Xmas dinner: what lessons have you learned this year ...

[franch]

... especially about labour saving: what you can cut corners on, how much you can do in advance etc?

I'd say:

• buy all the sauces, stuffing, gravy, sausages and bacon thingies ready made - also M&S pudding (the connoisseur one) was fab.
• parboil potatoes in advance and freeze.
• prepare veg the day before.

I'm making a note of all this now - come Dec 09 I won't be able to remember any of it.

Don't bother to make Viennese red cabbage as you have to wash the tablecloth twice to get the stains out.

Don't attempt to have Christmas pudding after Christmas lunch, have strawberries or melon instead.

Good tips Swedes - your red cabbage does sound nice tho ... And I'm afraid my lot (including me) are too piggy to be happy with melon after Xmas lunch ...

Don't try and steam cabbage in the microwave again. IT DOSEN'T WORK

How ever many roasties you have made, it is never enough. In fact, you can forget about everything else and just do lovely roasties and gravy. They will be so busy falling on them they will not notice that there is no turkey!

And as an aside, never set up your Wii Fit just after Christmas lunch. You will weight 5 stone more than you thought and be thoroughly demotivated

That you need to give all your attention to emptying a large & heavy pan of par-boiled potatoes into a tray of hot oil. Otherwise you might drop them all over the kitchen floor.

I also learned that a quick wipe with strong kitchen towel will remove dog hairs from par-boiled potatoes that have been dropped all over the kitchen floor.

agree with snowballs just make 4 times as many roast potatoes as you think necessary and don't bother too much with the 5 other different types of vegetables.

will also not be bothering with christmas pudding again as everyone just way too full.

Making it as stress-free as possible makes everyone's Christmas happier I ditched turkey this year, and did THE most gorgeous Beef wellington, most of which I prepared in advance. On Christmas Day, I stuck it in the oven for 30mins- none of this worry about giving people food poisoning, cook for 5 hrs etc. Usually I go way over the top on food. We still had 4 courses (never made it to the cheeseboard or the coffee and mince pies, but thought managing 4 was ok!) But this year I was much more laid back- consequently everyone raved about the meal, it ALL got eaten (pretty much- Uncle took a plate home for today!) and I was calm. I also built plenty of time in between courses- we left xmas pud and cheesecake for almost an hour or so before we were all ready to eat again.

It was definitely one of my better Christmasses . In short, don't invite anyone you don't actually WANT there, keep the food good and simple and RELAX

Oh, and don't listen to Parky on the M&S advert when he tells you that the Christmas Pud cheesecake is a perfect compromise. It's farking enormous and if the family don't like Christmas Pud, they won't like this either!!!!!

went ok this year but lessons learned

-sainsburys deluxe christmas pud was delicious. Even those who don't like christmas pud ate this one (was quite nutty, not so fruity iyswim) so will get that again. Their turkey was also divine.

• my red cabbage also didn't work so well. Was so busy concentrating on the roast pots and parsnips and carrots that I couldn't spend as much time on the red cabbage as was needed so was a bit chunky and the sauce not as good as normal

-cheese board very popular and good for tea (we ate at 1pm and then all went for a walk and came back and had the cheese later)

-didn't do starters and won't again. Next year will do more chipolatas as we didn't have many left (and quite handy as leftovers)

lol vanessa

oh and I quite liked having to do all the cooking because
a) it meant dh had to clean and tidy the house as I insisted I didn't have time and
b) I could chase the children out and have a bit of quiet drinking time peace and quiet before everyone arrived

Don't invite people for Champagne at noon and sit and enjoy the Champagne and their company when you are meant to be in the kitchen pulling the lunch together.

My lesson learnt that we didn't need Xmas dinner at all just bung anything in the oven and once enough chocolate and wine has been consumed you're feeling totally festively.

yes my lesson learned from christmas 2007 was Do Not, under any circumstances, OPEN the champagne while you start cooking because chances are, when you've finished cooking, you will be totally pissed and either have to carry on drinking or go to sleep and wake up with a hangover at about 4pm

That the food standards agency timings for cooking a goose are crap. Yes, there was no chance of us getting food poisoning by the time it had turned into one giant crispy goose but we were after succulent not chinese style!

we got the sainsbury's taste the difference onion gravy and it was really nice - saved time and hassle. Also we got a boneless stuffed turkey from marks and spencer which was nice ( not as nice as one with its skeleton though!). But it only took 2 hrs to cook and the carving etc is so much easier....would definitely do it again that wasy!didn't have to make the stuffing either.

Not to cook turkey again as no bugger in my family likes it and I only cook it 'cause its traditional . Next year will cook v good steaks or Beef Wellington type thing or duck breasts with nice fruity sauce and saute potatoes.

Will remember to hide kids' selection boxes or give on Boxing day so they can't scoff them before lunch then feign illness as an excuse to leave the table

Buy all the veg pre-peeled from Tesco.
Double the number of roast potatoes.
Serve chocolate sponge to the children again instead of Xmas pudding.

That I will be soaking my turkey every year but it does need to be covered in foil whatever Nigella says.

It is very difficult to cook Christmas dinner when half your kitchen is still unpacked in the garage.

That if you are trying to make roast poatatoes, glaze a turkey, make yorkshire puddings, prepare bruessled and make 2 deserts at once you are going to over parboil you potatoes.

To make more roast potatoes.

Mmm, I'll come to yours Twinset, I love it when the potatoes have been over-par-boiled!

I learned that i make the best chicken gravy in the world It is the first time I have made real gravy, or cooked xmas dinner

I also learned you can never have enough crackers and my top oven doesn't work and that if you have a new oven it might be a good idea to find out how it works before you start cooking.

• write an itinerary for the cooking process to take the pressure off on the day.
• set the table on Christmas Eve
• Make a space in the kitchen and get out all crockery, serving dishes etc first thing
• Make the dinner, turn oven off and then stick everything back in (covered) except turkey whilst you have starter
• light starter/ nibbles rather than soup.
• Allow more than 4 pigs in blankets per person!
• No need for xmas pud.. make the mistake every year though!

Tinselian my potatoes were especially delicious and don't know if that was to do with the over par-boiling. But we did loose half of our potatoes.

Shesells I am getting used to a relatively new oven have worked out my top oven cooks slow and the main too high/

go to the local marks garage shop and buy the lot.