Christmas Lunch / Dinner

[icelesley]

Do you have your Christmas meal as lunch or Dinner?

We have it as a late lunch around 2.30/3pm and just nibbles later in the evening.

Have you decided what you will have for your Christmas meal on the big day? I decided to go mad as this is the last year I will have an income.

We will start with Scottish smoked salmon
Main: Roast boned out, stuffed duck (ordered from Morrisons ready to cook) Roast potatoes, sprouts (if they are ready, they have been on the boil since new year )
buttered mixed carrots (purple, yellow and orange) roasted honey and mustard parsnips, apple cranberry and bacon stuffing wraps and port gravy. Washed down with a lovely bottle of Barolo
Dessert: for OH Christmas pud and brandy sauce for me caramel icecream bombe
Followed by cheese and biscuits with port
Coffee, mints and Brandy
Then wash up and fall asleep in front of the TV

[Ratatouille]

In the old days and when we have family hereor visit them our tradition is for a brunch after present opening followed by dinner at around 6.30.

This year we will be on our own so are going to a local restaurant - one with a lovely big fireplace, very trad and cosy. What we will eat I don't know - but it will be good.

[OneMoreCheekyOne]

For us it's smoked salmon and scrambled eggs first thing. Late morning hundreds of people trek up to a monument on a hill at the top of our village which has amazing views. Everyone takes champagne and there's a brass band and singing.

Then we're due at my parents for 2pm with the main event being served from about 4pm onwards. I know were having turkey this year. It's just family for the meal but we're usually joined by various friends in the evening for cheese & biscuits and Christmas games etc.

[Herbidacious]

Traditionally at lunch time. I don't know this year. It's not going to be a 'proper' one anyway.

[Zosherooney]

I will be up @ sparrow, excited to see what Santa has brought me ! Tea with present opening with the fluffs then toast only as we will save the appetite for lunch. 12pm walk to the pub for maybe an hour, the bird (chicken this year) will be in the oven before we go. I will then finish off on getting back home and lunch (2.30ish) will be followed by a snooze in bed (otherwise it will not be a rest). We will play our Tobagan Crimbo songs we bought on CD whilst there. It is always hot and sunny in our house !!!!

[liketocook]

Ours spans most of the day. Breakfast is usually a croissant, bacon and fruit. Smoked salmon blinis next around 1pm while opening pressie, mixed starters (prawn cocktail, trout pate, chicken liver pate, melon and melba toast around 3pm. Main of turkey and all the trimmings around 4.30pm then pudding usually trifle but we are having a M&S black forest dessert this year around 7pm. Cheese board, chocolates, stollen & mince pies during the evening for those that want.

[WWordsworth]

Late morning hundreds of people trek up to a monument on a hill at the top of our village which has amazing views. Everyone takes champagne and there's a brass band and singing.

I would love that.

We are at my brother's this year so it will be veggie.
J and I cannot get away until the morning of 25 Dec so we have promised to be there by 1000.
There will be a dog walk followed by coffee, the rest of the tribe will arrive early afternoon - they are local, we are 120 miles away.
I expect dinner will be about 1600 or 1700.

Alcohol consumption will be light and board games will make an appearance.
We will have a lovely time but there will be no letting down of the hair.

[Suelle]

Evening meal here! We're all used to eating our main meal of the day in the evening, so I don't see any point in changing for Christmas.

I'm cooking woodland reared pork rather than turkey, but that means I can cook Yorkshire puddings too.

[Pepper Pig]

I’m hoping Jury Service will have finished by then but it’s beginning to look doubtful.

Lunch is at elder daughter’s in Abbots Langley this year and it will be traditional turkey. I will have to drive to Kettering to pick up and bring back my mum. Josh will bring OH and the dogs over. The grandchildren are all young enough for it to be all about them and mum is old enough for it to be all about her so things should be interesting. Rebecca has never catered for 16 before let alone cooked a turkey so that too will be interesting. My sis and the second trumpeter from Howard’s End will be joining us. There will be *sigh* team games on the computer and then I’ll take mum to her friends at Gerrard’s Cross where she is spending the night.

