The big xmas food shop

[Letitgoooo]

Ive managed to get a slot for late monday afternoon, ive ordered loads but im panicking that ive forgot stuff and im not going to realise until i go to get something out the fridge or cupboard! Ive got until sunday night to add items HELP!!

Who doesn't love a big list? Exactly!

We refreshed last years list today which was a refresh of the year before and the year before that etc. All non perishables were purchased by DH today, so just the fresh to be bought from the refreshed fresh list. Easy peasy when you know what you want and have lists.

You've been given some very useful suggestions here OP.

I find the trouble with a big shop, I have a huge ocado order coming on the 23rd, is fitting it all in the fridge.
I need a fridge clearout I think.

Germgirl - that's were years of playing tetrus comes in handy...

I had a huge delivery this morning. Next week I will make one of my increasingly infrequent visits to a real supermarket to get the turkey, the sprouts, the cream and a few other last minute perishable things. But otherwise we're done, foodwise, anyway. Rather satisfying! I feel like a squirrel at the point when every possible spot in my territory has a little cache of buried nuts.

I'm good at Tetris Mary
DH will insist on having cans & cans of beer in there clogging up vital food space. He says the food is clogging up vital beer space.
I think we need a fridge each

The white wine, most of the dairy produce, the fruit, veg - in fact pretty well everything that isn't meat or fish - will be in the cellar on a stone floor.

DTDs are hosting their very first party without grownups actually present on Boxing Day (DP and I will be having lunch a couple of streets away) so they're going to have to be properly involved in The List for the first time - quite exciting!

Germgirl - you need a bucket with water and ice in next to the back door, all but 2 cans go in it, when he takes one out of the fridge, he replaces it, they'll be nearly cold enough so it won't take long to get to drinking temp, less than the time to drink one of those other cans.

I don't get why people to a massive shop just cos its Christmas. Its just a weekly shop here. Nothing special.

Only extra on my table on the day are crackers. Its just a glorified Sunday lunch!

I'm not planning on moving much beyond my sofa for about a week so need supplies!

I'm terribly forgetful, so I keep a Christmas planning notebook with a list of all the usual things we need for the three days.

When I plan that year's menu, I'll add any additional items I'll need for special meals.

Then I keep a regular weekly shopping list on the fridge of things we've run out of etc.

Put all these together and everything should be covered!

In the notebook I also write down a list of 'tips for next year' so I don't make the same mistakes. I can't remember what happened last year but getting in extra supplies of Rennie and paracetamol were on that list!

Annabanana - because a lot of people are hosting extras, throwing parties effectively, it needs extra food and planning for and most Sundays I end up having to pop to the shops for something/send DH for something, can't do that Christmas Day

If it was just the 4 of us, it would be a lot less effort. Although I'd still be having lebkucken...

anna- why don't you get it? Many people are hostng, we have kids and OH off work and school, maybe realtives to stay, everyone like to eat more special food over the festive period and have treats etc.
I have relatives from abroad staying for 3 weeks, also 7 of us at home for much of the festive period, 12 for christmas day, 14 for a buffet on the 27th.

Plus Anna - it's not just that we'll be hosting, it's that we have plans for several days in a row, while the shops are only closed for 1 day, there's 3 days were I don't have time to go to them, then another 2 days were I could go to the shops, but I really would rather do fun stuff we have plans. So thats 5 days were I will not be buying anything, but need to cater for us and up to another 4 people, many with allergies or fussiness that means I can't just cobble together meals from my cupboards.

And as so many other people are doing the big shop for so many people, the shops are rather hellish next week, so I want to stock up so I don't need to shop for general food and groceries from this weekend onwards.

Of course its understandable if you're hosting for days on end. But there are people who shop for the sake of "its Christmas". Im hosting for the day -2 extra- but I wont be going out and buying bucket loads of food. Many people don't need it.

