Your Christmas Day Food and Drink Schedule of Goodies

shamrock55

I must be one of the very few who never has alcohol on xmas day, i need a rest day between xmmas eve and stephens day

lukesmom

shamrock55 wrote: »

I must be one of the very few who never has alcohol on xmas day, i need a rest day between xmmas eve and stephens day

Your not, I don't drink on Christmas Day, Christmas Eve or ever!

BnB

Great thread.

I'll get up around 7. Watch the kids - Rip open presents. Having learnt from experience, anything that requires a remote amount of assembly will be done in advance - So Christmas morning we can just hang out.

Not much of a breakfast person, so will probably just have a cup of coffee and a few of whatever box of sweets are on the go. We'll have a few boxes of the kind of cereals the kids aren't usually allowed (Coco pops and the like) and they'll stuff their faces with those.

We'll head to mass around 10. After mass, my wife will sometimes visit one or two people but Ill usually go home to start peelin' spuds.

Dinner usually starts around 3ish

This year we have my Parents-in-law & my brother & sister in law coming to us which is great because they are all great craic.

Starters vary - But it's generally Fish based, and easy to prepare. So good quality smoked salmon, maybe prawn cocktail, some nice brown bread and maybe melon for the non-fish believers. I'm going to make my Mammys world famous Turkey soup this year too, but it's nearly too filling for Christmas day - So I'll leave it for St Stephens day probably.

Main Course will be straight from the trad book. Big Turkey (reared by the Mammy) Stuffed with Bread Stuffing inside & Potato Stuffing around it. Ham (thinking of trying the Coca Cola way this year). Tonnes of Brussels Sprouts. Carrots & Parsnips for the heathens. Lots of Mashed Spuds - A Few Roasties - 1/2 Gallon of homemade Turkey Gravy. Cranberry sauce will be available for those odd people who like Jam on their dinner.

Will also do a Vege main course this year as the sister-in-law is Vege. Probably Thai Red Curry as can be made night before.

We'll make a bit of an attempt at a clean up before we think about tacking dessert. Usually maybe 5ish before we get to it. My Mother in law brings the pudding. I'll make some Jelly for the kids too. Cream & Custard & Icecream- Tea & Coffee

Finally, I don't care how full I am - Sometime around 10 c clock, I'll force a few turkey sandwiches into me.

Wine, a couple of cans of beamish and maybe a Brandy or two late on.

The Hill Billy

Will be getting up between 6 & 7 with The Kids for the pressies.
Play with them & goof about until 8-ish, then a regular brekky (porridge, cereal, toast, etc).

10am - stick the turkey on & off to see Nana & Papa Billy & siblings & their respective broods. Usually, this would mean lashings of smoked salmon, spiced beef & G&Ts. Nana Billy hasn't been too good recently, so I'll probably prepare the food & bring it over this year.

Home for 1pm, a glass of sherry & then finish the veg (all prepped on Christmas Eve) & heat up the ham (also cooked on Christmas Eve). We'll sit down to eat around 3pm & it'll be straight into the main course as we don't go for starters. For dessert Mrs Billy will probably do a baked cheesecake. We'll probably have a Nebbiolo to drink. I'll have a coffee & grappa afterwards.

Maybe head out for a quick 30 min walk if it is nice & then back to chill.

Around 7pm we'll have a snack of turkey & pickled onion sandwiches. Then finish off the vino & watch some crap on the TV or if the lads get a good board game (with easy-to-understand instructions) we may give that a shot.

The Sweeper

Currently we have nine for Christmas Dinner, three of whom are staying with us.

I'll be up at 6am - two loaves of soda bread into the oven. Breakfast will be fruit smoothies and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.

I'll be cooking and prepping for most of the morning. I can imagine there'll be some present opening after breakfast and then something like the first of the Harry Potter movies will go on the telly and the drinks will be opened.

11am brunch will most probably be large banana prawns done in a garlic marinade, skewered and done on the barbecue with some asparagus. There'll be a side of fresh raw oysters for anyone who wants them. I predict a roaring round of smashing bloody marys after that.

