Christmas Preparations

[Slab]

Ok there's a lot of crap going on in the world but with a week to go this is a light hearted covid free thread to talk about how you're preparing for Christmas day this year. A thread to post what your plans are, what do you have to do/get/arrange etc, things you can't get ... and also to discuss just how bad sprouts really are!

We already have the Mince Pie thread (which deserves its own one) & needs to continue, but aside from that, what are you up to?

We're going to a friends place on the day (& staying over) and decided to go a bit retro (prawn cocktail etc) so while it sounds trivial I somehow volunteered to make the 70's style sherry trifle. Ok so its not a MasterChef challenge but it'll be a first for me & currently I'm googling the 'recipe'

I've some other stuff to post but this'll get it started......

 

[jim8flog]

The countdown starts next Monday mind you with the weather we have today the tree might go up early.

There is nothing retro about prawn cocktail. A firm family tradition in my family and always looked forward to by all. The only time I get moans about it is if I have got lazy and not made my own sauce.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

This year it’s prob the first year that the daughter has got really excited and is loving all the lights and decorations , trees etc - she can’t stop singing Xmas songs and has really got the spirit of it all.

We will be spending Xmas day with her family which will be great, all the food had been purchased , will have the normal Boxing Day tipster which will be virtual this year but beyond the bank holiday days I will be working

 

[Orikoru]

Still don't really know. Usually it's pub Christmas Eve, wife's family Christmas Day, drinks with friends at our house Christmas Day evening, my family Boxing Day. This year it's maybe a Zoom drink xmas eve, still her parents on xmas day, flying visit to mine to do parents, one or two friends in the evening, then bugger all on Boxing Day. Had to do that way round so as not to see friends and then my parents, we're thinking it's better this way round. Probably still breaks some regulation or other but I'm blowed if I can keep up with what they are.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

For the past few years we have had my wife's family over, parents, sister and brother. This year it is us alone, my wife plus 2 kids. Her parents are elderly and so vulnerable to covid. We are playing safe and keeping apart from them.

Another vote for a prawn cocktail starter. No modern take on it, we love the classic 80's style . Turkey dinner (I vote against this every year and lose every year) including the hateful sprouts. My wife likes them so they are in. I'd make them illegal. The quandry is what pudding? I'm the only Christmas pud person and I am usually highly stuffed so this year we are thinking of something different. I'm pushing for a lemon meringue pie. I love them and they are light to eat.

In the evening we love a picky tea as we call it. Cheese plus a range of chinese nibbles, the sort that go in the oven for 10-15 minutes. All of this with chocolate interludes.

We have a dog so a couple of walks will do us all good and are generally very jolly with everyone out being very cheery.

As the extended family will not be here this year we are going over the top in getting games ready so that we can keep everything festive. We don't want it to be an electronics Christmas, we are going a bit old school.

 

[GB72]

A bit of common sense has broken out. The inlaws were pushing for a 3 day, 2 night stay at theirs but finally agreed that this is too risky and would break all of the recommendations made (long trip, different tiers, overnight stays etc) so now we are going to travel down Xmas day, have lunch socially distanced in a ventilated room and drive home. 6 hours in the car but worth it. That then means that my wife and I can have our annual tradition of Boxmas. As we do not have kids, we have always been expected to travel to other family members for Xmas and so had no routine or tradition of our own, so we started having Boxmas. We will have our Xmas day on boxing day, this year just the 2 of us so champagne breakfast, bad Xmas films and nibbles, full roast dinner, xmas pudding, cheese board, port, the full works. Exchange presents between ourselves on Boxmas as well.

 

[Bdill93]

Xmas Eve - golfing with my old man and friends, followed by a visit to the butchers to collect the xmas meats and then the evening at my in laws for the classic finger food buffet. Mother in law likes to shop at waitrose these days, looking forward to this years selection!!

Xmas day - visit the wifes family at her sisters in the morning, followed by the rest of the day at my parents. No starters in the Dillon house, turkey roast followed by xmas pud, followed by cheese, wine, port, more wine and probably more wine after that!

 

[Beezerk]

We usually go down to the in laws for Xmas but we've decided against it this year just to be on the safe side.
Some friends go out for a curry every Xmas day so we had booked to go with them, tier 3 has put paid to that.
Instead we're going around to their house along with another friend and are going to maybe cook a curry or try and order one for delivery. Needless to say there will be copious amounts of alcohol consumed whatever we do ???

 

[Pathetic Shark]

Talk to my sisters in Australia first thing - 18 holes golf - calls with Junior Shark and other members of the family - cook myself a really decent turkey dinner and then have a virtual meal with friends in Florida who will have timed their dinner the same.

