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Original poster

Is Christmas Dinner really THAT important to you?

106 replies

Hulababy · 19/12/2005 21:22

Just curious, and following on from other threads.

You see, it isn't for me. We always have something nice. DH and DD are having fillet steak. I am having a fish in creamy sauce off pastry parcel thing (will prep day before). Serving it with lots of roasted veggies, and some prouts

But I don't spend ages over it, and it is a really small part of our day.

Maybe it is because it is just the three of us on the day.

We have chocolate for breakfast, chocolate for pudding and chocolate for tea . Well, maybe some soup and fresh bread for supper. And a decent, but easily prepared meal in the middle of the day.

i really do treat it as the one day where I am not prepared to spend half the day int he kitchen. I want to be inthe living room, drinking champagne with DH, watching DD open and play with her presents all morning instead.

Is anyone else in the lazy camp too?

OP posts:

harpsiheraldangelssing · 19/12/2005 22:03

ah no it's not just an effing dinner is it
like it's not just an effing day...
it is loaded with significance and tradition and expectation and guilt and oh god I could go on....

galaxy · 19/12/2005 22:03

I felt really guilty 3 years ago as we had my mum up for Christmas and as kids, we had really wild and exciting Christmas days followed by playing games into the late night. When she came to us, we were in bed by 10:30 and I think she was bored

PrincessPlumPuddingHead · 19/12/2005 22:04

I think if there are just 3 of you then you can do what you like. There are always a cast of thousands at our xmas lunches (huge families on both sides so even if you see hardly any of them you are seating at least 12) so frankly a roast bird is a lot less effort than individulal fillet steaks etc. .

puffoeufnog · 19/12/2005 22:07

No it isn't, and what I'm planning is fairly straightforward.

I don't like Christmas and will be glad when it's all over, indeed when winter as a whole is over.

Bozza · 19/12/2005 22:15

Hmm I did casseroles after DD's Christening (after buffet at pub also) and it went down OK. DS and DD would love either of your casseroles and the Yorkshire puddings but unfortunately have one or two fussy eaters (adults!) in the extended family.

Original poster

Hulababy · 19/12/2005 22:18

Ah - only one fussy eater in our family and they eat this type of stuff luckily. If anyone winges they can go sort themselves out. I hear the local takeaway is open

OP posts:

Mercy · 19/12/2005 22:19

Homemade bread sauce is the biz.

But at teh end of the day, food wise Christmas is crap in our house. dh doesn't eat meat, kids won't eat potatoes or cheese or broccoli or 'chewy' meat and I don't like turkey very much.

If I was on my own I'd join the serious foodies lot even though i can't cook for toffee - but I'd give it a damn good try

Bozza · 19/12/2005 22:25

Doubt ours would be - we're a bit in the sticks. Have until Wednesday at 5pm (when Asda order has to be in) to ponder.

hativity · 19/12/2005 22:49

I am in both camps. we have Christmas dinner on Christmas eve - this works really well, for as long as you are cooking it's not technically Christmas - so you don;t resent it - but then, pyschologically, Christnmas starts when you sit down to eat. Which means our Christmas is about 6 hours longer than everyone else's. Christmas Day is then highly relaxed and I make it my rule that this is one day of the year I do exactly what dds want - no "in a minute" "when i've finished this" etc etc. It also means you can have a lush (but easy) Christmas breakfast without getting too stuffed. Have done this for about 4 years now and can't imagine reverting.

christmaslovingbluealien · 19/12/2005 22:59

well, tbh, i have slaved over the stove for far far longer when doing a formal dinner party invite. comparatively a christmas roast is easy. its just a case of stuffing the bird, sticking in the oven, and then peeling and chopping loads of veg and preparing them. either by chucking in theoven, or steaming.
the longest is the gravy, but even that i just leave on the stove to simmer for several hours.

kama · 19/12/2005 23:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

RachD · 21/12/2005 09:34

We all love a roast.
Not that keen on turkey.
So we are having lamb.
A huge, whole leg of lamb, just for the three of us.
With proper roasties & loads of veg.

I just love roasts and like christmas, so the two go together perfectly.

Can't wai, can taste the lamb from here....mmmmmmm.....

handlemecarefully · 21/12/2005 09:36

Hulababy - I applaud your relaxed and liberated style, but sadly I am stultified by convention and for me it just wouldn't be Christmas without 'all the works'

LizzylouDonkey · 21/12/2005 09:43

We're having roast beef and yorkshire pudding with some nice veg...not massive fan of turkey anyway or bread sauce but will miss chestnut stuffing (though not peeling the darn things). We are having christmas pudding with my absolute favourite brandy butter for dessert, so some nod to tradition.
For Boxing Day we are off to SIL's for an Indian banquet.

arfuryourselfamerrylittlexmas · 21/12/2005 09:44

We all enjoy the traditional christmas lunch but for us the best bit is eating the cold turkey and ham with sausages in bacon and stuffing etc with cheese and crackers and pickles etc for many days after. We do as much prep as we can the night before so everything is ready to go on xmas day and not too stressful and then relish the thought of no cooking for 4 or 5 days after although we do occasionally throw a jacket spud or chips in the oven!

Blandmum · 21/12/2005 09:50

I enjoy christmas dinner, but it isn't such a big thing for me, as I usualy cook a sunday roast and the xmas dinner is just a posh one of those!

handlemecarefully · 21/12/2005 09:51

[middle englander horror expression emoticon at the levity with which Christmas dinner is being treated with on this thread]

eefs · 21/12/2005 09:59

I lurve it, but I love a roast dinner anyway and this is just an extended version. This year I'm cooking for 14 adults so will be spending a bit of time in the kitchen, but with wine in hand and children underfoot so I don't feel left out.

Enideepmidwinter · 21/12/2005 10:31

Yes it is very important to me

i dont understand people who say they want to 'treat it as the one day where I am not prepared to spend half the day int he kitchen'. IME if you aren't prepared to make an effort for your family on Christmas day then you probably are not the kind of person who spends much time in the kitchen anyway.

Anyway, Boxing day is for relaxing chez Enid.

Enideepmidwinter · 21/12/2005 10:32

everyone spends a lot of time in our kitchen anyway so I would never feel left out. And I'd rather be making parsley sauce than constructing a marble run anyway

DinosaurInAManger · 21/12/2005 10:32

Yes, it's hugely important. It makes me feel like part of a long line of marvellous women and fantastic cooks (not that I am one, but I can dream!). It is very significant to me.

SackAche · 21/12/2005 10:33

Well I love it! I've only cooked 3 Christmas dinners so far as before that I was at my Mum and Dads house. Now we have lunch at our house.... then I take my homemade desserts (trifle and Christmas Cake) to my Mums and we get slaughtered!!!

CrystalmasJingleTips · 21/12/2005 10:35

Can't stand the Roast DInner - but Lurve the sarnies afterwards .... loads of chutneys and mustard and lettuce and stuff ..... to hide the taste of the turkey

FrenchKissUnderMistletoeGirl · 21/12/2005 10:35

it's the first time I make it this year as normally we go to my parents' in France
Am really stressed about it as Xmas eve is also a big thing for me and am very worried it won't be as glam as when my mum makes it all!

SantaClausFrau · 21/12/2005 10:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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