Help! DS2 due on Boxing Day. We are floundering around and have no idea about food.

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We have DS1 (2.10) to cater for, and potentially my PIL (if they make it down with their caravan in the snow from Lincs, unlikely at the moment) and maybe my parents too (if they make it in from SE) but we don't know. PIL will bring horrible dry boring turkey if they make it down. Otherwise, we have NOTHING!

I prefer roast beef. How long is a rib roast going to keep in the fridge if I get one in early? Don't really want to freeze it. We haven't thought about veg, pudding, anything. Things have been so busy and fraught recently that Christmas has been on the back burner. I have no idea when this baby will make an appearance and no idea whether we'll be having Christmas on the 25th or not. Presents are bought and mostly sent off, cards to do tonight which is fine, tree has been standing lit but otherwise nekkid for 5 days now (very unlike me) and everything just seems such a chore. I usually love preparing for Christmas.

Please, help me get my head out of the sand and suggest a sensible plan of action!

Roast Beef sounds lovely, not sure how long it will last for though, possible a week? Would the butcher be able to tell you?

What do you usually have on your Christmas Dinner and what do you really want? You could parboil and freeze your potatoes now ready for roasting. Buy readymade sauces and puddings.

Do you need things for tea on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day too?

Take it your DH will be doing the shopping for all this, so my advice would be, put your feet up, have a cuppa and make a list.

Congratulations and I hope it all goes well for you

Although I don't really believe him, our local butcher swears that freezing meat doesn't do it any harm.

However, I have just bought a leg of lamb for 27 Dec (from tesco remarkably cheap, poss half price!) which has just gone in the freezer.

We'll do a slow cook recipe so you just bung it in the oven with root veg - try find a similar recipe for your beef, I think slow cook recipes are fail safe and v low stress.

Good luck btw!

It's just that if we freeze a large lump of beef, someone will invariably forget to take it out and defrost in time and we'll just have flashbacks to those angsty, sweary Christmas days of my childhood with my mother hurling abuse at the turkey, who had failed to defrost overnight in its bath of water and sliced lemons!

Was that just my childhood? Tell me it wasn't.

I think, if we are going to be both parentless and with a newborn in the house, we need easy comfort food and bugger the festivities, but it just feels Wrong. Maybe we should just get in some pizzas?

Will get DH peeling and parboiling, if that really works. Good idea! I still think beef is the best idea and maybe we could get smaller cuts so it won't take too long to roast. If it were just us two, we could take it as it comes, but we need to feed DS, who is picky and requires hunks of Meat.

bosch your slow cooking idea sounds good, or reshape could just do what my friend does, buys it all pre-prepared from Asda, bungs it in the oven in those recyclable foil trays and doesn't stress at all

And it is "my friend", honest guv.

my mum bought me a huge beef joint over this morning. it was £11 in tesco and will feed at least a dozen people. it has a use by date of dec 27th, but i have bunged it in the freezer for now.

Reshape cross posted with you there. If you are going down the parboiling and freezing route then don't forget to get him to freeze them on a tray so that they don't all freeze in one big lump.

Can't honestly see what's wrong with Pizza though, your DC1 would probably love it.

I worked with a girl for years who used to order a curry from her favourite takeaway on Christmas Eve, stick it in the fridge and they'd eat that for lunch the next day, warmed up obviously. Maybe you could give that a try

how about lamb shanks? They will freeze and can be slowcooked, with red wine, rosemary and garlic, and are much more forgiving than a roast.
Buy potatoes for wedges that can be tossed into the oven with some oil and salt.
Frozen peas and spinach. Carrots will keep if you buy it now.
Ditto mince pies and yule log.
Sorted.

Thanks, cherry, that sounds promising, if it'll last that long.

I will try to freeze veg on a tray! Makes sense. DS isn't old enough to expect special dishes for Christmas, so we might get away with pizza. I'll certainly get some in for the freezer, anyway. Freezer already getting stocked up with some lamb casseroles and cottage pies for those enjoyable sleepless days ahead...

Good point about lamb shanks, will have a look tomorrow. Could do some and freeze.

I always make a yule log and DH thinks it might be the highlight of his Christmas dinner. NOt going to this time - it takes a while and goes off fast (has whipped cream and raspberries inside...). Waitrose does a nice-looking one with buttercream.