I'm going to aim Christmas dinner for around 3pm. Starters will be a variety - I'll do a pot of steamed mussels in garlic and white wine, poured into a giant serving bowl lined with slices of soda bread for mopping. There'll also be smoked salmon on the rest of the soda bread. The end of the starters will be baked filo pastry triangles stuffed with mushroom and spinach.

Main course - still under debate. Not a turkey. There'll be cold smoked leg ham on the bone from Christmas Eve. If I can get a couple of whole fish - maybe snapper or barramundi - I'll bake them in paper and foil on the barbecue. Will also do seared asparagus with lemon and salt on the barbie. If I can't get the fish I want, it'll be a couple of free range roast chickens with roast spuds, roast veg and the trimmings. If it's fish I'll do a celebration rice pilaf and baked aubergine halves topped with a combination of fruit and seeds (and no cheese and no nuts because of my awkward bloody guests :-P )

...worth noting at this point it'll be 32 degrees and 90% humidity on Christmas day...

After dinner there'll be Christmas pudding and pavlova, followed by sparkling punch and more of the harry potter movies. I intend to allow people to graze on leftovers for the rest of the day, while I snooze in the sunshine.

MissFlitworth

The last few Christmases we've spent in other people's houses so we've been visitors and followed their Christmas schedule. This year my Mam has just moved into her own place (where, technically I'm a visitor but it's not the same as being A Visitor in a lovely relatives house and having to be on your best behaviour and try stop them exhausting themselves trying to amuse you and make sure you're never for a moment without something to do, eat or drink) so we are dusting off our old Christmas schedules.

Christmas eve we start out with a ridiculously outsized Chinese takeaway. We get all the stuff an actual Chinese person would never look at, deep fried frozen spring rolls, chicken balls, 3-in-ones, beef-curry-extra-onions, beef-curry-no-onions. etc. arrange a coffee table buffet and stuff ourselves in front of bad tv. My sister and I are also on ninja heating moderation duty where we try to prevent heat stroke by waiting for my Mam to be distracted by Graham Norton or someone on the telly, finding where she has hidden the thermostat and turning it down from 34 degrees celsius (we're convinced she's half lizard). We will all be wearing matching pyjamas doing this and there is a potential for beer.


Christmas morning starts out with selection boxes, coffee and toast and around 12.00 or so my aunts, cousins & second cousins will arrive & we'll swap gifts (for the kids, us older ones have a I won't force you to go Christmas Shopping for me if you don't force me to go Christmas Shopping for you treaty running for a few years now). We have dinner early, around 1.30 or 2. Starting with smoked salmon paté and oat biscuits, on into turkey, ham, gravy, roasties, stuffing and sprouts and followed by trifle. [on a side note: my sister and I worry for weeks and weeks in advance that there won't be enough stuffing, roasties and/or gravy. We become quite the pain in the head reminding my Mam not to deprive us]

Then everyone literally passes out. Piles of bodies on every surface. We all come to from our food comas between 5 & 7 and spend the evening watching movies, talking, trying to turn down the heating or open a window and eating Christmas sandwiches.

leahyl

OMG I LOVE this thread!

In our house we don't usually eat much for breakfast on Christmas Day - must leave room for the feast ahead of us!

We might have soup or smoked salmon and brown bread as a starter and I nibble away on a few sneaky pringles (which I shouldn't do really...bold me :pac:)

Then for the main event it's the traditional turkey and ham and also the tail end of corned beef (divine) and a bit of spiced beef (for the brother!) with all the trimmings - mash, roasties, potato stuffing, bread stuffing, croquettes, carrotts, brussel sprouts, lashings of gravy and the nicest cheesiest, garlicky potato gratin ever!!

For dessert it's sherry trifle with custard and cream.

Throughout the evening we nibble away on chocolates and crisps and I make a start on the Terry's Chocolate Orange :pac:

Then around 9pm or so we have turkey and stuffing sandwiches - om nom!

OMG I am now salivating....

Animord

leahyl wrote: »

OMG I LOVE this thread!

In our house we don't usually eat much for breakfast on Christmas Day - must leave room for the feast ahead of us!

