Forum

Xmas Day Planning

September 2009

Hi everyone. I'm curious as to how others plan for their big Xmas Day with family & friends. Do you agonise over what you'll be preparing, the table setting, the perfect decorations weeks in advance etc, etc.? Or are you a no fuss Xmas Day entertainer who just lets the days menu roll out with whatever you have on hand?
Also, what are your favourite dishes that you like to serve up on the day?

Xmas Day Planning

September 2009

I'm an agoniser... Christmas is usually 15 or more so it ends up being a big production number with plenty of prep. Being from an Italian family, we never did the turkey/ baked ham/ Christmas pud thing when I grew up - so now I make up for it because I LOVE it! It was always a beach picnic on Christmas Day so now I do the whole shebang. Last Chrissie was the first Christmas at my new place so I just had to impress...(totally regreted it come Christmas morning though) I do love baked ham with an orangey mustard sauce so I did that as well as Nigella's brined turkey which was fabo! Also had seafood platters, roast vegies, too many salads, and topped it off with a massive pav, a massive tiramisu (gotta please those relo's) and a prosecco fruit jelly moulded thing that was delish! I didn't feel like cooking a damn thing for a couple of weeks afterwards! I'm glad Christmas comes round only once a year.....

Xmas Day Planning

September 2009

Gee.. thanks for the early heads up Wendy! hehehe - only joking.
Christmas here in Queensland is usually low to mid 40s, high humidity and high tempers. The rellies usually descend on us for Christmas (it started years ago when our kids were small and has continued ever since) so the Weber gets a great workout.
Crankup the Weber around 8am and it generally houses a whole rump, followed by a rather large pork leg and then 2 or 3 organic, free range chickens just for good measure.
Lunch is served by the pool - seafood fresh off the griddle or cold as well as smoked leg ham for those who can't tolerate seafood with salads (potato, coleslaw, greek w/fetta )& breads.
Dinner - served around 7pm when it's cooler - also served around the pool, roast meats, roast potatoes, pumpkin, roast sweet potato and seasonal veg & left over salads from lunch.
Mum & I bake fruit mince pies, shortbread and the traditional family Christmas pud. There's also usually a fruit & cheese platter for those unable to fit in the pud.
I used to agonise over planning, staging of table settings, decorations etc, but in the last five years or so I've put more emphasis on a RELAXED Christmas & Boxing Day for all, including me, which has proved much more enjoyable.
Once Christmas day has been and gone we get to enjoy the fruits of my labours for days with left over roast meats and given it's usually stinking hot, I enjoy a break from cooking for a few days!

Xmas Day Planning

September 2009

PW & Jackie - LOL, I could see/hear myself in both your replies there!! :) I used to be a stress-artist myself & plan weeks ahead, writing out a menu that catered for anywhere from 8 to 14, depending on who was going to be in town on the day.
But, I now work full-time right up until Xmas Eve & live in the northern Tropics of Queensland (the humidity's a real energy killer).....trust me, simple is the only way to go! :)

Most year's we have a big table set up under the trees next to the pool - wrap tinsel around the palm trees & have the BBQ sizzling with all sorts of beautiful seafoods. I delegate the salads to be supplied by my mother & mother-in-law & usually make my Mango Cheescake for dessert - now worries about it melting in the heat either. The whole thing's usually demolished in about 10 seconds flat! :)

Xmas Day Planning

September 2009

Wendy, I trust you will be putting up your mango cheesecake recipe in the not too distant future... : )

Xmas Day Planning

September 2009

I second Jackie's request Wendy!

If my husband and kids weren't vehemently opposed to shellfish Christmas would be a delight for me!
One year not so long ago, Mum went to Morgan's Seafood (fishmonger based just north of Bris) and bought home lobster, scallops, green tiger prawns and oysters.... she and I (the only shellfish eaters - my husband refers to prawns as 'the cockroaches of the sea'! philistine!!!) had the most amazing Christmas lunch & dinner - while the rest had the obligatory roast beef, pork ham.
In my opinion it goes down on record as one of my all-time favourite Christmases!

Xmas Day Planning

September 2009

No worries - I'll see if I can get the recipe up here over the week-end :)

Xmas Day Planning

September 2009

Seafood on Xmas Day is mandatory in my household - I'd get told I was down-right UnAustralian if I didn't have it! LOL. And as for "cockroaches of the sea"......oh my, tell your hubby that just gave me a good old belly laugh! Classic.

Xmas Day Planning

October 2009

Well the food I'd like to serve bears little resemblance to the actuality. I send out a request for ideas, get nothing back, so plan an interesting menu, often based on christmas cuisine of another country and send it out. I then get a barrage of complaints and requests for exclusions and inclusions. They offer to bring food on the day; I accept knowing that it wont correspond to what I asked for and is of dubious quality. One year we had some strange apple dessert with a crust we almost needed a chainsaw to cut.
But everyone is glad they're not doing the cooking, I'm happy with my bubbly and not to be driving anywhere and we all part on happy terms.

Xmas Day Planning

December 2009

I don't stress to much.

I have Christmas dishes and bring out the 1st of December and use until Old Christmas Day.
I use my good silverware Christmas Day.
I like a nice table, but don't stress over it.

We always have goose.
I play with the dressing, and side dishes each year.
There are two pies that are a must. Sometimes I will add a new one and see how it goes.

Oh and eggnog is also a must ( I have a great recipe).

So this is what we are having this year.

Roast goose with oyster dressing.
Sweet Potato casserole
Turnip Apple Scallop
Maybe my creamed cabbage

Fluffy Cranberry Cheese Pie
Eggnog Pie

Eggnog

I would love to do it around the pool but...............no pool and too cold and snowy.