OT:-What do you have for Xmas dinner?

Pat,

I don't care when we last had turkey, turkey IS Christmas dinner. We have brussel sprouts, stuffing, potatoes etc. I do not make bread sauce very often; if I do it is just for me. The DDEMIL persuaded me to make creamed onions for Thanksgiving before she died. I really loved it, and may do it again. We do not have chippolata sausages, paxo stuffing, such as my Mum would have done. The main dinner is normally filling enough we do not have dessert ( seconds, pudding, sweet etc). I might make some mincepie tartlets, just because I love them.

We may invite some friends to eat with us; his Mother is terminal, so they don't know when they have to run north. It is interesting feeding Terry!!! He thrives on fast food, sandwiches and soup; his wife is more adventurous, but is on Weight Watchers. The invite will be " if you are here come eat with us, bring anything special!!".

Incidentally we had roast chicken with roast potatoes, string beans etc yesterday!

We do not starve!!

gillian

Pat P wrote:

The Australian Christmas dinner varies widely. It is usually around the 100 degrees on Christmas day which is not much fun for cooking a huge meal. Many people, including me prefer the seafood barbeque, king/banana/tiger prawns, red emperor or dhufish among the favourites. Our crayfish (lobster/langoustine) season has just begun and many people, excluding me, love to have them for dinner. The usual accompaniments are salads. Dessert can be just about any kind of cake/gateau/torte you can think of.

Given the temperatures we all try not to have too much in the way of leftovers as salmonella sanwiches or listeria lunches are not popular for New Year!

It is very popular to celebrate "Christmas in July" in July when we are mid winter and you can actually enjoy a roast with all the trimmings.

Joanne in Perth, summery Western Australia

We always have a big joint of beef - either aitchbone or sirloin, depending how many we`re catering for. All the usual things that go with it - yorkshire puddings, the dreaded sprouts, roast potatotoes, parsnips, etc., etc.,by which time no-one really wants the Christmas pudding, so we usually have a trifle.

We generally have a joint of pork cooked just before Christmas Eve, too, which lasts us over the holiday with salads, in sandwiches, etc. I think I`ve got away with it this year though, since no-one`s mentioned it so far - and we have a large ham in the fridge in any case. Whoever turns up there will be plenty for them, one way and another. John loves doing all the cooking at Christmas now.

Pat P

Ooh, Gill - I was in Marks and Sparks yesterday and found mincemeat and cream turnovers! (Like the apple and cream ones). Despite our current respective food regimes we just had to try them. Sheer, unadulterated Heaven! I only wish I could send you some, but they`d definitely have gone off by the time they got there! So I may get some more today and force myself to eat them on your behalf!

Pat P

We still can`t understand why turkey is so popular! We`ve tried it every way you can think of, but it`s still a boring meat. Mind you, Chicken`s not MUCH better, but we do like chicken curry in some form, and Chicken Kiev. I suppose we`re just red meat eaters at heart.

I used to make my own stuffing from scratch in the days when it was more common to have a big chicken for Xmas dinner - I enjoyed doing it, chopping the hot (as in boiled) onions and herbs into the breadcrumbs with a large knife. Paxo is good but not quite the same.

Gill will remember when it was quite an achievement to obtain a chicken for Christmas during the war! As for the Christmas cakes and puddings - the rations had to be saved up for ages (or the ingredients bought on the black market!) and in any case the fruit was supplemented with grated carrot from the garden or allotment!

All the same, nothing you get these days ever seems to taste quite as good - or maybe that`s because anything you could get then was better valued as it was so much harder to get.

Not to mention the fact that you might be interrupted by an air-raid siren! LOL!

Pat P

What we have varies from year to year. Childhood tradition was ham at one grandmother's house and lobster Newburg at the other's. Big breakfast of eggs, bacon and sausage.

My mom changes the menu yearly and sometimes a few times before the family gathering it morphs all over the place.

Here - breakfast tends to be the "big meal" - bacon, sausage, bagels, toast. The mid afternoon meal changes, turkey, standing rib roast, baked potatoes, salad.

