Help! Calling all you clever MNers. I need help planning Christmas.

[fanjolina]

Was planning to have a quiet family Christmas with me, DH and DCs (3 DCs - ages from 4 to 7 months).

But as of today I now have to cook for 16!

DH's family and mine are both descending. I am working til lunchtime on Christmas Eve and don't even have time to think about what to prepare. Help!!

Additional guests range from my parents (easy

• just feed and ply with some booze) to his parents and aged aunt (very traditional, want all the sauces, accompaniments, don't drink and like lots of games/entertainment put on), to very 'trendy' SILs & partners who will want posh nosh and good wine.

All I have in so far is a frozen 3-in-1 bird from Aldi that won't feed all of us and Aldi are not getting anymore in.

So I need ideas for:

• easy starter (was thinking soup, as can make this weekend and freeze)

• what else to do for main course. Beef? What sauces etc do I need? I have never even eaten bread sauce, let alone made it

• impressive dessert. Wills buy Christmas pudding for traditionalist, but my parents won't eat it. Thinking of making a passionfruit cheesecake and a pavlova - can I make them in advance?

• how to make the table look impressive, especially as I need to overcome how crap the jumbled seating and begged/borrowed/stolen plates and glasses to cover all 16 are going to look

• any games, fun things, little touches to make the day more special?

Aarrghh!! There is too much to do. I am panicking.

And none of them can help. They are all travelling far to get here. Yes, it is an imposition but it is because of various family disasters this week that they all need to come here.

Chocolate bomb is very easy and very yummy (and filling!)

Make a chocolate cake (as big as you can)
Grease a glass/pyrex bowl
When the cake is cool (can even be a day or 2 later) break up into small pieces into the greased bowl.
Make a mixture of milk, teaspoon of coffee granules, teaspoon of cocoa and good dollop of golden syrup, mix over low heat til all combined.
Pour over the cakey bits in bowl, keep squishing it down and add enough of the milk mixture so that is moist but not runny.
Cover with clingfilm and put in fridge for min 12hrs

To serve, turn out on plate (may have to leave it upside down for 30mins or so, and serve with cream, ice cream etc.

Good luck!!

Lots of good ideas for the pudding - thanks! ForlornHope - is that recipe in the MN recipe section? Will have a look into all these recipes and choose which to do.
So that should be pudding sorted

Have carrot & coriander soup bubbling away on stove at moment, so that is starter sorted

Great idea about Nigella's ham, nouveaupauvre. Have done that before and can do it in the slow cooker, as I am worried about amount of oven space on day.
So with that and the current frozen bird, that should be meat for main course sorted

MiuMiu - thanks for the tips of the veg. That's the area of the meal I am feeling least confident about.

Have started making my centrepiece now.

And am starting to relax a bit. Thank you all!

I am a teacher and free over Christmas. If I can physically help in any way... please contact me: [email protected]

blondebird, that is so, so kind of you. I am overwhelmed that you would offer to do such a thing.

I do think I have it all under control now. Was major panic last night, but all the good advice from MN has helped me. Have prepared lots today. Have plans in place for what to do each evening and am going to get bolshy with the guests and put them to work too!!

Thank you all so much

Good for you fanjolina. I bet you have a fantastic time .

easy cheesecake ,can be made up to 2 days before.
1 packet of crushed ginger nuts
2 oz butter
tin of carnation condensed milk
5 lemons
450mls doulble cream

1.melt butter,add gingernuts and coat.

1. fill flan dish with biscuits and chill.

3 grate rind off 5 lemons.

1. 10 tbsp lemon juice

5 whip condensed milk and lemon juice and grated peel together til thick. 6 add double cream and whip til almost thick. (not to stiff otherwise the cheesecake is too thick and claggy) coat ginger biscuits and chill. simple but a lovely lemony flavour after a rich meal.

homemade celery and leek soup

16oz leeks
8oz celery
8 oz onions
bouquet garni
butter to fry veg
2tbsp plain flour
800mls water
2tbsp knorr liquid chicken stock
crumbles stilton

1.fry all veg until softened
2.put in lge saucepan and add water seasoning,bouquet garni and stock.

when cooked whizz through and make it as smooth or as lumpy as you want.
serve with crumbles stilton.....absolutely yummy.

Black forest trifle

Get a big bowl
Slice a chocolate swiss roll up and put it in the bottom of the bowl
Tip most of a tin of black cherries over the top (save a bit of juice and a few cherries for later
Make a blackcurrant jelly - add a bit of cherry juice and something alcoholic if you fancy
Pour jelly over swiss roll and cherries
Put in fridge until jelly sets
Top with whipped cream
Decorate with left over cherries and a crumbled flake.

Very easy & very popular

Good luck.

Glad to hear all is well. Merry Christmas!

her eit is - make it in one loaf tin or in ramekins

thanks FH. If I don't make for Christmas, I will def make another time

FH - do you think it would work if I added Baileys to it?

And how far in advance can I make it? A couple of days?

months if you want
i wodner if alcohol might affect the freezability of it?
tbh its SO rich you dont need it anyway

I read this and was going to suggest the game almondfinger suggested. It is great!

that's what I was wondering - if it will affect it freezing. could just serve it with shots of baileys instead!

we will def be playing that game cleanandclothed! thanks to almondfinger for reminding me about it

FH - have made the choc mousse slice

When I take it out of the freezer do I turn it out of the loaf tin to defrost, or defrost in the tin?

And if I take it out of the freezer on Christmas morning is that too early? (We'll be eating desert around 3pm)

i get it out when they arrive so yes 3 is too early
tis piss easy and dlish inst it?

do i de tin it or not? hmm am not sure i thin i leave it in
i put a plastic freexer bag over the loaf tin to make it air tight in freezer

hmm...I replied to you but post has gone?!

It would have been piss easy had I not made double quantities - took blardy ages to get 10 egg whites whipped into peaks! And I don;t know yet if it is delish or not cos I followed your strict instructions not to taste! But I have faith in you!

So plan for Christmas day should be:

• take out of freezer when guests sit down for dinner
• leave mousse in loaf tin
• when ready to serve, tip out of tin (I assume it should retain its shape, not collapse and look like a fresh cowpat?)
• serve and gobble enjoy

?