Christmas ‘jobs’

[BillyWilliamTheThird]

For context, last year was our first year hosting Christmas as, for the first time, we had a whacking great big kitchen. My DPs are in their 70s and my DCs are old enough to pitch in (14 and 17). Christmas consists of me, DH, the two kids, my adult DB and the two slightly doddery DPs so relatively small in scope. We are foodie and go all out for Christmas dinner in the evening - all from scratch and honed over generations to be the way we all like it. DPs are retired and do lots of prep of food before the day, as do I but there’s still a lot to do in the afternoon/ early evening in order to get dinner on the table for 7pm-ish.

Last year I was not really prepared for the amount of project management it would involve and, tbh, didn’t really enjoy it very much. There were several moments during the day when everyone else was sat on their arse and I was pegging it around the kitchen and I want to avoid that as much as possible so that I can enjoy the day too!

My plan this year is to have a list of jobs so that I am not having to think about what I want everyone else to do and, invariably, doing it myself because by the time I’ve explained what I want I I might as well have done it! Therefore, what do I need to think about? I need to keep the DPs away from the food prep area as far as possible as they are not particularly mobile and will fuss; other than that it doesn’t particularly matter who does what, so long as I’m not doing it all or having to remember to ask other people to do it!

So far I have (in no particular order):

• keeping drinks topped up

• managing the Christmas playlist (DH can’t do this as it will be horrible)

• gravy

• sausages and bacon rolls in the airfryer

• keeping an eye on the potatoes (these will have already been peeled and par boiled)

• carrots (stove top)

• peas (microwave)

• checking the turkey which will have already been stuffed

• sprouts (pan fried on stove top)

• decanting brandy butter and clotted cream

• prepping the pudding, including brandy for setting the bugger on fire

• crispy breadcrumbs (stove top)

• warming the bread sauce (microwave)

• decanting the cranberry sauce

• feeding the dogs and keeping them out of the kitchen

• dealing with rubbish, food waste, wrapping paper and recycling

• clearing presents out of the living room so the dogs don’t eat any chocolate

• dealing with the left overs

• keeping the dishwasher clear

• washing up as we go

• table decoration of some description (usually flowers and candles)

• cutlery, crockery, glassware and serving dishes/ utensils

• serving food

• clearing the table between courses and after pudding

• ensuring there’s a big stash of clean tea towels, cloths and oven gloves to hand and then removing them when they invariably get minging

What have I forgotten which could push me over the edge? How do you all host, cook a nice meal, have a couple of drinks AND enjoy yourselves without being ready to kick everyone out by 6pm?

I feel exhausted just reading that list OP!

The one thing I would be mindful of is what activities happen where when dividing up the tasks. It's very easy for people to get in each other's way in the kitchen, so I wouldn't have several people faffing round the stove, for example. The trick is to prep as much as possible in advance, I think, and my top tip is to keep some things hot in slow cookers when they are done, so there's less stress trying to get everything to the table hot at the same.I'm sure there will be others along with more helpful advice soon . 😊🎄

I think you're massively overthinking this. It's just a roast dinner. You're making jobs out of 10 second things "decanting cranberry sauce!". It'll take you longer to write than on your list than to do it!

The only thing I do to "plan" the day is write down the in/out timings for the things in the oven. (But I do that for all roasts anyway).

Prep veg and lay the table the night before.
All clear up after presents as you go along (keep a bin bag to hand.)
"Alexa, play Christmas music"
"Help youself to drinks" (set them on a side in the dining room).
Then just crack on and cook the roast (or your DH could), just like any other roast you probably cook many, many times a year.

Ooh love the slow cooker idea - I’ve done the pudding in a slow cooker before but having my mum’s there too would help for keeping stuff warm.

i know I’m overthinking it, but all those little jobs add up if I’m doing them myself and little things dolloping cranberry sauce into serving dishes keeps my DF out of the way. We don’t have a dining room, just a massive kitchen, so drinks have to take place in one end and if everyone helps themselves then it gets messy and chaotic, hence me thinking about zoning and reducing traffic!

The stovetop and oven jobs will be mine and the periphery jobs involving microwaves and air fryer can be DHs. It’s more about ensuring no CFs are sat dicking around on their phones - DPs are as bad as the DCs for this - while I manage All The Jobs.

Put your 17 year old in charge of topping up drinks, and the music. You could get him/her to do the playlist in advance so you can check it is suitable. Put the cranberry sauce, brandy butter and clotted cream into dishes and keep in the fridge, no need for last minute ‘decanting’. Certainly lay the table including decorations the day before and glasses to be used at the meal.

Get the tea towels etc stashed in advance, no hunting for clean ones on the day.

I will be doing all those little tasks, DH will do everything else.