We might have soup or smoked salmon and brown bread as a starter and I nibble away on a few sneaky pringles (which I shouldn't do really...bold me :pac:)

Then for the main event it's the traditional turkey and ham and also the tail end of corned beef (divine) and a bit of spiced beef (for the brother!) with all the trimmings - mash, roasties, potato stuffing, bread stuffing, croquettes, carrotts, brussel sprouts, lashings of gravy and the nicest chessy, garlicky potato gratin ever!!

For dessert it's sherry trifle with custard and cream.

Throughout the evening we nibble away on chocolates and crisps and I make a start on the Terry's Chocolate Orange :pac:

Then around 9pm or so we have turkey and stuffing sandwiches - om nom!

OMG I am now salivating....

Five different types of potato! We only get roast potatoes. I feel deprived.

leahyl

Animord wrote: »

Five different types of potato! We only get roast potatoes. I feel deprived.

We are obsessed with them in our house!

brooke 2

The Sweeper wrote: »

Currently we have nine for Christmas Dinner, three of whom are staying with us.

I'll be up at 6am - two loaves of soda bread into the oven. Breakfast will be fruit smoothies and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.

I'll be cooking and prepping for most of the morning. I can imagine there'll be some present opening after breakfast and then something like the first of the Harry Potter movies will go on the telly and the drinks will be opened.

11am brunch will most probably be large banana prawns done in a garlic marinade, skewered and done on the barbecue with some asparagus. There'll be a side of fresh raw oysters for anyone who wants them. I predict a roaring round of smashing bloody marys after that.

I'm going to aim Christmas dinner for around 3pm. Starters will be a variety - I'll do a pot of steamed mussels in garlic and white wine, poured into a giant serving bowl lined with slices of soda bread for mopping. There'll also be smoked salmon on the rest of the soda bread. The end of the starters will be baked filo pastry triangles stuffed with mushroom and spinach.

Main course - still under debate. Not a turkey. There'll be cold smoked leg ham on the bone from Christmas Eve. If I can get a couple of whole fish - maybe snapper or barramundi - I'll bake them in paper and foil on the barbecue. Will also do seared asparagus with lemon and salt on the barbie. If I can't get the fish I want, it'll be a couple of free range roast chickens with roast spuds, roast veg and the trimmings. If it's fish I'll do a celebration rice pilaf and baked aubergine halves topped with a combination of fruit and seeds (and no cheese and no nuts because of my awkward bloody guests :-P )

...worth noting at this point it'll be 32 degrees and 90% humidity on Christmas day...

After dinner there'll be Christmas pudding and pavlova, followed by sparkling punch and more of the harry potter movies. I intend to allow people to graze on leftovers for the rest of the day, while I snooze in the sunshine.

Just love the sound of your Xmas!! May I join you??

leahyl

Faith wrote: »

Gosh, we have such a dull Christmas comparatively. There's only 3 of us these days,which doesn't help. We get up whenever we feel like it, eat a normal breakfast and mooch around. I usually try to watch A Miracle On 34th Street. My parents usually take the dog out at some point.

At about 12, my mum and I start preparing lunch, which is eaten at about 3. When we have time, we open presents - a fairly quick affair for proper presents, and then we spend ages going through what my dad got from patients.

By 3 or 3.30, we eat and start on the wine. Dinner takes maybe 1.5 hours from start to finish. Starters change every year. This year, we're having a traditional main course with everything you'd expect. Dessert is Christmas pudding with brandy butter. The highlight of my day is lighting the pudding on fire . When we're done, we all wash up and clean the dining room etc.

Then everyone pretty much does their own thing for the rest of the day! Watch tv, read books, play with gifts. My parents don't drink much so I sneakily drink ALL the wine and eat as much chocolate as I can manage.

Sometimes I have a Brie and cranberry sandwich to finish the day off but that's really it!

I'd love to have a big family and spend Christmas like Merkin's family, but alas, it's not on the cards for us!

Sounds great Faith! A lovely traditional christmas

Animord

Is it sad that I want to put together a spreadsheet of everyone's Christmas so we can take all the best bits (maybe we need a poll, or several polls actually) and plan the best, most fantastic Christmas ever?

fussyonion

I've always wished to be invited to someone's house on Christmas Day-I'd love the atmosphere of a house full of people, but so far neither boyfriend or I have been asked, so we have Christmas in our own home.
We do enjoy it a lot, but maybe one year we'll be asked along to a relatives' home!

