A Real Christmas

I watched Mary Berry making a Yule log last night which looked utterly fabulous. I might have a go next year but too late now. Mince Pies from Waitrose and I am making a "Bakewell" tart - same ingredients and method but with mincemeat instead of raspberry jam. Chestnut and sausage suffing already done and in the freezer. I only need to ice the cake and do the crumbs for the bread sauce. Love Christmas dinner - we had steak and chips last year as I had just had a triple bypass and wasn't feeling very energetic but a toned down full works this year. No pigs in blankets, just stuffing and bread sauce. Lemon drizzle cake in the freezer as the grandchildren love it and hate Christmas cake. By the time they have had a big lunch plus chocolate rabbits etc, they just have jelly and cake for tea so we have the same.
Happy Christmas to you all even if you are not celebrating it. Plus a big hug for those who have been ill or lost someone they loved this year.

We are having lamb too, find turkey quite bland unless it's dark meat.

Echo the sentiments of Minniesmum, Happy Christmas one and all and for those who are sad or ill may you find peace.

What's a few more?

Anyone who prefers lamb welcome to join us, but you'll have to bring your own chair.

I haven't a mince pie or Christmas cake in the house because I'd just scoff the mince pies and have to get more and no one much likes Christmas cake. I do however have a lovely panettone and lots of alcohol of the sort I don't usually buy and a lovely piece of Salar smoked salmon from South Uist festering in the Royal Mail's so- called system for almost 10 days now

Sounds lovely. I'll think of your lamb when I'm brining the turkey Anya

inishowen that's wonderful news all that matters is that those we love are well. It must be a big relief. Your new year with a new baby and a happy well daughter. Fab let us know how things go. A very very happy Christmas and new year

Making a Yule Log is quick, but it is tricky as well.It's the rolling up bit in a clean tea towel, you have to get it just right.I make one every year.
I think we should all do what is right for us, and our circumstances, so make OR buy, or a bit of both.
The meal itself on Christmas Day is just a roast dinner really.

Last year most of our family came to us for Christmas dinner it was lovely but very crowded. This year all the grown up grandchildren will be having lunch with their partners family so I will be with my daughter and her partner for lunch all her children will be elsewhere so just the four of us , I'll cook a turkey crown and take a Christmas pudding (left from last year) and some homemade mince pies with me, then in the evening we are all meeting at eldest grandsons house for our Secret Santa we will all take something to eat or drink.
So its been my most unstressed Christmas for a long long time, all I've made are lots and lots of mince pies and I'll cook a turkey crown the rest of the holidays it will probably be eating out or just me and OH at home . lovely.

I've spent a long time going through different posts on different subjects this morning on Gransnet, but what is really irritating me is the flickering adverts at the top of the screen for a store, which is flicking from one shot to another about the same store. It is really doing my head in, so I'm now going to stop reading them! I have so many problems with a constant daily headache and migraine that I don't need this awful irritation. I expect that anybody with epilepsy would not even be able to go on Gransnet at all. Hopefully they will soon put different adverts on that don't keep flashing.

It's turkey with all the trimmings at our house. There will be nine of us, five adults and four children. I love making the dinner. I know it can be a chore, and quite stressful for some, but I revel in it. I don't make my own pudding though, I always buy one. I usually make a pavlova for those who don't like Christmas pud, well, when I say a pavlova,I usually make three. I'm not the best baker, and have never mastered the art of making a Christmas cake. This year I discovered Mary Berry's mincemeat cake, so at the moment, there are two in the oven. Watch this space!

Christmas is what you want to make of it, if it's full on that's fine if you find over time you have cut back on food drink etc that's fine. I can't eat the food we ate at Christmas when we were younger and our children were too. As you get older your taste changes and more health wise now.

Lisa, why don't you buy a chocolate Swiss roll and decorate it? Then you will feel you have put something towards the log, without having actually made the cake!
Having said that, I'm struggling to find time to do all the church flowers, the mince pies, the wrapping of presents and house decorations, + DH who has man 'flu and is prostrate on the sofa [since Friday!]. I want to make chocolates as well as a fancy chocolate pudding for Christmas lunch - not the full Monty, that is in the evening... Do as I say, isn't it?

Oh dear, your poor DH grandMattie (and poor you coping with it all).
We've both had the virus (him man-flu, mine I suppose was flu) and it has left me feeling wiped out.
The ingredients are there to make mince pies, sausage rolls etc but there is no will .....
M&S had some Yule logs (£6) but the sell-by date on them was not great and I prefer the ones with a little branch on the side as well.

I wonder if we're having lamb too? I haven't asked.

Nothing much goes in the bin here except perhaps over-ripe bananas

We've had the added stress of having a kitchen fitted which has spilled over into refitting the utility room - I've still not found the boxes with the crockery in nor have I tried cooking in the new oven or used the microwave and dishwasher. We're both working full time too so I'm just hoping that at some point everything will fall into place before the family arrive on Christmas day for their lunch! On top of that my cat isn't well today and I've still not wrapped the presents! I did buy a nice looking Yule log from the supermarket last week though Interestingly I watched The Factory last night which was all about factories producing their Christmas products - tinsel, wrapping paper, mince pies and Yule logs - they still hand roll them as no machines can get them as perfect!