's not an impossible amount of work with a bit of careful planning so I don't spend Christmas day in the kitchen!

I do buy: Mincemeat, Christmas pudding (one tiny one for the few who like it), Lebkuchen (and make some too), biscuits, crackers etc

I blame Kirsty Allsop for this. She was gold plating bloody pears for xmas dinner the other night on the tv, what the fuck is that about? Its not like we don't have enough to do as it is, without having her and the likes making us feel inadequate for not making ginger bread sculptures and spray painting our fruit!

I'm sure I saw Nigella the other year, brining a turkey in the bath.

I don't cheat, I just keep it very simple. We don't like cake, so that's gone. It's just a simple roast here. Turkey, sausage stuffing, roast potatoes (cooked the same way as normal as I've never seen goose fat here!), roasted carrots with thyme, broccoli and cheesy leeks. No starter and ice cream for pudding.

That way, I get a good balance of hanging out with the family and hanging out in the kitchen with a bottle of Prosecco and some Christmas carols!

Yanbu, if it makes your life/day easier than do it. Don't feel guilty.

when my kids were younger it was M&S all the way for us, much rather be playing with them or snuggled up on the sofa watching the snowman than, peeling veg or stuffing something. I can do all the cooking and fancy stuff when they are grown up and really appreciate it, and when dont want to play anymore or snuggle on the sofa

good lord my spelling etc is shit, hopefully you get the gist of what Im saying

Even if you enjoy cooking, which I do, Christmas should be about spending time with people - my mum used to spend a good half the day moaning about making the Christmas dinner every year, despite roping us in to help with the prep! And I bet your relatives are secretly glad that they don't have to be overly flattering about every dish.

I would no more make everything from scratch as I would tread the grapes for my wine.

Christmas day is about socialising for me.

MissVerinder Aunt Bessies brand roast spuds are veggie.

Aunt Bessie's potatos are you mad?

I buy mince pies and cook everything else! Next year I might buy it all and allow m and s the glory

Aunt Bessie's potatos are you mad?

Oh noddy, you don't know the half. There have been some quite unspeakable things on this thread. I had to leave it for the good of my mental health.

I think I'll join you lazy buggers the rest of ya

I'm a 100% cheat from M&S, but the turkey is from a local farm, so I will pop some bacon on top and chuck in the oven -job done bailey pored and TV on :-)

Will also be having Aunt B's mash and parsnips too. If she made Bailey's I'd get that too.
So, you fresh food shoppers, do you have to leave your shopping till later to buy carrots/parsnips/sprouts/spuds? Since they will go off? I draw the line at shopping after this Friday!

" do you have to leave your shopping till later to buy carrots/parsnips/sprouts/spuds? Since they will go off?"

Eh?

None of those things will go off in a couple of days

I cheat. As in, I get my husband to do the whole lot while I sit on the sofa eating my body weight in pistachio nuts and chocolates and play games with the small people

If my mum hosts christmas she doesn't make anything from scratch apart from the Cranberry gravy. She buys microwave veg, ready made cake, mince pies, literally everything!

Spoons it would be 5 days if I stick to my no-shopping-after-Friday plan - very happy to buy them tomorrow if they will keep! Would rather buy fresh this year as hate having bags of unused sprouts in the freezer in February!

They will keep fine in a cool, dark place.

bbface, you sound wonderful.

There's a royal family thread where I've just asked them to adopt me, but I've changed my mind.

Will you adopt me instead?

I will shop,Saturday and don't expect anything to go off before Tuesday. I just prefer the taste of home made not any other reason

for advice guys.