to be hunting for a microwaveable turkey dinner for DD

[nessus]

Your honour(s),

Although DD(12) is an unrepentant carnivore, I plead to be excused from the botheration that is xmas dinner assemblage.

The defence offers up that I am a veggie that hardly eats at the best of time. We are a 2 person household. I paid for DD to have xmas dinner at school before breaking up. I have offered to drive her to her dad's for xmas dinner and spend the day after she opens her pressies at home with me. We are spending 27-29th with family where she will have a zillion post xmas turkey honouring dinners. I am a lazy bint. I will gag if I touch raw meat (it's bad enough making meat containing pack lunches).

As a concession, I am willing to go hunting for a microwave meal after I drop her off to guitar lesson in a few minutes. Yes, I am the saddo that intends to shout surprise as I offer up a ready meal to my child on xmas day...Though I may be judged harshly by the jury, I ask that counsel refrains from calling SS upon sentence being passed.

oh and for mine and dh dinner tonight I am serving up... hot cross buns, a mince pie and yoghurt (i put cereal in my yoghurt!). The children however had a filling and varied diner before anyone gets their knickers in a twist!

How awful of you op. My DH is vegan...he STILL makes me and DD bacon sandwiches.

I don't know think its anything to do with a lack of meat. Its the sheer lack of care and effort.

From my pov it's absolutely nothing to do with what is cooked, it's more that OP was planning to not eat with DD. I have a very traditional DH when it comes to Christmas dinner, but honestly I'd be happy eating anything and I think it's fine to go off piste, whether it's for veggie reasons or not. The point is sitting down together, pulling a cracker or two, telling jokes, being together.

There's only 3 of us for Christmas and it's literally a chicken, some spuds and two sprouts (I'm the only one who likes them) but it's not the menu that's important, it's lighting the candles and polishing the knives a bit and just making it nice.

OP I do like your style, so please just eat something nice together 'K?

Yeah I actually do like the OP and her posting style is awesome, I just don't like the lack of consideration, it all seems a bit of an afterthought and too much effort.

Buy ready cooked turkey slices and ready made gravy, cook the potatoes and vegetables (frozen roast potatoes are good). The meat needn't be hot, it will be quite hot enough with hot gravy on the top.

The meat needn't be hot, it will be quite hot enough with hot gravy on the top.

Jesus wept ... another fucking apologist. Cold meat, luke warm gravy is not a bloody decent meal.

Cook your child a proper meal or do the decent thing and send her to live with her father who can feed her properly

I am a lazy bint. I will gag if I touch raw meat (it's bad enough making meat containing pack lunches

get over yourself???
*

Bohemium... that post reminds me of what my social worker friend told me. Quite often you will see otherwise neglectful parents wrapping their children up to within an inch of their lives when it is chilly. As though they think that if they wrap their children up, it will make up for all the numerous other ways that they re shite parents. Cooking a full on christmas meal does NOT make you a good parent. If the OP serves up a frickin sandwich, but does it in a home full of love, warmth, support and laughter, then then that is far far far far far far more important that dishing up some bloody braised parsnips!!

By the time you dish up a full Xmas dinner for a big family, the meat is always cold anyway.

I think the OP sounds fab! So what her set up isn't conventional, her daughter is 12 and probably very used to it! She doesn't sound desperately unhappy just wants to eat meat.

Regardless of meat or no meat, she says they're is a ice atmosphere in the house. That's great and IMO is all that's needed at Christmas.

It is again another .... Some people are different and that isn't ok type outrage going on!

Exactly Titsalina, that's what my home is like.
Unconventional, and we have our moments, but we will have a happy day.

Is it really a meat / vegetarian issue though?

Even though the op has told us that she knows Christmas Day is important to her daughter she has made no effort to lay on any sort of meal. She's making a concession by thinking about buying her daughter a microwave meal!

oh god htat is MISERABLE
cook your CHILD some food

plus just think of the ODD food habits you are role modeling

The thing is, many of those posting have spent a miserable few days getting all the sodding food together. And they will spend hours cooking it. It's maybe not the moment to say, screw it, everyone will be just as happy with cereal. Even if its true.

I have cooked big trad Xmas lunches this last 23 years. This year I am recovering from an operation, and I have gone for turkey crown, frozen roast potatoes and letting DH cook it. I am gutted to discover everyone is perfectly happy with that .

There's more to love than food.

For the stones and roses I thank you the jury. The verdict has been passed and it has been concluded that I am most unreasonable to have determined no need for preparing and serving up a 'proper' xmas day nosh for DD. Furthermore, the council saw fit to call me up on the charge of possibly not eating at the same time as DD.

I take up the wisdom of the jury, many with multiple children to my one, and I reason that the majority can sometimes know best. As it stands, I remain, as previously stated, committed to venturing out tomorrow amongst the throngs battling it out in the freezer ailse over the last turkey, as i take a nifty shortcut to the deli counter for cold meats. With carrots a plenty in the fridge, I need pick up just the swede, brussels, parsnips and yes, of course potatoes. And just to show I am most chastised I shall pick up some pigs in blanket whilst in store permitting I find them ready cooked. Save fire or hailstones, I shall be found sat next to DD on that most special of days according to the Gregorgian calendar as she eats up her xmas dinner safe in the knowledge that her mother managed to get over her unreasonable nature in good time because - if I may speak candidly for one accursed - honestly speaking regardless of what day of the year it is, everyday that we manage to pin down time long enough to eat side by side it always feels pretty special. Even sans crackers!

And with that it ought to be agreed that this case be concluded.

The kid won't be happy with cereal. If someone posted in relationships that their mother only gave them muesli for christmas dinner you'd be pointing them towards the toxic parents thread!
You don't have to provide a feast but what is OP telling her child? "I realise you'd like a proper meal, but I can't be arsed to do it for you, so I won't".
nice.

I don't believe the OP stated that she would give "the kid" cereal?

You touched on culture OP so I'm guessing Christmas isn't a "celebration" for you - but clearly you are providing presents etc. for your DD because she enjoys it.

Personally, I find cooking the Christmas dinner quite stressful because I hate messing up etc. and it's so easy to forget things.

I hope you have a lovely day whatever you serve - you sound like a person with very good humour.

Love it OP!!
Sounds like it will be fun.

Personally i would infinitely prefer to dine at yours than at some of the five course resentment soaked Christmas lunches that a not insignificant number of mumsnetters will be experiencing!

Lifeisaboxofchocs - well said!

Some of you are far too conventional for your own good! I hope you and your daughter have a smashing day OP.

I agree with many of the other posters. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being vegetarian if you eat a healthy varied diet however from what you have said it sounds like you may have issues with food. I think the least you could do on Christmas day is cook a meal that your daughter would enjoy and make an effort to sit down and eat together. Maybe do the veg, roast potatoes etc and buy some pre sliced turkey for your dd and buy something vegetarian to go with yours.

Agree with lifeisaboxofchocs as well!

Love your final post OP. Have a wonderful christmas. Are you Russell Brand?!