The only drink you need to keep topped up is your own. The rest are all capable of sorting their own drinks out. Ask DC to sort out playlist. Do you really need to decant everything? Just remove chocolate, nothing else from living room, if no one else cares enough to help with that, they can sit amongst it! Oh, and in this house if you're primarily on cooking duty, someone else is on washing up duty!

Fffs just go to markies like everyone else

Stop creating "All the Jobs". Most of the things on your list are 10 second non-jobs.

Honestly, why all the drama?

It's a roast dinner, you're bunging things in the oven and setting a timer. Cooking some veg on the hob. That's all.

You really don't need plans for dolloping some sauce into a dish or putting rubbish in the bin or playlists or special treatment of oven gloves and teatowels.

I also have 7 people round, and I'll be going to the pub between 12-2 and having a few drinks. Bung the roast (turkey breast and gammon) in the oven when we get back, we'll be eating by 5. Certainly no plans of who is going to dollop the cranberry sauce in a dish and when, or who's reponsible for turning the music on!

Seriously, if cooking a roast is causing this much stress, why on earth are you hosting? You're making this into a much bigger job than it actually is.

Get the veg readymade from M and S . Don’t have turkey, choose something easier. I used to wear myself out trying to create a Xmas like in a magazine. I’m done with that now and plan to make everything super easy.

Hmmm that's a bit of a faff that list and it is ok for people to sit on their arse and relax as its xmas and it's supposed to be about relaxing as well as everything inbetween. Prep as much as you can the day before or even on the 23rd. I always set my table up on the 22nd as we put out buffet breakfasts, nice suppers etc before xmas day and once the dishes are done pop the plates etc back on the table.

Theres also nothing wrong with people topping up their own drinks. I usually clean up as I go with the dishes etc and certainly dont stress if something Is not done or things are running late as by that time I'm going with the flow. But in saying that I stagger the dinner so usually starter is 1pm ish, main roughly 5 or 6 and pudding 8 ish or later and after that cheeses and chocs or whatever.

This is hilarious.
You could do those tasks in the time it took you to type it.
You sound quite exhausting.

It’s a Sunday roast with bells on - I don’t understand all the additional prep that has to take place except peeling large quantities takes longer - do it with a bowl in front of of Xmas movie?

I understand how you’re feeling OP, as it is frustrating when you are the only person doing stuff and everyone else gets to relax.

I’d split the list into kitchen prep & cleanup, meal prep, and everything else. I always do a timetable when I’m cooking a roast, so I’d do that but with people added for individual tasks. If you’re eating at 6pm (we also do this), it gives you more time for food prep in the afternoon. Get the washing up done after lunch and have the table set for dinner then (including cutlery so you don’t realise you’ve run out of forks because they’ve been used while cooking). DC can work on the Xmas playlist now it’s ready for the day. Drinks station at the end of the table with DC in charge.

I also understand what you mean about giving your parents jobs - Ihave the same issue with my FIL who often wanders into the tiny kitchen and asks if he can help. MIL is quite happy to relax after many years of cooking Xmas dinner!

@BillyWilliamTheThird

The way I relax at Christmas is to start on a bottle of champagne quite early and go through it steadily over the day...🥂

Work backwards from the time you want to sit down and how long each step should take, and when does it need to start. Write down the timeline. (It may also point out you want to use the microwave for 2 separate jobs at the same time).

Start the morning with an empty bin (bring that out o. Christmas Eve, no matter how full or empty it is) and a clean dishwasher (can run overnight so it’s full - but ready to take breakfast dishes and then anything else as it happens, run as needed). Also clean countertops - do any washing up before bed the night before.

I like to keep a sink full of hot soapy water while I am working - to drop in dirty things as they’re finished with and to actually wash them when I have a minute between jobs. You could assign someone to regularly drying anything on the counter and putting it away.

Have a couple of bath towels to put over the tin foil on turkey when it comes out of oven to rest - keeps for a couple of hours piping hot that way and you have time to blast roasties and have space to do veggies in oven, and turkey needs the time to rest anyway.

When leaving kitchen to sit down, have a bowl for scraps on counter and a dish for cutlery - to make it easier to clean plates and stack on counters (preferably fill dishwasher) - but at least you have a chance of counter space to do dessert.

Unless it’s too noisy, fill dishwasher after main course and run it - you’ll probably need to run again anyway but getting starters and mains dishes done, helps. And you might need starters dishes for dessert or cheese.

If DH cannot do playlist, make sure he’s ready to empty bin if needed - and when it’s needed, not “in a minute dear”.

To keep DPs from kitchen, could they do setting the table or folding fancy napkin shapes, so they feel useful?

Also - we do the full roast (for smaller group) for the evening. -we have a pack/2 of M&S party food with first bubbles of the day in late afternoon while opening presents once we’ve got turkey in oven and stove lit (as we have visiting to do in morning).