Now, the unchanging tradition is the first night of Hanukah meal - that is potato pancakes, made fresh usually by the kids and I, chicken Marsala with mushrooms. Fancy dessert, guests if possible, get dressed up

Cheryl

We have roast duck (or goose, but it is hard to find and usually very expensive), twice baked potatoes, broccoli and Brussel sprouts. My dm usually make Latvian sauerkraut (sweet, with caraway in it). Dessert is ususally something rich and chocolate.

Sorry to reply to my own post - hit send too fast - I have to say that I find making duck very cathartic - I figure out who or what I'm stressed out about, take my fork and go to town piercing the skin!

Now here's a good one..My DMIL cooks all week at a assisted living facility so on weekends, at her house dinner is whatever you find to fix yourself or eat out.. and with Christmas being on a weekend, she's not cooking at all.. So, my SILs are bringing sloppy Joes and baked beans, MIL supplying the chips and dips, and drinks..and I'm supposed to bring the sweets (Cookies, cakes, whatever)...think i'll make some divinity too...but I want Ham (with pineapple over the top) for Christmas Eve dinner..that's what we had when I was a kid and my mother actually cooked. Will pick a small one up next week.

Donna in S. Indiana

For Christmas EVE, our family traditionally eats the German equivalent to wonton soup.

For Christmas DAY, it was whatever was on sale.

At this point, I simply bring home extras from the Chinese restaurant where we go for wonton soup on Christmas Eve. Instead of spending my whole holiday cooking for unappreciative people, I can just wander into the kitchen and reheat some appetizers throughout the day.

Last year was wonderful--turkey stuffed with Chinese sticky rice, and spicy baked sweet potato slices. It was especially wonderful since it was cooked by my dear son and beautiful daughter-in-law, and because my children conspired together to buy me an airplane ticket to be there. The flights were delayed, and turbulent, and involved lots of finger crossing (blizzards again), but that just made everything especially wonderful when I got there. Oh yes--I cooked my own Christmas dinner for DH and DD Christmas Eve. This time I didn't have to witness the endless Parade of the Turkey Sandwiches, the highlight of DH's holiday. Dawne

What's a turkey crown?>

These'd been on the opposite end from the potatoeyes?

Darn it, Darla!!!! Now there's water all over my monitor and keyboard!!!

Joan, rotfl!!!!

LOLOL! I did that just for you Darla, to see if you were still on the ball! (Can`t you see my nose growing?)

Pat P

We don't have a set traditional dinner. I make a nut stollen for breakfast - that has become a tradition. Then for lunch we usually just do cold cut platters and potato salad. That's from the days that we had the extended family gathered here on Christmas and the kids were small and gift-opening was an all-afternoon affair (and too many people for a proper sit-down); we'd break for a buffet-style meal in the middle. One year we went to DS's house, and he's vegan, so he made a big pot of vegan chili and that really hit the spot. This year is the first that it'll just be the four of us at home (myself, DH, and two DDs), so I think we'll probably end up with Chinese carryout after seeing the "Narnia" movie. Time to invent a new tradition, methinks!

Sue

That sounds really relaxed and fun! A girl after my own heart! Christmas can turn into SO much jard work, if you let it!

Pat P

This year I'm fixing a ham (love ham - turkey is booorring) and just causual buffet lunch/dinner type food so we won't have to do a lot of cooking on Christmas Day. Will have a big pot of bean vegetable soup to go with it and cheddar biscuits, cherry-cranberry sauce, some sort of veggie (haven't looked through all my recipes yet) to start. Desserts will be at least one chocolate and one something else - apple? pumpkin cheesecake? not sure yet. Also baking a small brie in puff pastry for a snacky-appetizer as well.

And Sue...you will LOVE the Narnia movie. I had a vacation day on opening day and went to a matinee by myself - divine! Promised my son I'll take him next week so darn, I'll have to see it again. I'm also almost done re-reading the whole Chronicle series....had to explain to my kids this was what I read growing up because Harry Potter didn't exist {LOL}

MelissaD