Does anyone not bother with the full Xmas Dinner?

[Pebbledashery]

As much as I love Xmas Dinner.. This is the first Xmas as a single mother to my little girl.. Which I'm really looking forward to.. WIBU just not to bother will a full on dinner just for us two? Tbh.. Roast dinner isn't my DDs favourite.. She'd just be happy with a plate of roasties and Yorkshire puddings...or pasta!! Is it a bit killjoy not to do Xmas Dinner for 1.5 people? Is anyone else not bothering with a full on dinner?

Your Christmas, your rules.

As it's your first Christmas as a single parent you and your daughter can start to make your own traditions, including what you eat on the day.

Whatever you decide to eat I hope you both have a lovely day together.

We’re going to go slow cooked lamb 😀

I'm just doing meat and roasties and buffet food this year. Can't really be arsed. Struggling to get in to the spirit of things. Dd1 only wants beef and dd2 wants 'sprouts on sticks' ie cocktail sticks 🤣 so fuck it. Do what's easy. Relax and have fun

We have a roast, but beef. I do however like turkey sandwiches, so have a frozen turkey breast roast just for sandwiches.

Boxing Day we usually host a big party. Looking forward to a quiet day with party food (and turkey sandwiches)

It’s just me and DP this year, and while we are having a traditional Christmas dinner, the whole lot is “cheated”, bar the soup which DP will make on Christmas Eve.

Turkey, roast potatoes - M&S shove in oven
Stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast parsnips - Sainsbury’s frozen
Pudding - Sainsbury’s profiteroles

ALL THE CHEESE

We are having salmon, broccoli and tons of roast potatoes, parsnips and carrots. Trifle for pudding.

I'm cooking my turkey joint on Christmas Eve and having it with fries, pigs in blankets and coleslaw.
Then on Christmas day we'll have leftover turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce and crispy onions.
Probably a pizza for dinner!
So we'll be having some traditional food, but not in the traditional way!

Spag Bol, Steaks & possibly leftover Thai food here @Pebbledashery (not all together lol).
You should get to eat what you want on Xmas day.

If it were me and one child I'd do any 'cooked' dinner on Xmas Eve and on Xmas Day it'd be leftovers, puddings, and pjs. Nary a bit of cooking that day other than microwaving.

@Dillo10 fries!! Love that 😁😁

I’m on my own so I’m having a nice steak, with Yorkshire puds and all the bits, then Christmas pudding and cheese. Don’t like turkey or see the point in it. I hardly know anyone who has turkey tbh.

I think you should eat a meal that you enjoy but I think it should be a bit more special than just a normal dinner. It’s still a special occasion - I’d still like candles and have crackers and party poppers.

Just me and my two teens. But I think they'd never forgive me if I didn't produce the full works! It's bad enough without missing out on the best meal of the year! I'm ready to wrestle with the turkey...

@FOJN I think I love the picnic idea with party food.. But I'm highly emotional so it might make me a sobbing mess because it's such a wonderfully cute idea and and sitting in the front room on a blanket with my little girl beside me would make me inordinately happy and in comparison to what I had last year... Slaving all day to make a beautiful dinner to be called a c* several times and end up in tears in the bedroom on my own with DD in bed with me whilst he smashed plates! I think it's more so learning to let go of the trauma and learning to be happy. I think party food sounds like a lovely idea though 😍

@FangsForTheMemory that sounds so lovely 😁.. I've had several friends message me saying they feel bad I'm on my own.. Im like why.. I can't wait 😂😁😁

DH and I are on our own for the first time. We're getting a takeaway Christmas dinner from a local pub on Christmas Eve evening. On Christmas day itself we're having party food, cheese and biscuits, crisps and Celebrations/Quality Street!

Christmas Dinner is one of mine and DH's favourite meals... To the extent we have it several times a year 🤣

Rarely on Christmas day though if it's just the two of us. There's too much other stuff to be doing and I imagine much more so when you've got a little one. I'm sure she'd much rather play with her new toys with her mam than fuss about Christmas Dinner.

We usually do party food or you could do whatever her favourite tea is.

Only DH and I at home for Christmas. We are having beef and Guinness casserole. Cooked Christmas Eve and left on gas mark 1 overnight. Bought ready made mash from Waitrose, and Brussels with bacon from Asda. To be honest, there are so many people cooking on Christmas Day, the gas pressure is normally quite low, and everything takes that bit longer. Any left over, we can put in the freezer. May do a roast sometime next week.

@Pebbledashery

Amazed by the amount of people who don't do the traditional turkey and trimmings 😜😜😜

Seriously? They are boring af. Goose with apples and raisins here...

@Pebbledashery I wish you and your little girl a very Merry Christmas and congratulations on your strength and bravery on changing both your lives so utterly. Eat whatever you bloody like and whatever makes you happy!!! Enjoy!

@Pebbledashery You and your dd have whatever you want to eat, main thing is you sound happy to be at home with your daughter.

Wishing you both a magical Christmas and a great new year 💗

That’s a lovely idea OP. My two would be happy with a plate of ‘cakey puddings’ (Yorkshires), pigs in blankets and broccoli.

Chocolate selection box, then hot dogs. One day were rules are suspended

We have mac and cheese for Christmas lunch. Granted it has truffles and lots of fancy cheese, but there’s no full on Christmas lunch here.

Have whatever you want, make it yours, enjoy your time together instead of slaving away in a kitchen.

Merry Christmas!

Roast pork and stuffing baps is this years request in our house

Ooh that's giving me ideas! Maybe slices of cold cooked stuffing fried and in a roll with tattie scone and fried egg!

Thought about paper plates, but decided against but it was a very close run thing!

Totally wouldn't judge!

The long post I thought I'd done appears to have vanished!

Do as suits you and dd.

I was in your position too and suited myself. Dd not a fan of roasts or many of its components, I'm veggie and don't see the point of causing myself stress.

People all over the world do many different things in japan kfc is the big thing!

Well done for escaping your ex that alone worth celebrating! 

Make your own traditions.

As a sort of aside I highly recommend sarah Millican's #joinin on Twitter which she selflessly runs every year for anyone struggling this time of year for whatever reason but it's mainly aimed at those feeling lonely. It's bloody lovely and not at all maudlin I love it.