So what is on your Christmas day menu then.

[jackarmy]

Pondered goose for this year Scarlet but someone said it was more fat , less meat. Any truth in that ?.
Also is it ducklike ?, wife hates duck

[Scarlet]

There isn't a huge amount of meat but with all the other trimmings you don't really need a lot. There's just 4 of us for dinner this year so a good year for a change. I wouldn't do a goose for larger parties though as they dont have much meat on them - you'd need a really big bird. It is gamey.

[jackarmy]

Ah ok, so would need a huge one for ten then, think the "gamey" rules it out though, no taste my wife

[Small pumpkin]

We are having champagne, bottle of red( expensive gift we have been saving for the big day) , prosecco, beer & sherry ( that's all day not just for breakfast )
Christmas dinner will be home grown roast goose, home grown veg. Kale, sprouts, parsnips, swede, leek, pumpkin also beans, carrots from the freezer.
Spuds, sweet spuds ( not home grown). 2 types of stuffing, pigs in blankets and gravy.
Pudding he has Christmas pud, I have chocolate cheesecake.
Rest of the day will be spent picking at, chocolates, mince pies, cheese and biscuits.
I think that will do for the 2 of us.

[Scarlet]

How big is your goose SP...and how long did it take to pluck? I'm sure it took all day for a handful of birds.

[Small pumpkin]

Goose is still hanging in the shed so don't know final weight yet, but it's 16lb long leg weight. Will be making it oven ready tomorrow. We used the dipping method for plucking, that worked really well.

[Alison]

I do restaurant style portions; a little bit of everything and the meal lasts for several hours. And it has the added benefit of leaving lots of left overs for the next week while I put my feet up. The up market cheeseboard is specially for Mr Bee who loves cheese and would skip the main course go straight to Christmas pud and cheese via the smoked salmon.

Most of the hard, messy work has been done and is all in the freezer. I have 10 coming so I have to pace myself.

If anyone has lots of people coming and wants some time saving tips just ask.
Christmas day cooking is really easy because of my way with the veggies.

Totally agree about leftovers, we always get a turkey way bigger than we need so we can have plenty of meals off it over the next few years and then freeze some for pies etc through the coming months. Think we're more of a "proper meal" family where we pile up loads of meat and veggies and have a full plate full (but then again we don't like cordon bleu plates when we're out either so avoid that sort of place, we're all different ) so everybody would be gutted if that wasn't what we did plus I'd have to wash up a couple of times during the meal. We do have loads of cheese in the fridge and may snack on it later in the day with pork pie etc but not too soon after the meal. Did do the advance prep of veggies one year and then didn't like the feeling of not rushing about on Christmas Day morning - quite enjoy peeling carrots and prepping sprouts with carols on the radio and as our meal is basically just a roast for 7 (the pudding will be in the slow cooker from when I get up) then there isn't much to do really. Suppose it helps that we don't eat until about 2.30 so loads of time and the visitors won't arrive until about 1pm so no interruptions either. Have made up the pigs in blankets in advance though so only need to defrost them and cook and the cranberry sauce was made weeks ago. Will prep the turkey before we go to bed on Christmas Eve. Can't do sprouts, parsnips, carrots etc yet as they're still at the lottie but will probably make the stuffing on Christmas Eve

[Bigmallly]

Totally agree about leftovers, we always get a turkey way bigger than we need so we can have plenty of meals off it over the next few years

Years....................That's one 'eck of a Turkey.

[Alison]

Years....................That's one 'eck of a Turkey.

Well probably months but you know what I mean

[vixylix]

I dont like roast dinner, I don't like christmas day and I definitely don't like christmas dinner. Beans on toast sounds wonderful - I can't wait to retire

p.s. maybe this should have been on the rant thread, sorry everyone. Mrs Bee - yours sounds wonderful!!

[veggiechicken]

Come and see me Vix and I'll open another tin

I had cheese and cranberry sauce sarnies today - that's festive!

[sparrow100]

I get at least 2 Christmasses *smugface*. The proper one 5pm Christmas Eve, is pea & mint soup to start, roast turkey crown with veggie sossies for Himself, red cabbage (been heating it on the hob for a week now & snaffling a bit each time, yum!), parsnips, kale, sprouts, spuds, carrots, stuffing, horseradish & lashings of gravy & bread sauce. Followed by Christmas pud & hm custard, and a cheeseboard cos I loves 'em.

Then port, Norwegian biscuits (which I am still slaving over & collecting burns on my hands for), Christmas cake, mince pies and the traditional watching of 'Dinner for One'. Then vindictive card games amd presents...Mum's taxi arrives at 11.30 so she's home before she turns into a pumpkin.

Christmas Day is similar - either having venison or beef wellington and veg - squash and same stuff as before, nut roast for OH. Pudding will be h/m raspberry trifle. Then films, sofa snacks, mullered wine and feet up on the coffee table all afternoon before drinks & games with friends across the hall. It's just 3 of us on Christmas Eve, 2 of us on Christmas Day and I adore cooking so I wish there were more to have round the table.

[Alison]

I had cheese and cranberry sauce sarnies today - that's festive!

I always make extra cranberry sauce to have in cheese butties - 'tis lovely

[Mr Bones]

Having the inlaws over so I'm cooking sliced pork loin rolled in crushed black pepper and sizzled on a cast iron griddle, served with kale, peas and parsnip chips with a thick mustard gravy. All very quick and easy to cook.

[Bigmallly]

Pudding will be h/m raspberry trifle.

Do trains run on Xmas day?....................