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Christmas

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

Original poster

Hosting for the first time! Advice pls

84 replies

ThatGladSwan · 10/09/2025 13:05

I’m hosting for the first time this year, there will be 6 adults and a 1 year old…
I’ve got a royal blue and gold theme, so anywhere that does nice tableware, dinnersets?

Good quality crackers, not the ones with the rubbish plastic things in ideally?

Doing 3 courses as that’s what we usually have, and I love cooking and hosting a good meal, a prawn cocktail start, 2 meats and trimmings, then a few desserts
Best places for xmas food and menu ideas appreciated🙏🏻

Any other tips and ideas to make it easier on the day or days leading up welcomed🤗

OP posts:
Emarosa · 13/09/2025 19:48

Following this thread with interest!
To those who prep and freeze, do you cook from frozen or defrost? If from frozen for things like stuffing and pigs in blankets, how much cooking time do you add?

Original poster
ThatGladSwan · 13/09/2025 20:01

Navigatinglife100 · 13/09/2025 17:29

If I only have cheap crackers with the right colourway I open one end by untying the ribbon and then put a lottery instant card in them or a nice small gift that won't kill anyone if it flys across the room, and re tie.

I never do starters as there's such a lot to eat anyway. Crisps and cocktails will do!

I prep what I can the night before.

Turkey I use the old Delia method where it comes out at about 11am stays hot enough when covered and then can get on with the rest.

We've got a bone china set we were given as a wedding present in the 90s, so that comes out for Christmas Day (and other rare occasions as its not dishwasher or microwave safe).

This may be a silly question… I’ve seen the delia method mentioned on threads a few times… what is it? 🙈

OP posts:
Original poster
ThatGladSwan · 13/09/2025 20:02

Allthings · 13/09/2025 17:34

Denby Imperial Blue is currently on offer, but it would be over £300 and probably nearer £400 for 6 place settings depending on what was purchased. 6 dinner plates would be over £100. Normal price is around £22 each. One of the downsides is that it is very thick and doesn’t fit that well in the dishwasher.

If looking more for a one off type thing (my blue christmas phase didn’t last long), have a google as quite a few come up at a much lower price point. Not sure what M&S have available as whilst not the cheapest they are normally reasonable value and decent quality. Habitat, and Dunelm may be worth looking at. Dunelm do a dark blue stonewear, but it may not be the right blue and its matt (noticed it whilst I was in there the other day). But personally I would stick with white.

Yeah I think I’m going to do white and then jazz the table up like others have said. Much easier and will save me on costs too

OP posts:
Original poster
ThatGladSwan · 13/09/2025 20:02

Emarosa · 13/09/2025 19:48

Following this thread with interest!
To those who prep and freeze, do you cook from frozen or defrost? If from frozen for things like stuffing and pigs in blankets, how much cooking time do you add?

I’m wondering the same!

OP posts:
Navigatinglife100 · 13/09/2025 20:09

Delia did a Christmas cookbook which is probably available on second hand sites now.

She prepares the Turkey the night before and essentially put it in the oven early morning on a high blast for a short while and then on low for hours...and a final uncovered blast at end taking it out, covering it a few hours before serving.

I've sort of morphed my own way over 35 years starting doing hers to the letter 35 years ago.

What's great about it is that it leaves all your ovens etc free to cook other stuff. What's not so great is waking at 4am to do the first blast and hanging around in the dark for 40 minutes before you put the temperature up and trying not to wake anyone else!

Deanefan · 13/09/2025 20:13

Honestly @ThatGladSwan please don’t make a rod for your own back, you need to make sure you dont run yourself ragged and miss out on the fun parts of the day. Those that don’t cook help with tidying and washing up. Hostess trollies can be useful as can pre prepping things. We just do turkey and a veggie main that is premade the day before and just needs heating up. Roast potatoes are from the freezer as are yorkshires. Only as many veg as fit on the hob and some pigs in blanket and stuffing in the oven whilst the bird is resting. Thats when I make the gravy. Christmas pud is homemade but we are normall too full to bother until boxing day! I do have some christmas serving plates but the rest of the bowls and plates are just my normal plates. But Denby greenwich is a sort of festive colour.

Allthings · 13/09/2025 20:13

If I freeze anything, it is defrosted. More likely to freeze stuffing, nut roast, red cabbage. I don’t freeze potatoes.

Original poster
ThatGladSwan · 13/09/2025 20:28

Navigatinglife100 · 13/09/2025 20:09

Delia did a Christmas cookbook which is probably available on second hand sites now.

She prepares the Turkey the night before and essentially put it in the oven early morning on a high blast for a short while and then on low for hours...and a final uncovered blast at end taking it out, covering it a few hours before serving.

I've sort of morphed my own way over 35 years starting doing hers to the letter 35 years ago.

What's great about it is that it leaves all your ovens etc free to cook other stuff. What's not so great is waking at 4am to do the first blast and hanging around in the dark for 40 minutes before you put the temperature up and trying not to wake anyone else!

Edited

I’ll have to have a look at that!! Thank you 🤗🤗

OP posts:
Sproutling · 13/09/2025 20:30

re hand rowels for the guests- we use face cloths, in our preferred colours (red white and green for Christmas, stone and teal year round ) nicely rolled in one basket, with a second basket for the used ones - one face cloth is ideal for one hand wash - we only host two people at a time though and have around 20 cloths , me and dp use the upstairs bathroom so there's plenty for our guests throughout the day. if i was having 19 guests I would probably get nice paper hand towels like some restaurants provide- quite thick quilted type , i think you could get them off amazon.

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