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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To have only turkey on Xmas day

76 replies

Legday · 21/12/2021 01:24

OK, so I am veggie, have been all my life - please be kind. I love food in general, but can never share that passion with my DH as he is a complete carnivore. Kids used to be veggie until they could make up their own mind which they did and now they eat everything. My DH and extended family's consumption of meat never bothered me until recently. Whilst I never used to have a problem with him cooking, eating, etc, at home - it's his house too and we have separate pans, pots, etc (legacy from DMIL) - I have realised, now that I am the only veggie, they actually don't eat anything other than meat. I guess everyone made more of an effort when the kids were veggie too, although always carb heavy - pasta, potatoes, bread.
Anyway, here we are today, Xmas is at ours this year, and turkey and lamb were mentioned. I don't like the smell of lamb, never have, never will, but tolerated it because my DH loves a good lamb shank or curry even though it makes me churn. I don't know why it is bothering me so much now, maybe age, menopause, lifes too short, and all the rest. As we have gotten older, it seems like I have become even more veggie and he has become even more carnivorous.
AIBU to just have turkey and all the trimmings without also having a leg of lamb staring at me and filling the house with its pungent aroma.

I am now riddled with guilt for saying we are only having turkey (there will be sausage stuffing, pigs in blankets, sprouts with bacon, etc) - and feeling very selfish, after all, when you have people over, it is about them as they are your guests, but I just can't do it and everyone is in shock that we are only having turkey.

(Have just realised unintended irony of username)

OP posts:

SleepingStandingUp · 21/12/2021 10:19

We do two or three meats BUT you shouldn't have anything on that's going to make you feel ill. No one's day will be ruined by no lamb.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 21/12/2021 10:27

That would be the standard Christmas meal - lamb alongside it isn’t traditional

You’re doing quite a lot of trimmings as it is!

yikesanotherbooboo · 21/12/2021 10:29

Surely turkey with stuffing , sausages etc is more than enough for any family group? I, too, have never had two meats at Christmas at my home or anyone else's.How would the cook get them correctly cooked in a normal kitchen ?
I could understand a non meat option if there were vegetarians or vegans but not in other circs.

HW1989 · 21/12/2021 10:45

We have always just had turkey

Mrsjayy · 21/12/2021 10:59

2 meats is unessecary imo I've never eaten 2 at Christmas just do Turkey.

I hate the smell of lamb too I never cook it.

Hemingwayscatz · 21/12/2021 11:02

I can only tolerate the smell of chicken or turkey cooking personally, anything else makes me heave. Pork is the absolute worst, it honestly makes me feel sick and I have to leave the house if DH cooks it.

It’s your house so your choice. Maybe a guest could bring some if it bothers them so much?

SleepingStandingUp · 21/12/2021 11:42

@Mrsjayy

2 meats is unessecary imo I've never eaten 2 at Christmas just do Turkey.

I hate the smell of lamb too I never cook it.

Lost of what we eat at Christmas is unnecessary

Greenmarmalade · 21/12/2021 11:44

Is this expected?! I’m clearly a rubbish vegetarian host 😆

Aderyn21 · 21/12/2021 11:45

You shouldn't ever have anything cooking in your house that makes you feel physically sick. Lamb is disgusting to me and I'm a meat eater, so I can only imagine how it is for you. Your house, so you decide imo. It's not reasonable for other people to expect you to have something that makes you feel I'll in your home.

Rexthesnail · 21/12/2021 11:47

I had the opposite here. Going to PIL for Christmas and they said they were doing turkey and lamb. I have a phobia of cooked turkey so now they're only doing Lamb .

I don't think your BU

MasterBeth · 21/12/2021 11:47

Turkey and lamb? Weird as fuck. You’re serving a family Christmas meal, not a pub carvery.

YourenutsmiLord · 21/12/2021 11:48

Save lamb for Easter

SmellyOldPartridgeinaPearTree · 21/12/2021 11:50

Lamb is disgusting, and no one eats lamb at Christmas YANBU

mrstea301 · 21/12/2021 11:52

I've always done ham at Xmas as well as turkey, mainly because I like having the leftover ham for sandwiches etc after Xmas day, but think year I'm the only non- veggie, so I'm skipping turkey altogether and just having ham for me, with everything else being veggie.

