things to make to contribute to Christmas dinner

[smellylittleorange]

At MIL house this year which is lovely has more space than our tiny cottage , is next to the sea blah blah. It pains me that I don't have a way to put my stamp on dinner though as we always go there. I always do the starter but this year thought I might make ahead some stuff. Christmas cake, mincemeat and curried mango chutney are on the list...anything else you can think of? Won't do pudding as we always have the Heston one now. Also one allergy to choc and onions visitor will be present.

why not bring a lurvely cheese board? get the mini fancy truckles ie- double gloucester with chives and onion and stilton with cranberry and the novelty santa and snowman cheddar and wensleydale ones and lots of little crackers- oat crackers, cream crackers, digestives, cheddars etc.

:)

also maybe a chocolate trifle

I would ask her what she wants bringing . I'm getting my sister to bring all the sauces, so bread sauce, cranberry, brandy butter etc as I find those very faffy. I might get sil to bring the alternate pudding.

It would help her to know what you are bringing.

one allergy to choc and onions

Bum, I was going to give you my Heston-esque "Magic Chocolate Pudding with a Hidden Onion Centre Pudding" recipe.

I may be visiting family over New Year (not finalised yet) but I'm going to take things that can be used after as well.

Cake (I've made 4) I'll marzipan and ice one and leave one plain.

Some naice jam
A large pasta dish, frozen and put in a chiller bag

I've bought 10 mini Christmas Puds from Costco . DH and I will eat a couple, I'll take some and give the rest to my Mum and Dad

(Still thinking of other things too)

Make sure you ask her what she would like you to bring, I can remember one meal when guest turned up and thought they were being really generous bringing smoked salmon ................ just as I had prepared my own smoked salmon starter .

I know that drinks could be of help: schloer for under 16s, a variety of wines and sherries for the adults.

What about nibbles like coconut stars, or mince meat twists (like mini strudels, mil is German).

Nibbles is good and can be boxed nicely..mmm am thoughtful now. Of course I will let her know see her every week and Dh will take her to do the food shopping so will remind her then. A lot of stuff is courtesy of Mr Waitrose but bloody yummy anyhow. I have been looking at crackers and quitefancy Novellas parmesan shortbreads. Will do a cranberry sauce too. Can't do frozen stuff only have little fridge top freezer box. the hidden onion put sounds luvverly 70!

Novella's ? No obviously she is the second cousin but childhood best buddy of who I really mean Nigella!

My family is big so whoever is hosting has a lot of work to do so we all contribute.

Dsis usually arranges for a delivery of posh cheese.
I make an excellent stuffing/cranberry sauce/braised red cabbage as required and have been known to acquire pigs in blankets/pork pies from our butcher.
Dm makes amazing Christmas cake and pudding.
Someone (often db) will be tasked to make and bring canapes.
Someone else will buy the crackers.
Everyone brings wine and perhaps port.

We all love food so this is a rather nice tradition.

I did think of soup ohhelp and mention tomato soup to Dd9 adding a swirl of pesto and creme fraiche to make it look festive. Apparently according to the madam, last time I did not do it 'right' and my soup was wrong and looked and tasted like 'carrots'. She is a harsh critic but I thought it a good idea then and do now many thanks! I did see Jamie Oliver doing a gravy out of chicken wings so that's doable. Probably don't trust my oven with the Turkey shoewhore sounds lovely, my side of the family is big and I wish we could be like that!

oh this is the Heston pudding here