Yes, there’s a bit of popping in and out to kitchen, but good chunks of quieter time until the final hour before we eat when turkey comes out and the potatoes/veggies get done.

Every year, I plan to do a floral table centre - and almost every year, I have some quiet time creating it on 26th or 27th…they’re in a bucket on 25th. There was ONE year I had time in 24th and made it for Christmas dinner table. And twice I bought pre-made which was expensive but felt less stressy. (I still enjoy the creativity even if late - but that doesn’t help the bare look on the table).

Party food is our starters - sorry, had meant to be clear about that.

Most of these things are every day tasks or common sense rubbish in the bin, checking on the food, washing up? I’m not sure decanting a jarred cause counts as a job, making the sauce would, but just typing this has been longer than actually doing the task.

I would say plan less! It won’t feel like such a chore if you’re just doing everyday tasks. I’m surprised you having listed going to the toilet and washing your hands in there!!

Honestly OP I was bog eyed just reading about all these "jobs" .I have hosted Christmas Dinner for about 25 plus years .And dont remember all of these Surely a jar of cranberry sauce would suffice, no need to decant (it's not a premium red wine!) Dogs fed. well yes ,although ours would like some turkey please! People help themselves to Drinkies and nibbles .Most things like table decoration .Christmas Eve after Dinner ,table settings and glasses .Centre decoration. crackers and so on.DH on rubbish duty ,DC looking after dogs .Most important OP .After years of struggling round shops ,presents on Amazon now .After Dinner ,someone to sort washing up .You one Arm chair /Large Baileys /G anT whatever and nuts / Q St and no getting up till bedtime !

You are hugely overthinking this. The list reminds me of one of those "mental load" lists people do when they want acknowledgement for remembering to put their own knickers on.

In your shoes I would take on all the cooking/serving. Someone else can wash up. Someone else can top up drinks, feed the dog and play the music. Done. Don't try to delegate eg sprouts to one person and peas to another or your kitchen will be complete chaos.

When I’m cooking, that’s all down to me, so I pre prep as much as possible, and make a list of all timings, stick it on the front of the fridge where it’s easy to refer to.

I don’t do ANY clearing up or loading of the dishwasher, that’s down to dh and any others.

Drinks also largely down to dh/anybody else.

Clearing away wrapping paper - I’ve never thought about this, but someone will find a big bin bag and gather it all up.

I totally get it. I love your attitude to planning and the list looks great. Have you thought about asking chatGPT to check it and give you ideas. For example. Type your whole message again into chat gpt. Ask it if you've missed any tasks. Tell it how many helpers you have. Then you can divide the tasks around and say it wasn't me,you just need to do what chatGPT has decided. Let's have some fun and see if chatGPT has worked out well for us

Your list stressed me out 😂
I prep my veg on Christmas eve
After breakfast I set the table
Cook dinner for 3ish
Everyone can help them selves to drinks, table sauces etc
Pudding isn't even looked at till after dinner
It's just a roast dinner with maybe a couple of extras

Too much work!

Lay the table the night before and put wine and fizz in the fridge. Fish out all the serving dishes, serving spoons and roasting trays you’re likely to need so you aren’t flapping about looking for them on the day.

Don’t have people helping out in the kitchen, they will just get under your feet.

Also, very important, give yourself five minutes to smooth your hair and freshen up so you feel like a hostess and not a cook.

WTF is this?!?! 😂

All of what @dontmalbeconme has said. Although this has properly made me laugh this morning 😆

I can just imagine what a lovely, chilled out day everyone will have...

"DH, when everyone arrives, you are to offer everyone a drink. Once done, please make your way to the hob to check on the potatoes and carrots (although not the peas as they will be in the microwave and are the duty of DD, along with the bread sauce). Also, please don't confuse yourself with the sprouts and crispy breadcrumbs as - although they are on the hob - they are the responsibility of DB. You are only in charge of boiled vegetables. At 3.45pm, once everyone is seated, you are to decant the cranberry sauce using the designated teaspoon. At 4pm, please excuse yourself from the table and go and ensure the dogs are in their correct location and set a reminder as not to forget to feed them so they don't starve and eat all the Christmas chocolate. At 4.30pm you are to "prep the pudding" (whatever this means) and, once again, are in charge of decanting. This time the brandy butter and clotted cream. Separate teaspoons will be provided. Please don't allow anyone to get their grubby hands on the condiments and sauces themselves. They need to be served like small children. At all times please ensure a constant supply of clean kitchen towels and oven gloves to hand and do not, I repeat DO NOT, leave any used or dirty cloths or tea towels on display. As soon as there is even a smidge of a stain on them, please hand them to DS who is in charge of the washing, food waste and recycling. Also at no point are you ever to go within 5 metres of the playlist as we don't want to subject our guests to your horrible music choices. Enjoy your day and Merry Christmas everyone"

🎄🍾😃