Cooking *and* going to church - timings?

[JumpJockey]

All the plan your Christmas day to the minute things I've seen seem to involve sticking the turkey in the oven at 9.30am or some such, and then being busy from that point onwards. None of them takes into account that you might be at church for an hour (or two once you add in chatting to people afterwards!). We've got my dad coming over but he'll be arriving about an hour before mealtime (long drive) so can't make him to the job.

Any ideas for how to fit it all in without ending up eating at about 5pm?!

I realise an easy option might be to cook something other than a big fat bird, of course...!

Not sure, I always remember eating at 4-5pm on christmas day! TBH thinking back I don't think we could have eaten before then anyway.

Blimey. Not sure what to do with toddler then - I guess we could have a nibbly sort of lunch and make the main event at her teatime. Though Dad is insistent on driving home afterwards, and I want him to be able to have a glass of wine with the meal.

Have a look at a few different ways of cooking the bird. Some recommend long, slow roasting, others (eg Nigella) go for a speedier roast in hot oven, which is my preferred option.

Also do stuffing separately to reduce cooking time.

Delia's Christmas book has a timetable in that includes church I think? Although I think she is also an advocate of midnight services to avoid morning rush I managed last year with luch at about 2.45 I think? Cooking the turkey a la Nigella.

I would suggest a big breakfast before church and a lateish lunch - with a nap for toddlers beforehand if possible.

Not sure about exact timings, but assuming your turkey will need several hours, couldn't you put it in before you go to church and leave it cooking?

If you prep veg on Christmas eve, parboil potatoes etc before you go out, they can go in the oven when you get back. The turkey can come out when it's done and can rest under foil while you whack the oven up to really hot for the roast veg.

If you're at church from, say, 10.30-12.30, you should be able to do the veg, gravy etc in time to eat at about 2pm.

We usually have to be laid back about toddlers eating on Christmas Day! Try to give them a good breakfast, be prepared for snacks during the morning, and try not to stress too much about how much they eat or how long they sit at the table during the main meal.

Don't forget - the traditional Christmas meal is just a roast with a few extras. I can see the appeal of the timetables you can get where everything is specified to exact timings, but I'm sure you could come up with a schedule to fit round your plans.

Thanks for the Delia pointer, should have thought of her

I guess it's because the first year we had dd we went to her godparents (she was 4 weeks old), and last year she was still napping all over the place so we didn't have a 'Christmas dinner' as such, this is the first time we've done the 'proper thing' and I want to get it right (ish!)

Big breakfast definitely part of the plan, I guess dd may well get over excited by pressies etc and have a decent nap while we do the cooking part. It will be fine :)

We always eat Xmas Dinner at 1pm, and that includes church at 10am for an hour/hour + quarter. We've done this for 20 years + through the kids being babies, toddlers and everything, no problems. You can use your oven timer to set stuff going when you need to. Most of the veg can be prepped the night before and the potatoes and parsnips parboiled before leaving for church. We always set the table the day before as well.

People tend to chat for less time after church on Christmas day. I find Christmas lunch of the traditional kind is ideal stick in the oven fare, but do prepare ahead.
This year we have to do Church at 4 pm, so I'm thinking of Brunch in the morning and Dinner at 5/6 ish, what do others think?

DandyDan that's a very good point about the timer, have got a new oven and haven't tried the timer thingy yet. Our mass is 10.45 (though you need to get there at about 10 to have a hope of a seat!) so there will be a way to work it, I'm sure.