Topic: Christmas Dinner

[Derekthefox]

Gosh I reckon I could eat 3 mince pies in as many seconds ... and as for cheese, well I do love my cheese, anything except blue cheeses, but it takes second place to the turkey and pickles ... at this time of year.

Derekthefox :D

[Multiveg]

Did i see a mention for brussel sprout soup? where what when how and why? Might have a look for recipes at R4All.

[Derekthefox]

Sprout soup  :o Won't that be a bit on the windy side, not something wanted on Christmas day  ... Images of the beans scene from Blazing Saddles drift into my head ...  ;D

Derekthefox :D

[moonbells]

Christmas eve - Definitely German. Bratwurst*, mashed potato, mushroom* and onion gravy and sauerkraut*.

hmmm! just exactly what we are having. what is your german influence, moonbells? :)

My husband's mum is German so of course all his food preferences are what she cooked when he was little! Never more than at Christmas.

made my own sauerkraut this year. delish, lots of dill on it - and best of all, non-wind inducing! :o i have no idea what they put into the preserved stuff then.....
you can buy sauerkraut at any good polish food shop :)
we get our sausages from a farmshop/local producer. i often chose something like a cumberland ring or similar, just to make it slightly different from our regular sausage eating :D

We've discovered that the local larger Waitrose sell proper Bayerisches bratwurst...  I was never a fan of sausages much until he introduced me to ones which were 90-odd% meat as against the rusk and onion-filled ones you tend to get in supermarkets here.  Now I am afraid I've turned into a sausage snob!

and of course, dont forget gluehwein and opening presents in front of crackling fire (we will enjoy that!)

as if I could!!!

christmas day - it's got to be a dead bird of some kind :)
red cabbage with apple a must, as are potato dumplings (rohe kloesze for those in the know) that's the german dinner.

Heh. I have Mum-in-law's recipe for rotkohl and as I've been growing some, I volunteered to make it. I guess this is where I find out if I pass muster! Made it yesterday and so now have two large jars of the stuff.  Handy that it's vinegar, sugar and salt so that it'll pickle nicely and I don't have to freeze it!

OH does the english dinner the day after which is usually a roast joint, sprouts etc veg, roast potatoes etc. works very well for us :)

We have sort-of spliced the traditions.  If we ever have kids, they'll grow up seriously confused!

we make sure the dead birds/meat joints are a suitable size for the amount of people we cook for - i do NOT enjoy eating leftovers for weeks afterwards  ::)

what leftovers?  ;D ;D  Until I met my husband, I'd been in a family who ate turkey gradually over a week in sandwiches and the like (and with a Dad who like me, doesn't eat much meat).  And having no brothers, I didn't realise that one hungry carnivorous hulk can eat a phenomenal amount of turkey in a couple of days!!!

this year it's just the two of us - so a duckling for CD, and a small ham or similar for BD

hope you have a good one!

moonbells (now will this complex quote work...?)

[Svea]

sounds good - except for the pickled red cabbage. not my kind of thng. i like it cooked from fresh - bits of bacon/goose fat in the bottom, sweat the shredded leaves for a bit then add some hot water - enough so it really only steams rather than boils. add chopped onion, couple of juniper berries, apple towards the end, and a table spoon of vinegar to keep the colour, added somewhere in the middle. :)

mind you, whatever tastes good

hope you have a great christmas :D

[TULIP-23]

Derekthefox ;)

me too...three mince pies....NO PROBLEM...Yummy Yummy. 8)

Chance would be a fine thing....THERE THEY WERE ...GONE ;D

[Derekthefox]

Well as I mentioned earlier ? A pack of six is a pleasant snack ...

Derekthefox :D

[BAGGY]

Derek - you mince pie piglet  :o SIX !  That really is some going.
For the 'virtual' Xmas dinner I will supply the starters.  Pears with stilton & walnuts (sorry DTF you'll can pick the blue cheese off) or pate or melon and parma ham.  Hot starters can be virtual sprout soup perhaps ?
If we have virtual cold cuts I will supply the spotty mash and salald cream. (can't eat it without)

[Multiveg]

Yesterday, had a look at the Christmas Menu for next Wednesday in The Fat Cat - crikey, £15.95 for two courses  :o . last year, did under a tenner with Wetherspoons (never ever again!).

[Derekthefox]

So you give Wetherspoons the thumbs down then?
 We had our technicians Christmas lunch at our local Wetherspoons last year, two pints of Guinness and a mixed grill. Nothing outstanding but pleasant enough.

Derekthefox :D

[Derekthefox]

If there were Wardy, you just click on your browser and open another window ...  ;D

Derekthefox :D

[Derekthefox]

Wardy,
You seem very giggly for a lunchtime, you haven't been adding sherry to the cake have you - one for me, one for the cake, one for me, one (hic) fors thesh chake ...

Derekthefox ;D

[TULIP-23]

Derek  ;)
Leave her alone.....she's making the Mince-pies or did'nt you Guess!! ;D

[Derekthefox]

Hee hee Hee!! Let me have my bit of fun ...

Derekthefox ;D

[Delilah]

I seem to have missed this thread, nevermind I'll put my two pennth in now shall I.

I always cook and invite the rellys from both sides, unfortunately that only leaves 9 of us now cos sister in law and her brood have moved to Isle of Man and all the Grandmas and Grandpas have left this mortal plain :(  We lost an Uncle to cancer this year, so thats one more less :(

On the bright side, I start the day with a coffee and a little tipple, when everyone arrives they have bacon butties, I don't obviously.  Then I get comfortable in the kitchen with my tia maria and spend the next few hours preparing a cold starter, either prawns or melon, we keep it simple so that the sprogs will enjoy.  Then the feast begins, turkey crown, bacon rolls, roast pots, mashed pots, sprouts, carrots and broccoli, oven baked leeks, roast carrots and parsnips, bread sauce, sage and onion stuffing cranberry sauce and onion gravy (no meat substitute for me the veggies with the cranberry sauce and onion gravy are just dandy).

Dessert is either chrissy pud with brandy butter or profiteroles for the sprogs then we sit round the table for numerous hours chittering away until OH declares "shall we have some cheese".  At this point cheese and biscuits and apple pie, varous pickles etc make there way on to the table.  My fave is apple pie with a big chunk of mature cheddar ;D

[wardy]

My family withdrew to the sitting room after lunch in the dining room (leaving behind all the detritus)

It was quite a while before OH noticed dog was missing from the proceedings - yep, he'd got fastened in the dining room.  He was on the table walking about amongst all the leftovers, hoovering up as he went  ;D

[Delilah]

I have to respond with a "bless him" to that, who can blame him Eh taking advantage while he could!!!!! ;D

We usually let Meg into dining room to hoover, but restrict her to the floor ;D..................I'm sure she'd love to get on the table if she could ;D

[wardy]

He'd had his dinner too.  I always do his dinner just like ours only less as he's only little  :)