We get up at around 8am and never usually have breakfast; we normally exchange presents straight away, but this year we're going to have a fry-up: sausage, pudding, fried egg, rashers, toast and coffee, and then exchange presents after that, to eke it out.
I would like to have some champagne too.

I'll start preparing dinner at around midday.
I rub a herbed butter under the turkey's skin, slather butter on the outside, lay strips of streaky bacon on top and place the bird on a trivet of onions, garlic, celery, carrots and herbs.
I then wrap the whole tray in tin foil and get on with prepping everything else.

Dinner is eaten at around 4pm: roast turkey with stuffing, smoked ham, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, potato croquettes, peas, carrots, Brussels sprouts and gravy, all washed down with a glass or two of Chablis or Sancerre.

After dinner we usually nod off in front of a festive film and then at around 7pm if we're still peckish we'll have a turkey sandwich.

The wine usually gets opened at around 8pm and I'll stick to that all evening, punctuating the drinking with the nibbling of crisps and nuts.
Boyfriend will stick to beer.
We might play Monopoly and stick on The Royle Famile too.

Then we usually go to bed at around 2:30am and go to my parents' the following day.

Loire

Really looking forward to Christmas this year. As herself is from "Up the country" we've usually gone there for Christmas, but this year, with our eldest in Santa age proper, we're staying put in Cork and starting our own traditions. After a pint or two with my Dad we'll add head to mass (to get it out of the way!).

Christmas eve night I'll boil the ham (a family tradition is that we all have a warm slice of ham late at night, when all the prep is done for Christmas day, before going to bed).

Christmas morning - do as my father used to do when we were kids....wake before everyone, turn the tree lights on and start singing carols to wake the kids gently.

Breakfast will be Frank Hederman's smoked salmon with brown bread from the Pano and a MASSIVE pot of Barry's

Kir Royales will be on the go about 11.

Dinner will be at about 2ish

Starter will be something I've done for the past few years:
Crab claws, tiger prawns, scallops and smoked salmon (all cold) with marie rose sauce served on a large leaf of iceberg lettuce. The fact that this is a cold starter means it's a cinch to serve on the big day. I'll have each fish types ready in separate bowls in the fridge. Lay a leaf of lettuce on each plate, plonk a handful of each fish type on top, add the sauce & a slice of lemon and it's done

Before the mains, we're gonna play some games and pull crackers

Mains - boring but hey:
Turkey & ham. I'm also gonna buy 2 extra turkey legs and remove the bones and roll with stuffing as per beer's instruction / youtube recipe.
Roast potatoes, b sprouts with lardons, mash with thyme, peas (cooked in the water from the ham), roasted carrots.

Herself is taking care of desserts. Last night she had it whittled down to 4 desserts (plus my Xmas cake and the obligatory pudding)!

This will all be washed down with some very good wine I brought back from France in Sept

I really can't wait now. Are we there yet, are we there yet?!!!!

homeOwner

leahyl wrote: »

.... potato stuffing...

I thought we were the only ones who make potato stuffing. My mum says its a west cork recipe from her granny who lived on the beara peninsula (and I see you are in cork). I have been trying to explain to people my whole life how great potato stuffing is and everyone thinks its wierd. But its the Best Thing Ever! :D

The Hill Billy

fussyonion wrote: »

I've always wished to be invited to someone's house on Christmas Day-I'd love the atmosphere of a house full of people

God, no! My sis is cooking dinner in my parents' house for everyone on Christmas Day & wants us to stay for the event. That'd be...

• 18 adults & kids eating in shifts at the dining room table
• 18 adults & kids all wanting to watch something different on the telly
• 5 adults getting locked
• the other 5 adults saying 'take it handy, I'm not the only one looking after these kids you know'
• 8 kids getting wound up to bejaysus & totally hyper on sweets & fizzy drinks thanks to one particular auntie who had too many G&Ts (you know who you are!)
• 8 kids' toys getting lost, broken, etc & all the tears that come with it

After 3 hours of mayhem while I visit them in the morning I'll be very much looking forward to a sedate dinner with Mrs Billy & The Kids in our own home.

leahyl

homeOwner wrote: »

I thought we were the only ones who make potato stuffing. My mum says its a west cork recipe from her granny who lived on the beara peninsula (and I see you are in cork). I have been trying to explain to people my whole life how great potato stuffing is and everyone thinks its wierd. But its the Best Thing Ever! :D

MMMM I love potato stuffing! I just assumed everyone had it on Christmas Day! It's glorious with the juices from the turkey - my mum does it for my dad mainly cos he's not gone on the bread stuffing (I know :eek:) but I love it too - she stuffs it in the neck part of the bird and then it all oozes out during the cooking - OM NOM!

