If you could share one thing that you do that makes your Christmas less stressful.

[MaryJanesonabreak]

To counteract the current wingefest of everything irritating about Christmas, I thought I would start a thread for those of us who enjoy it.

It can be a lot of work, and I can’t think of anything more helpful to offer than as much prepping as possible. I’ve frozen a batch of gravy, the vegan stuffing and regular one, the little sausage things, the braised cabbage and a tray of cauliflower cheese which we always have on Christmas Eve with baked potatoes.

If anyone has any tips on managing the more bonkers members of the family that would be great!

Take two days of the last week of work off, sometimes the whole week when the kids were small.

I don't find it stressful at all these days.

Pissed off to Nepal to do the Annupurna trek and to be as far away from Christmas and Noddy Fucking Holder as possible.

I'll share two:

1. No relatives at Xmas. Ever.
2. Don't have traditional Christmas dinner

Easy!

As the rest of your family what they like/hate about Christmas.

I asked DH and he said he wanted to spend the day with me, not firstly me in the kitchen followed by him doing the washing up.

So complicated dinner has been scrapped and we are having steak instead.

In our house food prep, cooking and washing up are a group exercise. Potato peelers are handed out the evening before, after dinner. Potatoes and veg prepped and put in pans.

I do the turkey. Dd the trifle. Someone else the gravy or stuffing. Etc. If someone gets less, they start off the washing up, or lay the table nicely.

We do this too. Started a few years ago when my nephews were born. So much easier just thinking about one gift to get for the adult and not ended up with 12 gift sets.

Stick on gift tags. Because bow tags can never be trusted not to spontaneous shed their present leaving you having to peek through gaps in the wrapping to see whose is whose, making the whole thing look tatty.

I went NC with my family. HTH.

Last year some American friends gave us a frozen turkey for Thanksgiving, which were saving for Christmas. My (spare) freezer door was left ajar three days before Christmas so the turkey defrosted, luckily nothing else much was in there. I cooked it Christmas Eve, carved it up, froze in portions all apart from the best breast slices we were going to eat on the day, which I popped in the fridge. On the day, I heated the slices in a casserole dish in the oven, with the meat soaking in a delicious hot gravy made with stock using the carcass. Was massively easier.

@AllBlackEverything 🤣

What's the difference between top quality meat freshly cooked elsewhere purchased Christmas Eve and cooking it yourself Christmas Eve?

Seriously although the meat slices aren't cheap when you factor in buying and then cooking several joints there is little in it.

I always always open the wrapping of the turkey on Christmas eve afternoon so I can prep the turkey and check it's not one of those faulty off turkeys . That way there is still time to replace/refund before the big day .