Chickendoodle Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 No starters here but I follow the Delia Christmas day recipes - have done for over 20 years and woe betide me if I ever try to change anything - made a different stuffing one year and there was an uproar So. we have Turkey stuffed with chestnut and sausagemeat stuffing and covered in crispy bacon Pigs in blankets Bacon rolls Sausages Parmesan coated parsnips - best ever parsnip recipe! Bread sauce - heavy on the cloves and I make double quantity as it is very popular Roast potatoes Sprouts Carrots Gravy Christmas pud with a choice of rum sauce/cream/brandy butter. No-one really wants much but it is the Christmas taste so we have to have it. If I havbe a houseful I also make Christmas pudding ice cream - another lovely Delia recipe I absolutely love making Christmas dinner. I always take Christmas Eve off work and make the stuffing, par boil the parsnips and coat them in the flour/parmesan and leave them ready on a tray to ready to oven cook, peel the potatoes and put them in water, peel the sprouts and carrots and put in plastic bags in the fridge, weigh out the breadcrumbs etc for the bread sauce, stud the onion with cloves, make the pigs in blankets, lay out the sausages, make the stock from the giblets (giblet treat for the animals on Christmas Eve). This just leaves the minimum to do on Christmas Day and it means I can have the odd sherry without worrying about the dinner. We eat at 2 after snacking all morning on chocolates/crisps/jelly bellys - how is it possible to eat so much in 1 day! For the first time since I can remember I do not have my vegan stepdaughter on Christmas Day so no need to make the nut roast this year (or take out some potatoes/parsnips and cook them in vegetable oil) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 We are pretty traditional here, my OH and DS love turkey, so it will be a free range bronze with all the trimmings, we all love sprouts so there will be lots of those We are debating when to eat this year, for the past couple of years we have eaten at 2pm and watched the queen at 3pm all very traditional, but this year we are debating eating later because we normally eat our main meal in the evening. DS is not happy because he wants his turkey sandwich with loads of salad creeam for his tea as usual We don't have starters, just a good breakfast of sparking wine and panatonne. I must admit I am with DS on timing really because I love a late tea of turkey, and cheese and we have to have celery and cucumber and I agree on Pringles I love them at Christmas, a guilty pleasure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I'll have 10 family members for Christmas day, so a bit of a squeeze. None of them really like turkey, but I have a 10lb free range cockerel lined up Starters are usually something fishy, perhaps in filo pastry this year. Although last year I did a warm salad of thinly sliced pigeon breasts in a red wine sauce. A very traditional main course with lots of side dishes including carrots with ginger, honey roasted chipolatas and roasted parsnips, bread sauce and yorkshires. Dessert is usually a mix of things - I always do a pavlova, then there's usually something chocolatey, and Phil's mother brings her delicious fruit salad. Rosie helps me in the kitchen and Phil's good at tidying up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 ooh Chickendoodle, thanks for that - I have been wondering how much I could do the day before, and you've just given me a perfect itinerary! I might even make the bread sauce the weekend before and freeze it. i'm very tempted by the Delia CP Icecream - I feel I have to do a traditional dinner with Xmas pud, but I know we'll all feel too full. *trots off to look up recipe* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I prep as much as I can too Olly - it pays off on the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 Veg is always prepared Christmas Eve here too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickendoodle Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Here is the Christmas ice cream recipe http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/sweet/iced-christmas-pudding-with-glace-fruits.html As you can see it is very low fat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Mmm, and with all that fruit, it must count as one of your 'five a day'? I might actually try that this weekend - just in the interest of research, you understand. I am having an early 'Christmas' with my two sisters, who are both coming to stay, and this would be good for pudding on Saturday night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Mmm, and with all that fruit, it must count as one of your 'five a day'? No doubt. The problem is the other nine of one's "five a day" that have already been consumed within the preceding few hours. Still, it's only once a year.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowberry Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 No starters here but I follow the Delia Christmas day recipes - have done for over 20 years and woe betide me if I ever try to change anything - made a different stuffing one year and there was an uproar So. we have Turkey stuffed with chestnut and sausagemeat stuffing and covered in crispy bacon Pigs in blankets Bacon rolls Sausages Parmesan coated parsnips - best ever parsnip recipe! Bread sauce - heavy on the cloves and I make double quantity as it is very popular Roast potatoes Sprouts Carrots Gravy Christmas pud with a choice of rum sauce/cream/brandy butter. No-one really wants much but it is the Christmas taste so we have to have it. If I havbe a houseful I also make Christmas pudding ice cream - another lovely Delia recipe I absolutely love making Christmas dinner. I always take Christmas Eve off work and make the stuffing, par boil the parsnips and coat them in the flour/parmesan and leave them ready on a tray to ready to oven cook, peel the potatoes and put them in water, peel the sprouts and carrots and put in plastic bags in the fridge, weigh out the breadcrumbs etc for the bread sauce, stud the onion with cloves, make the pigs in blankets, lay out the sausages, make the stock from the giblets (giblet treat for the animals on Christmas Eve). This just leaves the minimum to do on Christmas Day and it means I can have the odd sherry without worrying about the dinner. We eat at 2 after snacking all morning on chocolates/crisps/jelly bellys - how is it possible to eat so much in 1 day! For the first time since I can remember I do not have my vegan stepdaughter on Christmas Day so no need to make the nut roast this year (or take out some potatoes/parsnips and cook them in vegetable oil) I have Eastbourne in the satnav & am coming round! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickendoodle Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 I normally have 10 for dinner and only have 5 this year so there is room Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pips_pekins Posted December 3, 2011 Author Share Posted December 3, 2011 I normally have 10 for dinner and only have 5 this year so there is room If only we were nearer to Eastbourne It sounds delicious. I am very impressed by how well organised you all are. I have always just got up extra early to prep. After breakfast, OH usually does the spuds. After lunch, I have some willing helpers who will clear up and put everything away as if it never happened Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 Just to point out what many of you will already know, but is particularly useful to remember at Christmas..... The normal temperature for a fridge is between 2 and 4 deg C. Around 25th December, garden sheds and garages are often a similar temperature. Therefore, you can use your shed or garage as extra fridge space, allowing you to do an awful lot more prep than might otherwise be possible. It's also much easier to keep your bird in one of those outbuildings than in the fridge, so long as it's suitably covered to avoid attracting pests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted December 3, 2011 Share Posted December 3, 2011 We use the garage or outside for storing vegetables and drinks and sometimes the turkey in a coolbox. It was too cold outside last year, we had frozen swede! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 we were knee deep in snow last year so I had a bank of recycling crates outside the back door with chilled stuff in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pudding Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 we were knee deep in snow last year so I had a bank of recycling crates outside the back door with chilled stuff in. Same here DM! This year will be the first for a long time where it is just the four of us. We are really looking forward to that, DS1 has no intention of getting dressed ! Over the years we have had most things feathered (turkey, capon, chicken, goose) for Christmas dinner, this year we have ordered two brace of pheasant which our wonderful butcher will prep for us. With the pheasant we are thinking of red cabbage with apples, stuffing with chestnuts (I love chestnuts), roast potatoes, carrots, roast parsnips. Pudding is my homemade Christmas pudding, already maturing in the cupboard with 11 others, and this year we are starting with scallops and black pudding. After the pudding OH and I will be sampling our homemade quince brandy (and quite possibly the homemade raspberry vodka and sloe gin too ). All this will start at about 3pm and I will be amazed if we finish eating before 8pm. We take it slowly and have long play breaks between courses. I am lucky enough to have married an enthusiastic cook, so won't have to do any cooking on the day, just reheat and flame the pudding, and help tidy up. The DSs help peel and prep the veg on Christmas eve (including four sprouts, one each) so there is not too much for their Dad to do on Christmas day, and it is their job to load and unload the dishwasher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 I cook with Rosie helping, Phil isn't a cook, so he's on tidying duties, which he does very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Well, as i said in the Groupon thread it might be MacDonalds Christmas day. I have the inlaws coming down and the are a little fussy so it's turkey (if it turns up) but i might add a twist. We always give our dogs some meat and veg as a treat and day they are allowed inside in front of the fire at night. I shall have to take a photo of four gun dogs being bullied by two rabbits for best fire spot . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 that'll be one for the forum K. I wouldn't rate the bunnies' chances if those dogs were my lurchers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stehaggan Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 We had an xmas dinner on sunday with crackers and everything as the OH parents were visiting from Spain (Where it is still hot and sunny ) We had for starters: Mini sweet peppers filled with goats cheese and roasted, served on a baby salad leaf bed with balsamic dressing (Yum yum). Main: Roast turkey and ham with all the trimmings Dessert: Rum and raising cheesecake AND A raspberry Victoria Sandwich from GBBO book! There will be 8 of us on Xmas day this year so we are offering people choices: When we do Xmas dinner it will be: Starter: Brocolli and Stilton Soup or Homemade pate with toast(or maybe ham hock terrine with picalilly - i havent decided yet! Main: Roast Turkey and a smoke gamon Joint with all the trimmings Dessert: Homemade Cholocate Profiteroles or Homemade raspberry cream filled profiteroles with white chocolate sauce or Heston Blumenthalls candied orange pudding with some sort of cream from Waitrose! I love xmas food but i dont love the post xmas weight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Very traditional here, I would be lynched if I tried to change things! So smoked salmon to start, turkey and all the trimmings and Xmas Pud with brandy sauce. I get a Kelly Bronze turkey, which everyone loves, and a divine pudding from the Carved Angel ( I'm very embarrassed to admit this when so many of you seem to make your own, but I have never made one that tastes anything like as delicious as this one ). I don't eat meat, so always make Delia's Cheese and Parsnip Roulade too, which is perfect since it goes so well with all the veg and trimmings and everyone always has a slice with their turkey! We never have room for cheese etc, so have a few hours break before we start eating bread sauce and cranberry sarnies in front of the telly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammiboo Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 Traditional for us! Although i think i may have smoked salmon with cream cheese and poached egg on an english muffin with a glass of bucks fizz for brekkie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 I was going to have home grown cockerel but he's tomorrows dinner instead as I've treated myself to a 3 bird roast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 I have a giant cockerel running round that will be Christmas dinner I didnt get attached to this one! last year's was still alive in August this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie45 Posted December 10, 2011 Share Posted December 10, 2011 Having beef this year, as its just self and OH. A turkey is too big and there is a limit to leftovers. I used to make christmas puds using my mother's recipe but now the children have flown the nest its not really worth it. However got 2 of the mini Heston puds from Waitrose so will have to see how they compare. I made some chestnut ice cream this afternoon so if the puds are not nice we can pile on the calories with the ice cream. Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
