What do you judge about other people’s Christmas dinners?

[Talkingtomyhouseplants]

Lighthearted - we all know every other family apart from our own does it wrong!

Mine are:

• no pigs in blankets
• BOILED veg 🤮
• treating the Christmas cracker like a competition (we are are each person gets their own cracker prize family!)

Me too plus boiled broccoli & mashed swede!

I'm vegetarian too, but it's my decision not to eat meat, just as it's other people's decision to eat it. It's not against the law and it's not exactly a new thing - people have been eating meat since our time began. I've got better things to do on Christmas day than judge someone for eating some turkey.

What a horrible thread

Your question was what do you judge about other people's Christmas dinner and that's what I judge 🤷‍♀️

But it’s nasty judgment gift wrapped as light hearted. Why do you care

I don't understand packet gravy or boxed stuffing. Both are dead easy to make and infinitely better. 🤷‍♀️

It might be your decision, but the animals get no say in it. Who will stand up for their rights if everybody keeps quiet?

And again̈, why is it OK to have a whole thread judging what people are eating for Christmas dinner and yet it's not OK to say I judge them for eating meat?
It's also not against the law to eat boiled vegetables or link arms to pull crackers 🙄

Will you bore off my lightheaded thread please - it’s meant to be a bit of fun.

Making Coronation turkey for the main event.

I'm afraid you can't dictate what people contribute to a thread.

I was about to get all uppity and say how horrible it is to judge and then remembered.....

One year we were invited to friends of mine. I asked what we could bring not least because we had two DCs 10 and 8 and DH is vegetarian. Told it was all in hand and just to bring 'decent' wine and some chutneys for the cheese board.

We brought 6 bottles of real champagne and 6 bottles of the wine I knew they drank (Waitrose picpoul- about £15 each). I also brought a hamper made up of chutneys, homemade truffle chocolates, and a gift for each of the hosts.

They served a ready meal from Asda, which was fine in itself because I thought maybe they were not confident cooks. But it was an individual 'roast dinner' ready meal except for DH where they pooled some of the veg from the other ready meals onto a plate for him (with gravy juices).

They expected total silence from the children. Eventually I asked if the DC could watch a film on their dvd player which I had thankfully brought with me and they sad no as it would be 'too loud' and that the children should be expected to sit there at the table silent while we had adult conversations and then watched the Queen's speech.

They are only 5 years or so older than DH, so it was not really a generational thing (and tbh, you would think most people would be pleased if the kids could go amuse themselves while the adults finished off the wine and chatted). A few days later I got a text message outlining how disappointed they were with the children clearly being bored and suggested that we teach them some manners.

It was fucking miserable.

Gravy granules, because it makes terrible gravy. I make onion gravy ahead of time and bring it to the in-laws so I don't have to have rubbish gravy on my nut roast.

I don't judge anything else; it's just different family traditions and I'm glad to have food made for me.

To be fair it’s a tradition !

i get up at silly in the morning, pop the turkey in the oven and guide mam back to her bed as she’s had an alarm on to get the turkey in the oven and generally emerges just as I finish

and we all go back to sleep for a few hours

it adds to the excitment - I think it’s the getting up in the dark. Putting the turkey on has replaced opening a stocking in the dark ?

That's absolutely right - the animals get no say and it's one of the reasons I gave up eating meat. However, others do eat it and so I focus on myself on Christmas day. You have to be realistic - meat is eaten by much of the world's population, and what we can do is ensure it's raised and despatched as ethically as possible.

Apologies for the thread derail OP!

Because it’s their eldest son’s favourite?

Or just prepared differently? E.g. Carrots cooked in carrot juice, liquid reduced right down, add butter and parsley. 😍

Brussels sprouts fried with bacon, shallots snd parmesan.

The side dishes and trimmings are the bits to have fun with IMO!

I will judge anyone that doesn't do a starter on Cmas day lunch.

Wow!

I was going to say the exact same thing, almost to the word!

I wonder whether some of those who say no to boiled veg do so because they’ve previously been served over boiled veg.

Do agree no to boiled sprouts though, even if not over done. Roasted or sautéed.

I hope you replied, ‘You’re miserable fuckers, never invite us anywhere ever again. Enjoy the Picpoul 🍷’.

😂😂

Complete fail here then as we have boiled veg and no crackers or pigs. I always think the boiled veg are a fresh contrast to all the rich food

What the actual??! That is beyond awful 😲

What did you say in response?! Beyond a big F U obviously.

Anyone that make a massive thing out of cooking, like its the only event of the day. Its a side project for me, whilst legitimately day drinking, breaking for games and pressies. I take shortcuts, red cabbage in a tub, cauliflower cheese prepared on Xmas eve etc.

Boiled / steamed veg is essential for a good Christmas dinner IMO, I would be disappointed if they were all roasted or fried or what's. The veg, tasting just of veg, marry perfectly with the rich gravy and stuffing. Oooh, I love a Christmas dinner.

No Yorkshire puddings on a Christmas dinner is my contribution, they don't belong with turkey and sage n onion flavours.

Wearing the cracker hat is a must though, why wouldn't you?