We are spending Christmas this year with my parents and siblings. (Do so every other year, usually have a lovely time.) We don't do big presents, try to keep it minimalist but thoughtful and have a price limit of 10 pounds per person.
Nobody really needs anything, and doing something special with 10 pounds takes quite a bit of effort and inspiration, so this is the best plan I've come up with so far (please don't say it's awful because I think I'd better go with it now - also I genuinely think it will go down quite well):
Everyone gets a box (open, bit like a hamper) full of nicely wrapped packages. The boxes aren't allocated in advance to a specific person, so there is bit of a lucky-dip element. The contents of the packages are the ingredients for a recipe (will think of some way round the problem of perishables), the recipe itself is also included, obviously, and each person then has to gets to cook their thing for everyone at some point over the next few days, perhaps with another person of their choice. That way, we all get to eat nice treats, parents don't have to do all the catering, and varying combinations of people get to have companionable kitchen chats.
So, there are five adults to do this for, and I was thinking along the lines of two savoury meals, two sweet things and some kind of boozy Christmas drink. Would like it to be simple but a bit special, and probably vegetarian. Does anyone not think this is totally weird and want to suggest any recipes?
Thanks very much
(Am mostly-lurker but have name-changed anyway just in case recipients are stalking me.)