Xmas lunch /dinner !

trader125, Nov 12, 12:55am
ideas ! do you know what you are doing this year ! anyone having /doing anything totally different!

buzzy110, Nov 12, 1:07am
I've been doing something totally different every yer since my Mother passed. I was pretty much over traditional English style Xmas lunch but think that bbqs are too low rent for me and attract flies. I create a menu of fine food but each dish is served only in small quantities. No need for gluttony and definitely no need to produce 4-5 desserts plus chocolates, xmas cake, mince pies and other sweets. One fine dessert is much more to our liking. Each dish is matched with an appropriate wine, beer or drink. Raw half shell oysters are always a feature - haven't been able to get past those yet.

kinna54, Nov 12, 5:54am
We are busy working on ours, trying to bear in mind costs etc as well.
My son has asked for Roast Hoggett: He says as a kid we always had roast hoggett nearly every sunday, and pork and chicken etc were special: now it's the other way around, hoggett and lamb are special.
One thing we are NOT having is Turkey. I hate it!

trader125, Nov 12, 7:24am
we normally have nice breakfast ,croissants,bacon,freash fruit salad etc then xmas dinner , xmas day is the only day my husband & i get off for about a month & it always feels like i slave away all day in the kitchen ,just don't enjoy it

cookessentials, Nov 12, 7:40am
I am making a terrine this year with fresh salad from the garden and probably fresh berries or stone fruit.

uli, Nov 12, 7:45am
Since I never "do" Christmas - I will just have what is in the garden - and what I feel like cooking. Here is hoping that you could do the same and not stress out! :)

motorbo, Nov 12, 8:23am
oh yes of course dear fellow, only the best for moi
]

mwood, Nov 12, 9:39am
I have a large duck in the freezer

katalin2, Nov 12, 9:54am
Traditional Christmas food- ham, turkey , the works, with new potatoes, peas salad all from the garden and usual puddings, mince pies, strawberries. Everyone will be allocated what to bring- no stress.We look forward to the traditional Christmas fare and the getting together.

davidt4, Nov 13, 1:14am
Same here.Whatever is best in the vege garden, salads with tarragon vinaigrette, home-smoked fish, kumara, mint and feta salad.I might splash out on some Angus beef fillet.

buzzy110, Nov 13, 1:20am
Poor sad motorbo. that massive chip must be weighing mightily heavy on your shoulders by now.

ant_sonja, Nov 13, 1:36am
We're doing a pig on the spit this year so there will be plenty of meat, lots of fresh greens from the garden, homemade apple sauce, some crispy buns to stuff with all the goodies and that should do
:-)

susievb, Nov 13, 1:41am
Finger food like sausage rolls, cheerio's, pizza, etc and pav with fruit salad, because the two whom I will be with are fussy eaters and it is a party. And as I am going to parents for Christmas dinner don't want a to heavy lunch.

grannymum, Nov 13, 1:58am
Going to try & keep it very simple this year. Maybe a bbq with lots of salads & new potatoes & probably 2 or 3 desserts & have the left overs for boxing day.

rarogal, Nov 13, 2:13am
We're having breakfast and a BBQ at about 4pm, to fit in with all the family.Breakfast stacks (hash browns, lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, avacado on Ciabatta with a skewer down the centre.). BBq will be a cubed roll with salads, roast potatoes, creamy garlic mushrooms and the usual desserts.Lots to pick at in between.

jed, Nov 13, 3:35am
We're with you rarogal, breakie then a late lunch/dinner.Always have croissants with ham pineapple and cheese heated in the oven andchampagne and orange juice with fresh strawberries.Then a BBQ of things we wouldn't normally eat during the year with salads, fresh new potatoes and always, always a Christmas Pudding with custard and cream.Not to mention the ongoing nibbles during the day.

rarogal, Nov 13, 8:07am
Lol, Jed, we did croissants last year, eggs benedict the year before! And desserts are always a big thing in our household too - each has their favourite and look out if I don't make everyone of them!

rarogal, Nov 13, 8:16am
I never stress out over Xmas, I'm a Xmas lover!I have 'only' my 4 children, their spouses and their children (9 grandies and 3 step-grandies) to worry about. No other family apart from a brother, but they always have Xmas with his inlaws. I do everything possible prior to Xmas Day and the male family members do most of the cleaning up (yes, believe it or not).It gets pretty noisy with all the littlies, but usually we're lucky with the weather and organise plenty of outdoor activities - have already made a Xmas Pinata!

liamjosh, Nov 13, 10:08pm
We usually do a nice breakfast, crossiants or eggs benedict with salmon or pancakes, all with bacon and fresh fruit salad then a barbecue usually about 3 or 4 or cold meat, either way it has lots of salads and of course the obligatory dessert selection. Then we live off the leftovers for the next two days.

lizab, Nov 14, 8:23am
For the last two years we've enjoyed fresh salmon for Christmas. Ordered from the Aoraki Smokehouse:
http://www.smokedsalmon.co.nz/
A once a year treat for us, very much enjoyed and only for Christmas :)

anneliese88, Nov 16, 7:46am
We will probably be doing what we've done the previous few years - host an "orphans" Christmas dinner for travelers and new arrivals to NZ who may be experiencing their first christmas away from family, we do this through our cultural exchange programme. We ask everyone to prepare a special dish from their country then speak a little about it. Its always so interesting tasting all these different culinary styles and also sharing some traditional NZ dishes with them (such as Pavlova). Last year for example we started with hot cinnamon rolls for the Christmas day meal baked by some Finnish people, followed by a smorgasbord of Swedish Meatballs, Philippino Fish,German Lebkuchen, French Brioche and Israeli Falafels, various salads as an addition.Lots of enjoyment, laughter and new friendships made.