To order a takeaway for Christmas dinner when I'm hosting?

[thirteendolphins]

I have 2 DC's - nearly 4yo and 10 months at Christmas. I have invited my parents round for Christmas dinner, MIL, brother and partner and a friend. So 7 adults and 2 kids in total.

DP will be working on Christmas day and won't be home til about 7pm.

To be honest I get stressed out just making a roast dinner, the number of dishes to wash etc freak me out, the kids are going to be hyper, we'll have different guests visiting the boys late morning, the house will be a bomb site. If DP was here he'd make the Christmas dinner because he doesn't mind and is the complete opposite to me when it comes to cooking i.e. he is unflappable.

I, on the other hand, will get completely stressed, will be in the kitchen most of the day cooking and tidying up, will also be trying to keep up with the constant demands from the kids and trying to entertain the guests. I can feel my anxiety levels rising just thinking about it.

So I've thought about getting an Indian takeaway meal instead and providing pudding. My parents do this most Christmas days so I know they won't mind. It just seems so much EASIER. But I LOVE Christmas dinner (when someone else is doing it). I feel like I'm cheating.

But then I think surely the most important thing is that we're all together and I'm enjoying the kids and the guests and it's relaxed. Surely it won't be much fun for the guests if I'm flapping about, bright red and on the edge of tears???

AIBU??

OP, if Christmas dinner is happening Boxing Day, why would you think of doing it CD as well?

Tell people, invite them for BD & have some sort of buffet on CD & invite people to that as well if you want.

Christmas is not about turkey and roast fucking potatoes.

Nonsense. Of course it is.

I got as far as Noelheadbands on page 7 and stopped reading because s/he summed it up perfectly.
Ignore all the self styled domestic goddesses who are pretending serving a roast and trimmings is as easy as serving a round of cheese and toast. They must have burnt a tray of buns to feel the need to be act so spottily superior.

I'm also going to suggest the M&S style Christmas dinner. We usually go to PILs on Boxing day and due to the number of people MIL has to feed (it's usually 13-14), she found the M&S 'pop in the oven job' works brilliantly, and it's actually really good food. I'm thinking about doing the same this year (we will have a toddler and one month old on Christmas day so I just want an easy option this year). May be a good compromise? Ditto get a microwavable Christmas pud (one of those 3 minutes and it's done jobs) with a chocolate yule log (for the pud haters) and enough alcohol that you're all too drunk to care much about the food anyway, and you're done.

Christ this is like "cancel the cheque" are we going to have 40 pages of people advising going to M&S? Do people not think "oh right my suggestion has been suggested already so I have nothing OF VALUE to add" oh no they rriestbthd bleeding obvious anyway....

"State the bleeding obvious"

The 1950s called, said it's now 2016 and you can tell people you can't host this year as you have two young kids or tell them they're getting a takeaway instead of a stupid fucking roast and they can decide not to come. Oh, and cancel the cheque.

It's Christmas lunch! Why invite people to Christmas lunch if you're not going to give them that?
Surely you can talk to your DM or friend and work out who does what to help? You're overthinking it all. It's just one meal and should be one part of a lovely happy day.
If you tell your guests it'll be an Indian takeaway they may decide not to come to yours so that'll solve your problem.

Can I come. Sounds like a good idea. As long as everyone likes curry. A nice range of puddings for after. Then in the evening you could offer cheese and biscuits and the left over puddings. Perfect. And no yanbu.

Cookfood.net is your friend

If yoiu want a proper meal, do all the prep and as much cooking Christmas Eve as you can. That way most of the washing up is also done, you get to spend time with the !ids and guests and all you have to do is heat things up and make the gravy. I did this very year while DD was small so we could enjoy it with her and still do all the sides on Christmas Eve, just the veg and turkey on the day. This also means that DP can help you with some of it

We had lasagne one year - (home made). The sky didn't fall in, and it made the day not about food.

The thing is DD isn't that bothered about christmas dinner, so it was good fun.

