Christmas Dinner with a Newborn

[Paranormalbouquet]

Baby due via C-section approx 2 weeks pre-Christmas. My lovely family are arriving from Ireland for the week (and will generally be helpful and be happy to be put to work) but are not great at cooking. I love to cook but am conscious that I probably won't feel like it while trying to breastfeed a tiny baby and recover from surgery.

Some ideas of things that can be done in advance/delegated (simple things) that don't require a huge amount of freezer space ideally would be appreciated. I usually love to cook everything from scratch but I'm willing to have some pre-made options this year I think! Will have 6 adults and 1 4 year old to feed along with newborn for Xmas eve, Xmas Day and St. Stephen's Day. I have only one oven, 4 rings on hob and a microwave. A fairly small freezer.

Planning to have goose and ham for the main event- can cook ham on Christmas eve. Usually I make sides of roast potatoes (with the goose fat), honey and thyme roasted carrots and parsnips, red cabbage (Jamie's version), potato stuffing in goose, usually some sausage "stuffing balls" or pigs in blankets and generally sprouts tossed in butter and bacon or occasionally a sprout gratin.

I'll get a turkey crown for St. Stephen's day and hopefully will have leftover sides to go with it!

Made a christmas pudding last weekend but will need simple starter and dessert? And any simple ways of preparing sides in advance/good ready made options?

To be honest, under those circumstances, I'd buy ready made and whack it in the oven. Cook your ham on Christmas Eve, then juggle M&S foil trays in the oven.

Just order online with a collection date as late as possible. You can delegate collection, write a list of times trays need to go in at, delegate it out, and job done.

I agree with Scotinoz

Let your family come and take care of you! Even if they’re not great cooks they can put ready made stuff in the oven.

This is going to be a Christmas like no other. Enjoy it!

But since you asked, everything on your list could be prepared in advance and frozen. [[
www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1328728/Christmas-dinner-CAN-stress-free--long-start-cooking-NOW.html This]] article is quite good (apologies for daily fail link). Would you consider skipping the goose and cooking a turkey instead so you could eat the leftovers on Stephens Day?

Sorry, link fail! here

Thanks both, DH and I do like goose and would probably prefer not to have mountains of leftovers. And I think I can talk DH through cooking it as it’s pretty easy.

Otherwise happy to get a mix of ready made and letting family at it.

Could you do a chilli or curry in the next couple of weeks and freeze to have on Christmas Eve? Just heat and cook rice on the day.

That with cheese and crackers after would do for Christmas Eve. Remember Christmas is a food marathon so not all meals need multiple courses😊

write our the instructions for your DH now. I found that sleep deprivation played havoc with my ability to think straight and I was really forgetful. It might not take you that way, and you could get a great sleeper, but no harm in being prepared.

I thought we might have some ham on Christmas Eve along with some ready made sides.

Alanamackree I had a good sleeper first time around so I'm expecting a terrible one this time!

DS2 was born mid December but could have come any time up to Christmas Day. We did ready made all the way and my lovely in-laws bunged it in the oven for us. Christmas with newborn is not the time to be a goddess in the kitchen. Good to get presents sorted now though!

DS2 was born the week before Christmas. We M&S’d it all - turkey, veg, desserts - the works. Put it in the oven and lay on the sofa with lovely newborn sleeping on me while DS1 played with this Santa presents. It was the most blissful Christmas ever.

Been there, done that. Buy the whole lot from M&S and shove it in the oven. Especially if this is your first, you will not want to cook a damn thing on Christmas Day. DC2 was days old the first time we did Christmas at ours (don’t ask), I had preordered everything from Marks and DH shoved it in the oven whilst I breastfed, played with DC1 and drank fizzy wine. The pud was homemade (older than DC2) but that was it.

Perhaps the Irish family could bring some lovely smoked salmon with them for the starter, just serve with bread & butter.

(Great to beat the All Blacks 16-9!!)

OP, we have ham and pea soup with great bread and cheese for Christmas Eve. So easy.

Christmas Day I've had great success with roast in the bag joints and Lidl goose fat frozen roast potatoes and parsnips.

Smoked salmon garnished with lemon and cucumber swirls and French toast is really easy for someone to put together.

Frozen sprouts served with a splash of cream, dead easy.

Like you, I usually cook from scratch but have had some family crises I needed to be ready for over the last two christmases.

Don't know about Jamie's version, but I always think Delia's braised red cabbage tastes better if you make it ahead and it freezes really well for me.

Buy everything from M&S and whack it in the oven. That's what I do every year and I haven't given birth for 16 years :)

My baby (now 13 months) was 8 weeks on Xmas day last year and just wanted to be held by mummy. All. Day. I really would go the simple route this year.

Another vote for M&S here , we do it every year now as can't stand spending half the day in the kitchen , it's lovely food

I had a chance section 19 days before Christmas and hosted it for the family. I don't know why, I think I wanted to stay home. Anyway, somehow we managed, all was ok! Good luck!

One more vote for MS. It's our first year ordering food. we are going to Cotswolds for our Xmas and wouldn't spend much time in kitchen while I have to take care of a 2 year old. The food looks great.

Sorry- why are you even thinking about the food? Your dp needs to take charge.

It is doable if you’d like to cook :)

My son was born in November last year and it was lovely having a tiny baby, really special. I cooked dinner as I just enjoy it - I had a mix of prepared stuff and cooked from scratch stuff, which was really helpful.

@bertrandrussell Completely agree! I have c-section booked for approx a week before xmas- and told DH months ago Xmas day will totally be on him this year! Also m&s'd it last year...was more hassle than cooking tbh! Turkey was lovely tho and puddings!
I've just told him to keep it simple, prawns, Turkey, spuds, Xmas cake and loads of picks....

But I'm going to have newborn plus 15month old to look after....plus healing after surgery (am also currently in hospital so actually hoping another family member may offer to take this year....would love just a pj day hopefully after everyone here safely x)

Do nothing Op, we've done out bit this year!

BertrandRussell I love to cook normally. Not right now as I have an enormous bump, legs as big as an elephants and spd but generally I do! DD1 was an emcs and I was still fairly unwell by 2 weeks post partum but this will be elective so should be stronger. Do expect to be feeding constantly so will want to hand over some jobs but not relinquish all control!!

I think will be a mix of M+S prepared and as much pre prepared as possible. Might do the red cabbage next weekend and freeze.

Smoked salmon is a good call but would need to source some nice soda bread to go with it!

Sainsburys and Ocado sell Rankin soda bread, very nice!

It’s not the same as Irish soda bread! I could actually make that next weekend and freeze it, as bread goes it’s very easy!

OP, chances are you will be whacked. Really, truly go easy on yourself or you might end up delaying your recovery.