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?

Your making it very hard work...
Its dinner for 7.

Reduce the list, 1 job each.
Relax and enjoy the experience.

I keep DH in the kitchen as sous chef. I routinely bark orders at him. Turn the roasties over, empty the bin, wash that bowl, open the oven door, fill my glass, set the table etc. I’d rather everyone else just stayed in the living room.

I disagree that it’s ’just a roast’. It’s a roast on mega fancy steroids. It’s three times as much work to make fancy glazes from scratch for carrots for example, than it is to just steam them as I’d do for a bog standard roast. Today I’m making stock for the gravy, it takes hours to simmer down. I wouldn’t do that for just a normal roast. I do three meats for Xmas whereas I’d usually do one. The two aren’t comparable unless you like a very small, plain, simple meal.

Christmas lunch is pure graft, but I’d rather do it myself and have less stress than have a kitchen full of incompetents getting under my feet and asking gormless questions.

Reducing stress is the key. What can you make beforehand and freeze? What can be prepared or even cooked on Christmas Eve?

The music playlist. Well in our house it would be "Alexa play some Christmas music".

Daughter and I don't time to do a play list due to work and 14yr old son would put rap music on.

You need to group that list much better.

Some are one off 30second jobs to do with food.
Some are ongoing (drinks, washing up)

Personally I keep the food mainly to myself, calling for specific assistance as required.
DD lays the table after breakfast.
DH is called in to wash up as and when I need.

With the food make a timeline so it doesn't all need doing simultaneously.

’project management’🤣

I’d just get a takeaway!

You’re making it far more stressful than it needs to be! Just say ‘last year I felt it all fell to me, so please can everyone else help out more this year?’ and then if you need someone to dollop out the cranberry or whatever just say ‘oi you! Come and help with this please, and pour us all some more fizz while you’re at it/empty the bin etc etc’

@BillyWilliamTheThird so do you have Christmas dinner in the kitchen or in the living room?

I get it but I also think you are probably overthinking it. I use timers on my ipad and this helps, you could put all the food jobs on there, pic attached. Otherwise I would do the following:

• keeping drinks topped up PUT BOTTLES ON THE TABLE, EVERYONE CAN HELP THEMSELVES

• managing the Christmas playlist (DH can’t do this as it will be horrible) WHO CARES? OR IF YOU DO, ORGANISE IT NOW ON SPOTIFY SO ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS PRESS PLAY

• gravy MAKE AHEAD, HEAT ON THE DAY

• sausages and bacon rolls in the airfryer PUT ON YOUR COOKING TIMINGS
• keeping an eye on the potatoes (these will have already been peeled and par boiled) PUT ON YOUR COOKING TIMINGS
• carrots (stove top) PUT ON YOUR COOKING TIMINGS
• peas (microwave) PUT ON YOUR COOKING TIMINGS
• checking the turkey which will have already been stuffed PUT ON YOUR COOKING TIMINGS
• sprouts (pan fried on stove top) PUT ON YOUR COOKING TIMINGS
• crispy breadcrumbs (stove top) PUT ON YOUR COOKING TIMINGS
• warming the bread sauce (microwave) PUT ON YOUR COOKING TIMINGS
• decanting the cranberry sauce PUT ON YOUR COOKING TIMINGS

• decanting brandy butter and clotted cream DO AFTER LUNCH
• prepping the pudding, including brandy for setting the bugger on fire DO AFTER LUNCH

• feeding the dogs and keeping them out of the kitchen LOCK THEM OUT EARLY

• dealing with rubbish, food waste, wrapping paper and recycling THIS IS A DH JOB

• clearing presents out of the living room so the dogs don’t eat any chocolate THIS IS A DH JOB

• dealing with the left overs PART OF CLEAN UP ACTIVITIES

• keeping the dishwasher clear FILL AS YOU GO ALONG

• washing up as we go DON'T BOTHER

• table decoration of some description (usually flowers and candles) GET DPS TO DO

• cutlery, crockery, glassware and serving dishes/ utensils GET KIDS TO DO

• serving food YOU AND DH PUT INTO SERVING DISHES WHEN READY

• clearing the table between courses and after pudding KIDS TO DO

• 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 DO NOW (GET THEM READY)

I do everything in advance feasibly possible, including labelling pots and serving dishes with what will go in each.

Everything not possible goes on my On The Day list, in order, with timings. If I know it is on the list, it doesn't need worrying about & I can relax and enjoy the day. I just need to follow the list & not drink so many glasses of champagne the list goes haywire.

I tend to do a timetable setting out the times at which things need to be done eg turkey in, pigs in, sprouts on etc. to get everything on the table at the same time. I use the same schedule every year and it takes all the stress out. Personally i would cross at least half the things off your list - some don't need doing and some can just be done by whoever offers or is nearest at the relevant time. Handing out jobs in advance feels a bit heavy. People are usually happy to pitch in in the moment and they can just do the job their way rather than you having to explain it. Eg 'can someone pour the drinks' 'can someone lay the table' etc etc.

There’s lots of info out there for prepping stuff way in advance of Christmas Day. Roast potatoes, sprouts, oven roast carrots. A lot of it you can freeze!

Decant stuff night before if you really want to, cover with cling film and into the fridge.

look up Jamie Oliver make ahead gravy. I did it once early Dec. Worked a treat and made epic soup base for Boxing Day.

Or just go to M&S.

Delegation is what will get you through!

But I think OP's list suggest that she is cooking 'just a roast'. Boiled carrots, microwaved peas, cranberry sauce from a jar, one meat etc (no judgement from me on any of that, jolly sensible imo).
If her list contained making multiple glazes, several meats, cranberry sauce from scratch, freshly squeezing oranges, complicates starters from scratch etc, I think she'd have had different responses. But it's turning on the music, putting rubbish in the bin, spooning cranberry sauce into a bowl, bunging some preprepared stuff in the oven/on the hob etc. Non jobs that don't need to be listed/shared out.

One of them needs to cook the dinner, whilst the other one is in charge in the living room, clearing up, dog safety and entertaining the parents (including getting them drinks as needed). Neither job is particularly taxing tbh, plenty of time for everyone to relax.

Two people in charge of cooking, two people in charge of clearing, one person in charge of laying table/seeing to your parents etc. Job done. Why do people make such a big deal about a roast dinner? It sucks all the joy out of the day.