Xmas Only 3 Months Away. What do you do on 24th / 25th ?

Its our turn to host Christmas this year so I'll be in full-on food planning mode soon :D
We've already got all the wine and bubbles (brought them back with us from holiday) :drink: and we'll need to reserve our turkey pretty soon if we want one from the small farm down the road.

Until we moved here we weren't that bothered about having a turkey at Christmas - we'd rather have a goose. But there's a smallholding down the road that we like to buy our pork and sausages from and they started raising turkeys for Christmas a couple of years ago So we decided to support them.....wow, they're amazing...so we'll be having one of their's again this year :hungry:. Hopefully all the veg will come from our allotment so there'll just be a few bits and bobs like cheeses to buy nearer the time.

We won't start on the prezzie shopping until much later - we don't have young children in the family so we don't go mad.
 
MrsDangermouse said:
But there's a smallholding down the road that we like to buy our pork and sausages from and they started raising turkeys for Christmas a couple of years ago So we decided to support them.....wow, they're amazing.
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You reminded me I promised daughter I would buy the turkey. I am in Hampshire too so if you would care to share the details of that farm then it would be great. :okay:
 
Not sure this year, looks as though we may be going back it just being the 2 of us again. We don't particularly like turkey or mince pies so don't buy them nor do we buy lots of chocolate, nuts etc... We relax and enjoy time off as opposed to gorging ourselves silly.
 
In the U.S. we celebrate Thanks Giving - 4th Thursday of November. This year it is on the 23rd. Like Christmas Thanks Giving is a time for family gatherings and lots of good food.

With the exception of my Mother (a very hale and hearty 86) my generation is the eldest generation. Three of us are 60+. "Baby Brother" is 51. He has a 12 year old daughter. The rest of my nieces and nephews are adults and with one exception are married and have children of their own.

We gather at the home of the Middle Sister. I usually show up with my youngest sister on Tuesday or Wednesday to help set tables, arrange flowers and do whatever needs to be done before the cooking begins.

YEARS ago I showed up with a braised pork roast with lots of wine (full bottle) in the gravy. My youngest Brother named it my Drunk Pork Roast.

Since then my family begs for my roast at Thanks Giving and Christmas.

A traditional dish for both Thanks Giving and Christmas is a Sweet Potato Casserole. Sweet is the operative word. The casserole has eggs, cream and lots of brown sugar. The topping is toasted pecans, more brown sugar and marshmallows. Diabetes here I come. Sweet enough to be classified as a desert.

Last year I brought a sweet potato casserole with a twist. Maple syrup instead of brown sugar and butter milk instead of cream in the casserole. Plus a surprise bit of heat. Salted, roasted pistachios instead of pecans and no marshmallows on top.

A deluge of phone calls and E-mails begging me to bring my dish for Christmas dinner.

I really must have my head examined. This year I plan to add another dish to replace the traditional green bean casserole. Traditional casserole is made with canned green beans, canned cream of mushroom soup, canned fried onion rings and processed cheese food. I plan to make a roasted asparagus casserole with artichoke hearts and a Gruyere Mornay sauce.

There is actually a reason for my madness. Mother bakes a turkey and brings rice dressing, nibbles and 2 or 3 deserts. The sweet potato and green bean casseroles have also been part of her contribution. By preparing alternatives I can lessen her burden just a little.

Someone always brings a baked ham. Other traditional dishes are a creamed spinach and artichoke heart casserole, Sarah's Summer Squash, Corn Pudding, Cornbread dressing - usually with crawfish, some type of salad, an assortment of breads (I bring an assortment of compound butter), nibbles and LOTS of deserts.

A sinful amount of food. The upside - everyone takes home plates of left overs.

Repeat for Christmas.

When I actually start cooking I will post recipes.
 
Thanksgiving on November 23rd, and I'll have plenty to be thankful for...it will be our 43rd wedding anniversary. :love: 43 years, and neither of us has killed the other. It must be true love.

Lullabelle said:
Not sure this year, looks as though we may be going back it just being the 2 of us again. We don't particularly like turkey or mince pies so don't buy them....
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One of the Christmases that was just the two of us (since hubby was working and we couldn't go spend the holidays with our kids) our Christmas dinner was salad, and spaghetti with homemade sauce. The salad was green, the sauce was red...it looked very festive!
 
@ElizabethB

You should write a book Dear ..

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your´s and a wonderful Xmas ahead .. and moreover, a healthy, prosperous and fulfilling 2018 ..

I almost fell off the bar stool, I am sitting on when I read your post !! It is a book !!!

Have a lovely day ..
 
Lynne Guinne said:
Thanksgiving on November 23rd, and I'll have plenty to be thankful for...it will be our 43rd wedding anniversary. :love: 43 years, and neither of us has killed the other. It must be true love.


One of the Christmases that was just the two of us (since hubby was working and we couldn't go spend the holidays with our kids) our Christmas dinner was salad, and spaghetti with homemade sauce. The salad was green, the sauce was red...it looked very festive!
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Congratulations :happy: :cheers:
 
ElizabethB said:
In the U.S. we celebrate Thanks Giving - 4th Thursday of November. This year it is on the 23rd. Like Christmas Thanks Giving is a time for family gatherings and lots of good food.

With the exception of my Mother (a very hale and hearty 86) my generation is the eldest generation. Three of us are 60+. "Baby Brother" is 51. He has a 12 year old daughter. The rest of my nieces and nephews are adults and with one exception are married and have children of their own.

We gather at the home of the Middle Sister. I usually show up with my youngest sister on Tuesday or Wednesday to help set tables, arrange flowers and do whatever needs to be done before the cooking begins.

YEARS ago I showed up with a braised pork roast with lots of wine (full bottle) in the gravy. My youngest Brother named it my Drunk Pork Roast.

Since then my family begs for my roast at Thanks Giving and Christmas.

A traditional dish for both Thanks Giving and Christmas is a Sweet Potato Casserole. Sweet is the operative word. The casserole has eggs, cream and lots of brown sugar. The topping is toasted pecans, more brown sugar and marshmallows. Diabetes here I come. Sweet enough to be classified as a desert.

Last year I brought a sweet potato casserole with a twist. Maple syrup instead of brown sugar and butter milk instead of cream in the casserole. Plus a surprise bit of heat. Salted, roasted pistachios instead of pecans and no marshmallows on top.

A deluge of phone calls and E-mails begging me to bring my dish for Christmas dinner.

I really must have my head examined. This year I plan to add another dish to replace the traditional green bean casserole. Traditional casserole is made with canned green beans, canned cream of mushroom soup, canned fried onion rings and processed cheese food. I plan to make a roasted asparagus casserole with artichoke hearts and a Gruyere Mornay sauce.

There is actually a reason for my madness. Mother bakes a turkey and brings rice dressing, nibbles and 2 or 3 deserts. The sweet potato and green bean casseroles have also been part of her contribution. By preparing alternatives I can lessen her burden just a little.

Someone always brings a baked ham. Other traditional dishes are a creamed spinach and artichoke heart casserole, Sarah's Summer Squash, Corn Pudding, Cornbread dressing - usually with crawfish, some type of salad, an assortment of breads (I bring an assortment of compound butter), nibbles and LOTS of deserts.

A sinful amount of food. The upside - everyone takes home plates of left overs.

Repeat for Christmas.

When I actually start cooking I will post recipes.
Click to expand...

Wow! That all sounds amazing, having a big family get together, all that food-I started feeling hungry reading this :D
 
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