But even famlies who are not hosting like to celebrate- and may hev OH and kids off work and school.
We like to treat ourselves with nice festive food over the festive week, mince pies with afternoon coffee, some extra ice cream in for the kids, christmas cake, suppertime nibbles, some fancy cheese, a glass of port, a big box of satsumas, some nuts, smoked salmon, pickles to eat with leftover roast etc.

You are right we don't technically "need it", but we don't really "need" christmas either. We do it because it's fun, because we work hard all year and spoiling ourselves and our familt at christmas time with some yummy things to eat and drink feels good.

Another who is on the "we don't technically need a huge shop, but still..." side of the fence.

Part of it is that this year, I have suffered serious amounts of stress, almost enough to see me being signed off work.

And it has ramped up again in recent weeks for various reasons.

So I am aiming to avoid doing a normal supermarket shop this week for home, and mostly avoid supermarkets. (I was in M&S this morning to buy my lunch, and biscuits for the office - but it was still organized and calm with plenty of shelf stackers and only a few shoppers). I am out tonight, and have just been given antibiotics this morning for a chest infection. My DSis is staying over the weekend. I still have presents to buy and things to do at home, as well as needing serious rest. (Was out from early morning yesterday until after 10, at a work set of meetings and a lunch - which was not a boozy event but a very long day).

I got lucky as the dates changed on the work event - so DH was the person stacking the cupboards. But I don't have to face the supermarket this weekend for regular food or Christmas food. I added a few things to the order that I need in the next few weeks to reduce what I will have to carry (non perishables) and make better use of a 5% off voucher I had. I have enough milk for the 2 calves that I call DD and DH to drink until at least Mon/Tues (but I will need more then). And I have a few treats for Christmas as well.

We only need to face M&S on Christmas Eve now, for turkey (or turducken or something else that looks nice), DD birthday cake and a couple of packs of nibbles.

This year, I intend to hibernate from Christmas Eve until almost 1st Jan, with the fire, my books and hot tea. I'll have to get meals on the table too in between times. But I want to avoid all sense of "life as usual" in terms of the drudgery of the supermarket. (And as it happens, the shop last night came in a bit more expensive than estimated, but not actually that much more than a regular weekly shop with my shoving the trolley in front of me and managing DD at the same time).

same here biddy I want to be totally free to enjoy every min with my family and not be stressing about food shopping.

We like to treat ourselves with nice festive food over the festive week, mince pies with afternoon coffee, some extra ice cream in for the kids, christmas cake, suppertime nibbles, some fancy cheese, a glass of port, a big box of satsumas, some nuts, smoked salmon, pickles to eat with leftover roast etc.

My mouth is watering! I cant wait!

You are right we don't technically "need it", but we don't really "need" christmas either

You sound like someone I know who is all about what we need, actually need but still lives in a large 5 bedroomed house with x bathrooms she and her husband don't actually need, has a car she doesn't need, buys things she doesn't need and this xmas will be sat at home having a frugal, christmas...not having brought a single gift not even for her husband...as they don't need them!

Not you sorry Big - the poster you were quoting.

Sorry my point clumsily made was, she goes on about need but has her own special version of it - clearly there are things she thinks she needs...that i dont...but xmas is about so much more.

Mary I'm hoping it'll be cold outside over Xmas so I can put all the drinks etc out there.
The water bucket is a good idea. Thank you.

Germgirl we've done it for parties in the summer, so should be fine!

Use your freezer as well, food for meals later on after Christmas, store in the freezer and take out the night before.

Oh Anna you sound so joyful with all that Christmas spirit

Im full of the spirit. But definitely don't over indulge. Why!? Just cos its christmas?!

My cupboard is well stocked. I always have cheese/pate/crackers (the stuff some only buy at Christmas) on the go. Im not one of these people why buys a full wheel of Brie and Stilton which is in the fridge growing more mould that it should have just cos its Christmas. Supermarkets just love thise people.