[Busybee]

We are going to my sisters for lunch, which in reality means that my Dad will cook the turkey at his house and take it round to my sisters, only round the corner, I am on pudding duty -Christmas pudding with brandy butter or fresh cream and a home made trifle, and sister will to the vegetables etc.

It has been made clear that we are only invited for lunch so we will retire home about 5pm. My sister has MS and gets very tired so she will have had enough by then. I’m sure we will spend the evening etc just relaxing together, reading, listening to music and watching the box if there is anything good on.

Boxing Day will be panto time!

BB

[Zosherooney]

Re: board games....... I have bought a jig saw of Venice for Mr. Z. It is the only time we have one..... and it is so interesting to watch people who have absolutely no interest, stop, grab a piece and put it in place. Before you know it, they are totally absorbed..... I have known visitors over the festive period, actually put their glass down and really concentrate !!!!

[Kacey]

We have a veggie sausage sandwich for breakfast, line our stomachs read for the champagne whilst we open pressies - OH will scoff at least 2 bags of chocolate coins. We'll then calm down with a nice coffee with a big slug of Baileys in it and I'll think about 'dinner' - mattar paneer, aubergine & chickpea curry, dal, roast potatoes, sprouts and Yorkshire pudding. Its always the intention to eat mid=afternoon, in reality even with most of the dinner prepared Xmas Eve it'll be nearer 5pm.

We won't have a pud after that lot but we'll have cheese & biscuits for supper. We'll drink plenty of our favourite beers and finish off with some Laphroaig Quarter Cask.

Can't wait!

[smitch]

We have a veggie sausage sandwich for breakfast, line our stomachs read for the champagne whilst we open pressies - OH will scoff at least 2 bags of chocolate coins. We'll then calm down with a nice coffee with a big slug of Baileys in it and I'll think about 'dinner' - mattar paneer, aubergine & chickpea curry, dal, roast potatoes, sprouts and Yorkshire pudding. Its always the intention to eat mid=afternoon, in reality even with most of the dinner prepared Xmas Eve it'll be nearer 5pm.

We won't have a pud after that lot but we'll have cheese & biscuits for supper. We'll drink plenty of our favourite beers and finish off with some Laphroaig Quarter Cask.

Can't wait!

Sounds like my kind of Christmas! We have to go to my parents this year but am trying to persuade OH we should have a curry feast next year. We're having a trial run on NYE I think, mostly from Vegan Richa and Prashad books.

Due to guinea pig medicating duties, we won't be going to my family until after we open our presents on Christmas morning and will be home on Boxing Day. Think the food will be very traditional, I'm having nut roast. We've got a box of special beers we've been saving but they're too good to share with other people so we'll have them at home over the festive period

[Gruney]

My Christmas day hasn't varied for years. Toast and coffee, then out with the dogs - then smoked salmon and blinis, with rather a lot of Chablis. Later, I have duck breasts with a cherry and red wine sauce, roast spuds, parsnips and carrots, and savoy cabbage, done with juniper berries and garlic. Christmas pudding etc. to finish me off completely.

[Catherine]

We've got a box of special beers we've been saving but they're too good to share with other people so we'll have them at home over the festive period

Too right - especially for NYE trial run. Actually I think thats rather noble of you as you are surely just ensuring that the best beers are served next year.

[OneMoreCheekyOne]

with rather a lot of Chablis.

That will be me and my dad. Most others in our families prefer red which is good as there's more Chablis for us

[Meganthemog]

For us it will be up at 7 - grab a cup of coffee before piling into the car which will be packed to the gunwales with everything for Christmas meal which will be at about 5. Arrive in Maidstone for about 11.30 - smoked salmon blinis with Champagne and mini yorkies stuffed with rare fillet and horseradish cream to keep us going until the main event. In between it will be opening presents and playing with 2 1/2 year old GS Cooking turkey with all the trimmings. After we've eaten it will be silly games until we are hungry enough for a turkey sandwich then bed - exhausted but very happy!