I agree though, that lamb is very pungent and strong smelling! I would give it a miss and people can make it in their own home if they feel that strongly about it!

Duchess379 · 21/12/2021 12:03

I'm not a vegetarian but I don't like lamb either - the smell & texture turns my stomach 🤢

Winceybincey · 21/12/2021 12:09

I can’t stand lamb! The smell is disgusting as is the taste so I couldn’t imagine how you, a vege, would cope with it. I’m not a vege and I don’t have it in my house despite hubby being a massive fan of it.

Couldn’t you compromise and have a joint of beef or gammon instead? Takes up less room and doesn’t have such a strong stench, and the rest of the family get to have a second meat.

APurpleSquirrel · 21/12/2021 12:23

The only time I've had more than turkey (excluding the sausage etc) for Christmas dinner, was the year my dad decided to make his own 4 bird roast (turkey, goose, duck, chicken). Could that be an option?
Otherwise I agree with pretty much everyone else, just do turkey, lamb doesn't go & isn't necessary.

Fifthtimelucky · 21/12/2021 13:56

I have never cooked another joint alongside the turkey and I won't be doing that this year either. There will be plenty of pigs in blankets, sausage meat stuffing and other accompaniments and there will be a vegetarian main dish.

Fortunately, all the meat eaters like turkey, and there aren't huge numbers of us (8 this year, of whom 2 are vegetarians) so I don't see any point in adding another type of meat.

If I was catering for huge numbers, I would add a gammon. I love lamb, and we had a lovely leg of it last weekend when we had guests for lunch, but I wouldn't want it on the same plate as turkey.

nannybeach · 21/12/2021 14:05

I haven't eaten meat for over 40 years,my DH love's love's lamb I wrap it in foil,so I don't smell it cooking,and it so fatty it spits round the oven. Pork joints actually smell of faeces,raw chicken also "smells" . My DGKs don't like turkey,so there will be gammon and nut roast. Me,also confused by poster,they only eat meat,what no veg?

mindutopia · 21/12/2021 14:10

I've never been to any Christmas where there was more than one type of meat served, with the exception of dh's (every so many year) huge family Christmas (last time there were about 45 of them there), so we had turkey and goose because one turkey wouldn't be enough. I know some people do have a beef roast, but I think that's odd (and lamb - though I don't like it either - is for Easter).

Christmas is really all about the veg sides though - potatoes, roasted veg, sprouts, stuffing, bread sauce, etc. - for me. I think you just say no, we're not doing it. It's a really odd mix of foods anyway.

yikesanotherbooboo · 21/12/2021 15:40

Just thinking about this... apart from anything else lamb isn't really in season and the side dishes appropriate with a rich, sweet , juicy and fatty red meat wouldn't fit with those for a bland , dryer largely white meat.I can understand ham as one has various pork components on the table and for it's usefulness for sandwiches going forward .Even then, as far as the cook is concerned, how would you optimise the cooking of all your bits and pieces when you have another great lump of meat cooking ; using up a ring for ages and then a hot oven towards the end when that is at a premium. Stick to tradition or what you want. but don't complicate things unnecessarily.

irregularegular · 21/12/2021 15:46

We only every have one meat. Mostly turkey, sometimes pork, this year ham. I know some people have turkey and ham. I could deal with that, though would probably drop the pigs in blankets then. But lamb??? With turkey and the trimmings? That's just weird and kind of yucky to me.

irregularegular · 21/12/2021 15:47

I love lamb. It's the meat I order most often if out and regularly cook when entertaining. But it has no place at Xmas dinner!

Allsorts1 · 21/12/2021 16:00

I think do turkey and a mushroom Wellington. That’s what we have for Christmas and everyone loves it including the meat eaters. If you’re comprising they should too, one dish from each diet. Say no to the lamb - it’s not even very christmassy!

Blondeshavemorefun · 21/12/2021 16:59

@Rainbows89

A) it’s really normal to just have turkey

B) you aren’t only having turkey - you are also having the sausages and bacon etc.

I’m vegetarian too but I have never heard of anyone having lamb with Christmas dinner!?

We are having lamb on Xmas day

Not a lover of turkey

But will have turkey when my dad comes over for our Xmas dinner

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