Another year, we had the turkey on christmas eve, and then indian bits and pieces on Christmas day (from frozen etc)

Loubilou... the reason I added another comment about M&S to this thread was to endorse what a great idea it is.
If one person says M&S, it is only good in their eyes, if lots of people recommend M&S it must be a good idea! Helps people make a choice. A bit like trip adviser, lol.

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There's nothing wrong with lasagne. It's actually a good idea (the due of our LO date is 4/12... so, thanks for that.)

But there's a difference between homemade lasagne and Indian takeaway

We could stop all this cancel the cheque nonsense by having the facility to Like posts, then there would be an increasing number of likes for, M&S and Cook and the thread wouldnt go round in circles for days on end, but of course that isn't a popular suggestion.

YABTU. I'd be RAGING if I was fobbed off with a shitey takeaway on Christmas Day. Don't invite so many people round if you can't be bothered to make an effort.

I would be the same but would never invite people in the first place. I have never cooked full meals for anyone like that although I have done buffets and simple afternoon tea.

I have generalised anxiety disorder and am not a confident cook. I wouldnt be able to cope with guests for more than 2 to 3 hours. I would be ill. Also with 5 children there would be no room.

I think a curry would be great but could you make it a bit more xmassy maybe some turkey stuffing sandwiches for later on or some little bits to go with it like stuffing and sprouts etc. can get ready made m&s pigs in blankets etc.

Some won't like it but as long as you tell them in advance I can't see it being a problem. I know someone else who is doing a buffet for xmas dinner.

Prepare ahead not that many given that children won't eat much.You can even make potatoes before and reheat or buy.Lots is ready made these days can buy posh gravy, prep veg before or buy pre prepared.Turkey comes out fine covered in foil and left to own devices with olive oil on.Just allow about 40 mins or so to cook the stuffing, sausages in bacon etc.Children will be up early, put turkey in and then enjoy about an hour before sort out everything else and all done.Why not dish out jobs too, before and during.If you like bread sauce get someone to make and reheat in microwave.Do the same with veg.Serve Christmas pud and bought sauce with icecream for Children.How can that be hard ? You only have 2 children just be bossy and give people jobs.

I think a curry would be great but could you make it a bit more xmassy maybe some turkey stuffing sandwiches for later on or some little bits to go with it like stuffing and sprouts etc. can get ready made m&s pigs in blankets etc.

I don't want to be nasty but takeaway curry served alongside sprouts, stuffing and pigs in blankets sounds absolutely, almost comically revolting.

Do you have a curry house that does the ones served with gold leaf? That would be really Xmassy.

If you're having curry, then I don't see why you have to augment that with anything. If you really want to introduce some Western traditional foods, then have them much later, like as a snack supper, and be inventive. Pigs in blankets, devils on horseback and maybe sprouts and chestnuts in filo.

Each to their own Margaret. I guess it depends what your meaning of a curry is. For me, I have sprouts with anything and everything!! we often have little extras with our curries. Just a side table with few traditional bits could be nice. Don't have to eat WITH the curry!!

Serve what you like but learn from this and never put yourself in this situation again.

It's a day that you should make an effort if you've asked people round. I'd be furious if I turned up and was given a take away. But I would offer to pitch in and help.

I haven't read the whole thread but I recently gotten an email from these guys; www.cookfood.net/menu/christmas?q=19af07b9-2bea-4248-a804-da95fec694f6&p=60494aa9-9496-48f6-9954-b99fa198d409&ts=1478374628&c=cookfood&e=eventdaynov2016&rt=Safetynet&h=74a64774ff5a86b4fd949741b8a35687
If you want a cheat Xmas meal you can have all this waiting in the freezer, but I'd be happy with an Indian.

Wow, all these people who'd be 'raging' 'livid' etc because they're not getting a fucking roast they can have any day of the week. Nothing about spending time with people you love and being together on a holiday, nah, all completely spoilt because no one dished you up some dry turkey and sprouts. Get a life!