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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

I'm Hosting, I'm hosting!!!.....I've never hosted before

34 replies

WhyCantPeopleBeNice · 21/11/2023 07:50

Ok, so last year's Christmas was crap - adult kids fighting constantly.
Everything was falling to me so I put my foot down and refused
Husband and kids tried to work together but honestly...it was a rubbish day and didn't feel like Christmas.
This year, kids are getting along better since one moved out and for the first time ever MY MUM IS COMING!!!!!!
Except, I haven't got a bloody clue what to do or how to make it feel special without falling into traps of old trying to recreate something that's hard work on me and will likely just remind us of the more rubbish year.
So, starting from total scratch
Christmas, 6 adults
What do I do?
Where do I start?

OP posts:
senua · 21/11/2023 11:15

I'm also thinking if there's a quiet activity we can have ready if anyone wants to take themselves off and do something other than watch TV and eat which is our usual
Jigsaw. Charity shops are full of them,

trampoline123 · 21/11/2023 11:21

I hosted for 4 in a 1 bed flat with no table, I think I even ate on the floor and everyone else on their laps 😂

I tell you what though, I loved it because I was in control and still think it was the best bloody Christmas dinner I've ever had!

I made the gravy a few days before and prepped the veg the day before. Got a turkey crown because I just thought it would be easier.

Went out for a curry Christmas Eve which was nice and fun with no cooking or cleaning up. Got up Christmas Day, Christmas music on ( would like to say poured a Prosecco bit of just found out I was pregnant)!

Get anything you can pre-made like gravy or pigs in blankets etc - M&S has yum food.

I always feel like people get so stressed in the lead up to Christmas, try and just see it as a fancy roast dinner :)

TerrysChocolateOrange · 21/11/2023 12:00

Lists and sub lists are your friend.

Go onto printaclaclendar.com and choose the format that appeals to you and make that the holy grail, write everything on it, keep it after the day as it will be a good point of reference for next year.

To date DH and I have done the following.

Ordered the meat and cheese from the farm. (We were forced to decide what we would like over a two hour lunch next to an open fire.

I have polished the silver and sent the linen out for ironing, the tablecloth will need a quick belt of an iron once it is on the table, but easier than ironing in the week beforehand.

I love a twinkly table set well in advance and save Bonne Maman jars during the year and put nightlights in them.

DH does the bulk of the cooking but we work it out between us.

So next week is the stock for the gravy.

I have booked lunch three days running at our favourite pub, one is for lunch with a MNer who will be in the area, one of the other two I will keep once we decide what day we are getting the tree. I did this at the beginning of November and thought that I was being a tad previous, they had loads of bookings.

Back to dinner.

Parboil the parsnips, they lend themselves well to freezing in advance, we then drizzle with honey and grated Parmesan on the day and bring them up to scratch.

If I think of anything else I will come back to this.

This is the most important things…………..

PUT THE SPROUTS ON NOW……….😂

Gingerbreadhorse · 21/11/2023 12:41

Lots of champagne??

Fooshufflewickjbannanapants · 21/11/2023 14:17

TerrysChocolateOrange · 21/11/2023 12:00

Lists and sub lists are your friend.

Go onto printaclaclendar.com and choose the format that appeals to you and make that the holy grail, write everything on it, keep it after the day as it will be a good point of reference for next year.

To date DH and I have done the following.

Ordered the meat and cheese from the farm. (We were forced to decide what we would like over a two hour lunch next to an open fire.

I have polished the silver and sent the linen out for ironing, the tablecloth will need a quick belt of an iron once it is on the table, but easier than ironing in the week beforehand.

I love a twinkly table set well in advance and save Bonne Maman jars during the year and put nightlights in them.

DH does the bulk of the cooking but we work it out between us.

So next week is the stock for the gravy.

I have booked lunch three days running at our favourite pub, one is for lunch with a MNer who will be in the area, one of the other two I will keep once we decide what day we are getting the tree. I did this at the beginning of November and thought that I was being a tad previous, they had loads of bookings.

Back to dinner.

Parboil the parsnips, they lend themselves well to freezing in advance, we then drizzle with honey and grated Parmesan on the day and bring them up to scratch.

If I think of anything else I will come back to this.

This is the most important things…………..

PUT THE SPROUTS ON NOW……….😂

They should have gone on day bonfire night 😂

Bloody love sprouts

TerrysChocolateOrange · 21/11/2023 17:07

😂 😂 😂 😂

OrlandointheWilderness · 22/11/2023 11:09

@WhyCantPeopleBeNice you've got it sorted 😂. Game wise I always buy a new silly one at Christmas- best have been poetry for Neanderthals which involves hitting people with an inflatable bat. And frozen unicorns which is get into a daft pose and hold it 😂

happyharpy78 · 23/11/2023 13:48

After dinner we set a 15 minute timer and for those 15 minutes everyone has to work like the clappers to get the kitchen cleaned up (cook excluded, and sent to sit down with a glass of something). Works really well, there's a great team atmosphere and no big job for just one or two people.

Thesoleofmyshoe · 23/11/2023 14:09

So much can be done in advance. Prep and parboil the potatoes and freeze them on a tray, then bag them up. You can roast them from frozen on the day. Freezing them dries them a bit, so they're even crisper than normal and only take 5 mins longer to cook.

Stuffing can be made and frozen now, as can bread sauce, veg can be blanched and frozen. There's more here (apologies for the DM link!):

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1328728/Christmas-dinner-CAN-stress-free--long-start-cooking-NOW.html

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