To think it is rude for guests to dictate what we will eat for Christmas

[shebird]

I just had an email from someone who will be coming to us for Christams asking what I was planning on cooking for Christmas lunch. Then going on to suggest several options of things she would like to have.

This is not for dietary reasons but just purely so that they can have exactly what they would like on the day. This person as never cooked Christmas lunch before and has no idea of the cost and the work involved.

Aibu to give her the number of some local restaurants that are open Christmas Day if she wants to dictate what she would like for lunch?

I think it would depend on the actual person asking and the relationship you have with them.

If dsis asked then I'd know that it really meant a lot to her, and I'd phone and discuss with her. She'd also be prepared to help, and would probably expect to bring all the ingredients.
If dbro asked I would, probably unfairly, be less willing to comply. Because he came to stay one point as he needed a bed for a couple of nights for a course he was doing, and dm provided me with a long list of exactly what he needed to be fed, and phoned at almost daily updates to check I'd got it. He also has food fads, where he announces he can't have something for reasons he's diagnosed himself.

One of dh's siblings suggested ham one Christmas. He had been given half a pig (!!) by a farmer friend, and was offering to bring it, ready cooked. That was great. If he asked then I'd see what we could do sensibly.
Other sibling announced (to others before us) Christmas was at our house, giving us a month's notice (he'd told the rest of the family well over 2 months earlier) then told everyone Christmas dinner was at 12:00 so pfb (18 months, not a tiny baby) could go for his rest at 1:00. When we pointed out we'd not be back from church at that point he decided it would have to be at 4pm so pfb could have his whole sleep before coming.
We offered to save his to microwave up when he arrived. He came at the time was said in the end and pfb was fine.

Not so fast Mintyy

And we've seen plenty of threads on here about Christmas hosts who cook everything a month in advance, plate it up, freeze it and microwave it and serve it with a bit of Bisto Best on the day

This is just too joyful - I NEED to instantly gratify my curiosity about this festive hospitality practice.

Where Mintyy where please can I find these?

I know someone who cooks everything in the afternoon on xmas eve, slices the meat and arranges the vegetables on plates on xmas day and puts them in the oven to reheat hourglass.

They say it's easier.

I'd be gutted if I arrived somewhere for Christmas dinner and there was no lovely cooking smell wafting through the house.

This person also masks all manner of odours with air freshener gasp

Ah, I personally slightly loathe Christmas dinner and that smell fills me with despair. Though I quickly drown the despair in festive fizz.

Air freshener. Oh dear.

Slightly loathe? Is this possible?

I remember a thread about someone's MIL who chose to PAR COOK the Turkey on Christmas Eve, leave the thing mouldering half raw at room temperature and then resume cooking the following day.

What is it about Christmas dinner that draws people to make such bizarre "time saving" shortcuts?

Driver I think you'll find that's against the law. It is.

Am I the only one who does Aunt Bessie's in the microwave? Three minutes gets them lovely. Ds's Christmas dinner is usually them plus a token potato.

For aunt: "That sounds lovely, but budgeting for a crowd and fitting a Beef Wellington in the oven would be impossible. Don't suppose you could order a salmon to be delivered around the 22nd, and I'm told COOK (cook-food.net) do a wonderful BW that just needs reheating - I'm happy to make sure someone's in for a delivery. They do great puddings too - have a look on their website."

Play your cards right and you may end up with enough delivered food to keep you going to New Year!

Counter with:

Cuppa soup
Undefrosted turkey
Vienetta

Say if it's good enough for the Royale family it's good enough for her.

MIL does that limited. Cooks everything bar the sprouts the day before. She doesn't do the sprouts because she says they go mushy - but then cooks them for well over an hour on the day .

When we invited PIL for Christmas dinner they requested that we eat at lunchtime not the evening so we could also have a Christmas tea buffet and invite DH's GP's.
They also asked if we could invite BIL, SIL and her then boyfriend.
MIL said she would bring prawn cocktail and pate for the starter. She asked if I liked them, I said no. She brought no alternative for me and SILs boyfriend.
BIL asked if I would chop the carrots into tiny pieces and serve mint sauce for the Turkey.
SIL requested marrow fat peas for her boyfriend.
FIL and SIL complained because I used serving dishes rather than serving up for them.
MIL offered to bring a cheese board which was when unveiled two cream cracker for each person spread with marg and with a tiny slice of rubbery cheddar and some dairylea triangles.

I'm sensing it left scars, Notso!

Are you inviting them all for Christmas again this year, Notso!?

Gasp*

That was the one and only year rollonthesummer since then I decided we would have them all for Christmas Eve instead. No messing up my Christmas Dinner and DH no longer buggers off down the pub with them all win-win!

StrangelookingParasite, it was close enough.

No, it wasn't. You are constructing this, lorelei9