Christmas Top Tips!

[KennDodd]

Anybody got any?

Here's some of mine.

Christmas day time savers -
Par boil potatoes and parsnips way in advance, freeze then just cook from frozen on Christmas day, just tip into hot oil/fat and straight in oven.
We have mashed carrots and turnip. Again this can be prepared way in advance and frozen. Defrost, drain and microwave in serving dish, easy.

Things I wish I'd done -
Put children's stockings downstairs near fireplace instead of end of beds. I'm now stuck waiting half the bloody night for them to fall asleep so I can put stockings out.

Lol I've done that too it's so exciting and I'm going to do my potatoes and parsnips your way too so if u roast them when do u add the honey if u use that?

My top tip is not to spend months of your life planning it and worrying about it. It really doesn't take three months to plan a big roast dinner.

Mine is to sort out the tableware earlier in the week so any glasses that have sat unused for the last year can be washed. Obviously if you have a second table you could set it in advance but mine is used for breakfast and prep, so there’s only a short time to make it look poncetastic and I don’t want to be washing glassware and polishing silver when I can be putting that time to good use fussing that my hand tied mini rosemary wreaths are all the same size

@1969angel

I don't add honey but if I did I'd but it on just before roasting.

@Ontopofthesunset

Bahh humbug! Love Christmas but if I can reduce time spent in the kitchen on Christmas day I will.

Well, I was being a bit humbuggish, but to be fair I did parboil all my carrots and parsnips last year and freeze them beforehand. We were cooking for 24 so we did 3 lb of potatoes over 3 days - they took ages to cook though because there were so many cold potatoes in an oven!

We’ve always done stockings downstairs, and always open them last. That way I an put ‘linked’ gifts in such as a game to go with a console, a case for a phone, doll accessories to go with new doll and so on, without giving the gifts away (if that makes sense) I feel that way there’s more useful things in there too.

I always have a little box next to the Christmas tree for things we’ll need in the morning - scissors, bin bags, batteries, screwdrivers etc, saves time trying to find them.

When my dc had pillowcases instead of stockings, I used to have 2 and just swap out the filled one with the empty one to save time. Now they have stockings I just have a carrier bag each with their wrapped stocking gifts in the cupboard ready to just tip in.

On the stocking wrapping front, I use tissue paper or little paper treat bags with stickers to save time. Santa presents are a different paper for each child so I don’t need to label them.

When the dc were younger, I’d open some of their toys and remove all the annoying wire ties in advance, then put them back in the box so they’d be easier to open on the day.

I do prepare a lot of food in advance, my kids like eating their ham cold too so I usually cook that on Christmas Eve.

Foil trays to cook anything that needs to go in the oven. Saves on washing up all the roasting trays.

Removing wires is a great idea.

We have 4 stockings and 2 DC so I prepare them a stocking each. They hang out the empty one and i fill it from a full one.

Previously the stockings have been in the living room by the chimney. We've moved and no longer have a chimney so I don't know where to put them. They'd love it by their beds but I won't!

I write down all timings / oven temperatures etc. in advance (on a printed paper that I then re-use the year after). That way I just look at the time and know what to do - the thinking has happened before. It also meant that the year(s) that DS2 would not leave me alone, other people could take over the cooking without me having to explain everything.

Encourage one of your dc to train to as a chef!!
My ds claims he won't cook Christmas lunch but does most of it!! Can't help himself!