[earthmaiden]

My perfect Christmas is a stocking to open first thing, cooking all morning and a few nibbles, drinks and chat to accompany. Lunch at around 1pm followed by the Queen. Then lots of games and conversation with a leftovers supper and some Christmas cake later and maybe one selected TV show or film.

The reality is that the family all change their mind about what they're doing right up until the day. There are divorced mothers and fathers, brothers, sisters, partners and their families who all want a slice of the celebrations at some point over the holiday but will never come to any decision quickly. No-one has a clue what they would like as a present and ends up with a stocking full of cr*p and some money. Some like to eat at 1pm, some at 3pm and some in the evening. Some like wall to wall TV and no conversation - and others don't. Some like games, some don't.

Somehow it all ends up OK ... we all go somewhere and usually I am told at the last minute that I will be descended upon, often on Boxing Day and that someone or other will be staying the night. I have booked my Sainsburys delivery slot in anticipation

I dream of an orderly Christmas

Edited to add that I like a traditional turkey or chicken or some kind of bird with stuffing, the usual veg, little sausages and separate bacon rolls, stuffing, gravy and oodles of bread sauce. For pud I like something light and moussey or cheesecakey ... with Christmas pud being brought in with ceremony and offered to those who want it. I like mine on a different day when I have had a lighter meal. As there are nibbles all morning we don't bother with a starter but satsumas, mince pies, nuts etc are available afterwards if anyone wants them instead of or as well as pudding. DS and his GF's family (to which I have been invited for the past few years) like to have beef. I find it bitterly disappointing.

[Zosherooney]

For pud I like something light and moussey

Better contact Sue, before she eats them all....

[StokeySue]

I have just scrubbed the kitchen because I saw one of the little blighters run behind the microwave. They have eatem most of the bait
Tomorrow's shopping list
Christmas tree
Meat
Poisoned canary seed

[TeresaFoodie]

I too have an idea in my head of a perfect Christmas day feasting and the reality one!

Perfect would be a likened to when I was much younger. To avoid family squabbles about are we going to your parents or mine, me and my partner at the time spent every Christmas, just us together, at home. He ate meat, I didn't, so there would be a small turkey joint for him, nut roast for me, all the trimmings, and this would be eaten around 2pm, giving us enough time to get up, open his Christmas tips (he was a postman) and then crack on with our ritual.....the night before we would wrap twelve individual presents for each other, number them, pop them in a stocking and at random pick out a number and open the relevant gift on the hour every hour. One gift would be a miniature spirit which, no matter what time you pulled that one out, you had to neck. So that could be JD for breakfast! Christmas tunes in the background would be a must! We weren't too fussed about the Queen's speech but traditionally would end up watching it. Cats would get homemade turkey gravy. The table was something only really used at Christmas so out would come the tablecloth, loads of crackers, silly hats, photos, no starter, Christmas pudding with soya cream for me, brandy butter for him. Then in front of the TV. Usually Only Fools and Horses or The Royle Family. Nod off Invariably with a glass of port or sherry. Ah, thems were the days.
This year I have no idea what is happening for a variety of reasons. My family are a few miles away, I have no transport so rely on my Mum but she won't drive in the dark, and she has nowhere to put me up for the night, also my Sister is in a custody battle going on with her youngest over Christmas access so there are currently no fixed plans, so...i could end up staying here, in which case I would speak to my elderly neighbour who is going to be spending it here away from family on his own. He has been offered a church lunch through Help The Aged for £5 but has depression and has lived many years as a recluse. He doesn't socialise well. I do have a giggle with him so I could offer to go with him or cook some food here. I have my decorations up and Christmas music. I think this idea could work well and could help with his first Christmas ever on his own. I'd be happy doing all the cooking as long as we ate at around 2pm. I can see my family Boxing day, he can't. There would have to be loads of Brussel sprouts and port or sherry! And crackers!
Whatever happens, and as has always been the case for me, pubs will not be involved! I hate all that pre-Christmas lunch stuff in a boozer, but then a quiet pub with log fire and friendly dog walkers would be nice, but find one round here you'll be lucky.
So we'll see nearer the time!