Merkin

leahyl wrote: »

MMMM I love potato stuffing! I just assumed everyone had it on Christmas Day! It's glorious with the juices from the turkey - my mum does it for my dad mainly cos he's not gone on the bread stuffing (I know :eek:) but I love it too - she stuffs it in the neck part of the bird and then it all oozes out during the cooking - OM NOM!

I'd honestly never heard of it before this thread, am intrigued! What does it consist of? (Besides from potatoes obviously )

leahyl

Merkin wrote: »

I'd honestly never heard of it before this thread, am intrigued! What does it consist of? (Besides from potatoes obviously )

All it is is potato, onions, thyme and parsley and salt and pepper basically - you're just replacing the breadcrumbs with potato!

dipdip

Oh how I wish I was in a position to plan my own Christmas day. Someday I'll plan the day from start to finish! We've always had to go with the plans of parents/in-laws.

This year me and the OH will wake up with the in-laws and head to church. Breakfast and lunch plans will all depend on the mother in law.

I imagine the wine will be popped around 3pm and dinner served around 5pm - all the traditional favourites will be served plus probably something a little special - the MIL pulls out all the stops when it comes to Christmas dinner. Her sausage-meat stuffing is full of herbs and apples and bacon and butter - and is divine. There's usually a choice of starter - seafood, soup or melon (or a bit of all three for the gluttons). The extended family will pour in for dinner around 4.30 and there can be up to 20 of us, adults and kids, depending on commitments.

The only thing I miss when my MIL cooks is roast potatoes - she doesn't make them. And it's not an option for me to make them...her kitchen is her domain.

Dessert is usually a bit of a buffet - trifle, pudding, custard, pavlova and possibly a festive red velvet cake.

After dinner over tea and coffee people will exchange Christkindle gifts and these are opened one by one in a strange ritual. The children also receive gifts from Granny and Grandad at this point and God-children receive gifts from their God-parents. Now we are approaching the witching hour where children begin to melt down from exhaustion and too many sweets and over-stimulation. Eventually the parents with kids will hit the road, leaving the few childless of us behind to get mildly plastered and watch whatever Grandad puts on the telly.

It ain't perfect, but it's nice.

Loire

Merkin wrote: »

I'd honestly never heard of it before this thread, am intrigued! What does it consist of? (Besides from potatoes obviously )

I'm very interested in this too!

leahyl

dipdip wrote: »

Oh how I wish I was in a position to plan my own Christmas day. Someday I'll plan the day from start to finish! We've always had to go with the plans of parents/in-laws...........................It ain't perfect, but it's nice.

Sounds pretty good to me dipdip

leahyl

Just found this

http://www.greatfood.ie/item_display2.asp?cde=2&id=1199

leahyl

Loire wrote: »

Mains - boring but hey:
Turkey & ham. I'm also gonna buy 2 extra turkey legs and remove the bones and roll with stuffing as per beer's instruction / youtube recipe.
Roast potatoes, b sprouts with lardons, mash with thyme, peas (cooked in the water from the ham), roasted carrots.

I did the sprouts like this last year and I think I was the only one that liked them!! I thought they were gorgeous! I think my parents don't like to mess with the traditional way (ie. boiled to within a inch of their lives!)

pwurple

Loved reading this thread so far.

Looks like we are the only family who have the traditional cork spiced beef for breakfast, rather than with the dinner?

Spiced beef is cooked christmas eve evening (house smells AMAZING), and left to cool overnight. First taste of it is on hot buttered toast first thing in the morning. So nice. yum yum.

Starter is usually some homemade soup, with a nice fresh yeast bread rolls, christmassed up with some seeds or in a twisty pattern.