 

[Orikoru]

We usually go down to the in laws for Xmas but we've decided against it this year just to be on the safe side.
Some friends go out for a curry every Xmas day so we had booked to go with them, tier 3 has put paid to that.
Instead we're going around to their house along with another friend and are going to maybe cook a curry or try and order one for delivery. Needless to say there will be copious amounts of alcohol consumed whatever we do ???

A curry on Christmas Day?? Do they do a turkey curry? Pigs in blanket samosas??

 

[Slab]

For the past few years we have had my wife's family over, parents, sister and brother. This year it is us alone, my wife plus 2 kids. Her parents are elderly and so vulnerable to covid. We are playing safe and keeping apart from them.

Another vote for a prawn cocktail starter. No modern take on it, we love the classic 80's style . Turkey dinner (I vote against this every year and lose every year) including the hateful sprouts. My wife likes them so they are in. I'd make them illegal. The quandry is what pudding? I'm the only Christmas pud person and I am usually highly stuffed so this year we are thinking of something different. I'm pushing for a lemon meringue pie. I love them and they are light to eat.

In the evening we love a picky tea as we call it. Cheese plus a range of chinese nibbles, the sort that go in the oven for 10-15 minutes. All of this with chocolate interludes.

We have a dog so a couple of walks will do us all good and are generally very jolly with everyone out being very cheery.

As the extended family will not be here this year we are going over the top in getting games ready so that we can keep everything festive. We don't want it to be an electronics Christmas, we are going a bit old school.

Haven't had turkey in the longest time, would love it. We'll be on a big chunk of beef or lamb done on the BBQ
We're also doing 'manual' games, the folks we're visiting have a dart board and pool table so that's two games sorted!
No sign of Christmas pudding anywhere here though

 

[Slab]

Talk to my sisters in Australia first thing - 18 holes golf - calls with Junior Shark and other members of the family - cook myself a really decent turkey dinner and then have a virtual meal with friends in Florida who will have timed their dinner the same.

So who gets to have Turkey instead of a bowl of cornflakes?

 

[Pathetic Shark]

So who gets to have Turkey instead of a bowl of cornflakes?

I eat around 7pm, 2pm East Coast time. We did it on Thanksgiving as well.

 

[Neilds]

Bit worrying is how many people on this forum are stating they are going to stay overnight, meet more than 2 other households, etc. This is not allowed in any of the home nations and I urge people to think about what they have planned or we will definitely be a a lockdown after Christmas- and if Boris goes for Tier 4 as rumoured, then it will be harder than it is now.

 

[Old Skier]

A few bottles of something strong, HID and the last series of the Bridge , what can go wrong.

 

[IanM]

No plans whatsoever. Our usual Christmas visitors are not coming. Just us in the house... off work 24th to 4th Jan, so need the break. Nice and peaceful...

 

[Jimaroid]

My 8 year old daughter figured out it was 57 days 'til Christmas 51 days ago. We've been woken up with the new countdown every morning since and it's lovely seeing her surf the hype wave for so long. It's likely the last one we'll be having that features Santa Claus, with the increase in deliveries to the front door because of working from home she's putting the puzzle pieces together, bless her.

Pretty excited myself though. I *love* a nice quiet Christmas and I'm winding up today for a nice long break through to the 5th January. It's been a tough year but I've got nothing to complain about compared to some I know. Spending Monday getting a last couple of gifts, some grown-up juice and as much cheese as I can carry back from the lovely cheese shop in the town. Then I'll have Tuesday to myself before the school breaks up, hoping the weather's good so I can spend a day outside this £$&£(!* house!

Started the mince pies on 1st December. I've eaten one, sometimes two, every day since. With clotted cream almost every time. Sod it, 2020 gets a free pass.

Collecting the turkey from the butcher on Christmas Eve and we'll be set.

We have an unwritten rule that Christmas day is just for the three of us, I proposed to the wife on a Christmas day and it's been our day since. This year is obviously strange, wider events are making it feel different but it's still the same quiet day we'd like to being doing anyway, except that I'm sure FaceTime with wider family is going to feature a lot more.

 

[jim8flog]

have lunch socially distanced

You have got tender eyes too darling.

 

[Jimaroid]

Oh! Forgot to mention sprouts. Love them I do. Sometimes, as a lunch treat to myself, I eat a bowl of steamed sprouts drizzled in olive oil and nothing else.

 

[ScienceBoy]

We have a small meal planned, all oven ready trays bar the carrots.

Going to do it socially distanced with the in-laws at their place, the 2 of them at one end of the table us 3 at the other.

Should have it prepped, served and cleaned up in under 3 hours. Then off back home, minimal exposure time and minimal risk while still doing something, better than nothing in the end.

NYE is just us at home of course, no mixing bar the inlaws for 3 hours over the whole festive period.