[Seatallan]

We traditionally start with breakfast cups of milky coffee (the sort where you heat the milk in a pan, add instant coffee powder and brown sugar) because it's what Mr S and his family always had (only ever on Christmas Day). We'll have a bottle of champers whilst we open our presents, along with smoked oyster surprises (I make them every year so they aren't a surprise any more but its what they're called ). That'll take us up to early afternoon probably, and we'll then go for a walk. We'll nibble at charcuterie during the afternoon and I shall cook Christmas Dinner for the evening. This year we're having a roast free-range chicken with traditional stuffing, bacon, chipolatas, etc, along with veg (including sprouts with chestnuts) and bread pudding. Starter will be the Two Fat Ladies pheasant & walnut terrine. Pud this year will be a chocolate tart (Mr S makes a blinder) with creme frache and if we have room there'll be biscuits and cheese followed by seriously posh chocolates.

[Seatallan]

...Obviously there'll be lashings of alcohol too...

[StokeySue]

I've just ordered a posh duck
So that's the reality
It will probably be early dinner
What I miss about childhood Christmases is the walk down the lane across the farms and along the beach . One Christmas we were met by a stoat,, very indignant we were on his territory

So my ideal would be earlyish breakfast of coffee and croissants, The Walk (has to be in the morning to get the light, and the timing), light lunch of smoked salmon and charcuterie etc
Then early dinner of roast goose with all the trimmings
Appropriate wines throughout

Weather permitting, in reality I'll walk round the reservoirs (wetlands wildlife centre)before cooking my duck

[MagicMarmite]

It's fairly casual in my house, daughter is autistic so manages thing in her own way and I do my thing which generally comes together, but no bother if it doesn't.
She'll get up at some point, open her gifts at another point whilst wandering in and out of her room.

I enjoy getting dressed up and cooking, so I do. (Short, strapless Superdry dress, black heeled boots!), whilst listening to music and singing along.

This year we are having Lechon which is a Filipino roast pork dish, with many side dishes from various parts of SE Asia.
It's not a sit down meal, just a grab and go, take what you want kinda thing.
Dessert will be trifle.

[Rocky]

We 'normally' have smoked salmon etc late morning followed by some beach time and a selection of deliciousness at about six. Neither of us is a fan of roast dinner so we typically decide to make 2-3 things each but commit to making those amazing. We have discovered some absolute gems doing this.

This year? Not sure. Things are so strange have only just realised how close it is so thanks for this thread

[suffolk]

We don't have a 'normal' any more since the family grew up and spread out ......... DD and SIL usually host a day for friends who are for one reason or another away from family (those in the caring professions etc or those without family to go to) ... sometimes we're at home and DS comes to us, sometimes we go to MIL's and DS sometimes comes too. This year DS is going to host Christmas himself for the first time since his divorce and moving to his new home.

OH, DD, SIL and I will spend Christmas Eve with him ... I'll provide a Fish Pie and presents will be exchanged then DD and SIL will go home.

I have no idea of the timings on Christmas day, but I'm providing croissants, scrambled egg and smoked salmon for breakfast ... DS is roasting a cockerel with all the trimmings and I'm providing a Christmas pud and cream. I'm also taking along a cold roasted gammon and Waldorf salad (DS's favourite) for supper. There will also be a supply of home made sausage rolls, mince pies and pickles available

We'll call in at my brother's on Boxing Day as his farm is not far from where DS lives, and then we'll come home and eat more cold gammon and pickles ......... that's always the best bit

[Gruney]

I've just learned my Christmas cake and pudding will be arriving next Sunday - my pal and his wife from the NW are coming down to stay the night,and to deliver them. She's been doing it for a great many years now, and never lets me down. The true spirit of Christmas.