We have a wee salad then, either prawn, or something like roasted pecans with blue cheese in it.

Depends on the house for the next bit, my mums house is turkey, mine is goose.
Spuds are roasted and a garlic gratin.
Veg is roasted mix, beetroot, carrot, parsnip with plenty of thyme.
Stuffing is a bread one, onion and herb. Herbs are from the garden, we grow thyme and rosemary, don't have any sage, so it doesn't go in.

Dessert is usually my creation, and I go slightly overboard with the presentation. I love to get a bit of wow in there . Some previous years have been: big 9 layer tiramisu topped with dark chocolate leaves dusted with edible copper. A profiterole tower encased in a spun sugar netting. Gingerbread village. I've done a 'swan lake' with choux pastry swans on a big mirror. This year I've been experimenting with jelly moulds. Thinking about a fizzy lemonade jelly with sugared clementines and blueberries in it. This kind of thing: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/jun/15/bompas-parr-jelly-making-guide

There's christmas pudding later on with irish coffees.

We used to do cheese board as well, but no-one was ever hungry enough for it, so we save that for new years dinner now instead.


We also have a small christmas cake around, but that's a snack for afternoon cuppa, and for visitors, rather than dessert.

Merkin

pwurple wrote: »

Thinking about a fizzy lemonade jelly with sugared clementines and blueberries in it. This kind of thing: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/jun/15/bompas-parr-jelly-making-guide

I love that! Definitely has the wow factor!

homeOwner

leahyl wrote: »

All it is is potato, onions, thyme and parsley and salt and pepper basically - you're just replacing the breadcrumbs with potato!

Plus melted butter and a bit of AllSpice.

So nom, nom when mixed with the juices of the bird (my mum stuffs the neck also!!!! must be a cork thing, but my Mum's from Dublin.....Great Granny's influence!)

[the potato has to be mashed ahead of time obviously before making the suffing....]

huskerdu

leahyl wrote: »

All it is is potato, onions, thyme and parsley and salt and pepper basically - you're just replacing the breadcrumbs with potato!

Just to add to the potato stuffing theme. Here is the recipe for Myrtle Allens potato/apple/onion stuffing
500g apples
500g onions
Thyme ( or sage)
1 kg mashed potato

Chop up the apple and onion. Add the herbs and stew in a small amount of orange juice.

Mix the stewed mixture with the mashed spuds. Season with salt/pepper.

Stuff into the goose before cooking.

It does need to be cooked in the bird, as it is bland on its own without the juices.

leahyl

homeOwner wrote: »

Plus melted butter and a bit of AllSpice.

So nom, nom when mixed with the juices of the bird (my mum stuffs the neck also!!!! must be a cork thing, but my Mum's from Dublin.....Great Granny's influence!)

[the potato has to be mashed ahead of time obviously before making the suffing....]

Yes the melted butter just like you would with the bread stuffing Never heard of the all spice part I must say!

The juices from the bird give it some flavour though om nom!

Dolbert

At the moment we alternate between sets of parents, so I haven't cooked my own Christmas dinner (yet). Christmas dinner with my folks is usually a laid-back affair. We have a Christmas Eve ritual of going to mass together, then cracking open some bubbly making a start on the food so the Christmas smells are already permeating the house! We steep the ham, then cover it in a glaze before wrapping it in a thick dough casing to bake it. We also make a massive dish of my grandmother's epic stuffing which is a meal in itself, with sausagemeat, potatoes, bacon, mushrooms, onions... it's essentially a meatloaf!

The next morning we just pick at mince pies, roses etc, no breakfast usually as we're saving ourselves We normally have dinner around 2 or 3, there's usually no starter, just a big feck-off main! My mother gets a free-range organic turkey from a local supplier and it's amazing. We'll have roasties and sprouts with our turkey, ham and aforementioned epic stuffing. Some homemade Christmas pud for dessert, another one of my grandmother's recipes and the best I've ever tasted. Despite such savagery, there's somehow room for a Christmas sandwich* later in the evening :P

We won't make it down until St. Stephen's day this year, but there's usually enough left over for round 2!

God I love Christmas.

*serving suggestion:
White batch loaf with real butter, with turkey, ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce and controversially, some Tayto cheese and onion