so anyway gettin organised or am i the only sad puppy doing this lol... . happy planning everyone! !
toadfish,
Aug 14, 4:21am
I have been doing $50 month into my Pak'n'save Christmas club... been doing it since Feb (automatic payments so no need to remember)... will have a tidy sum to stock up over Christmas... But thanks for reminding me... August is a really good time to start buying presents... Might even make me a list and try and get one a week or so... . Save last minute rush.
kyle0703,
Aug 14, 2:12pm
I have my menu and even shopping list all sorted. Have been paying $15 a week into Pak n Save Christmas club. This is my first year hosting Christmas and having 9 people for lunch
toadfish,
Aug 14, 2:52pm
Wow... thats alot of food... We seem to have 2 meals on "The day"The morning I do breakky & we open presents... . Last year it was a "Kiwi" the works BBQ to please my Kiwi husband. Then we have something light or even a piece of christmas Cake midday. Then off to my parents for a traditional English Christmas Dinner (I am English and I have had this every year bar about 3 when I was travelling since I have been born)... . Turkey, ham, chipolatas, the most devine stuffing balls wrapped in Bacon, fresh seasonal veg... usually carrots & Brocolli (In England we had fresh bruseel sprouts... but Mum tried the frozen ones when we arrived and they were horrible so Sprouts got dropped), Roasted Potatoes and Kumera (the kiwi invasion) and boiled new potatoes. . topped with gravy made from the turkey giblets... . love it. Then for dessert we have mince pies, brandy butter , Ice cream (another Kiwi Invasion) &a Christmas pudding that my Dad makes in October from a recipe we found that was his Grandmothers. My Dad is in his 70's so the recipe is really old... and amazing... . Every year he says... do wyou want me to make the pudding? and I go... . YES it's christmas. He has made it every year since we found the recipe in an old stamp album.
toadfish,
Aug 14, 2:59pm
You have me thinking though... might try and change my breakfast this year... . We had had croissants, meusli and a fruit platter before... but I get so annoyed at the fruit prices going up days before christmas I stopped that.
Thinking maybe Eggs Benedict... will have to practice though. . have never made hollandaise in my life... . do you have a good recipe? and if you do can you give me an indication of how many it serves... There are 6 of us. Being an immigrant (Even though we have been here over 30 years) means we don't have extended family over here... so christmas is a quiet affair...
Now boxing day thats a whole different matter, we have what we affectionally call a "Stragglers BBQ" and started to fulfill a "Kiwi" Christmas for hubby. . This is all the neighbours, friends and anyone really who doesn't have somewhere else to be... .
kyle0703,
Aug 14, 3:17pm
I know it's alot of food. There will be way to much but there always is whenever I cook I hate the thought of there not being enough. For the hollandaise no I have never made it before, will search for recipes(or cheat and buy it)
indy95,
Aug 14, 3:19pm
Toadfish, I have bumped up a thread about Eggs Benedict so you can practise making Hollandaise in plenty of time for Christmas. Davidt4's recipe is so easy even I can do it !
bedazzledjewels,
Aug 14, 3:44pm
I'm sure Davidt4 and the Low Carb cooking website will be in full swing for Christmas recipes! Eggs Benedict might be part of my Christmas plans this year too.
toadfish,
Aug 14, 4:16pm
How will you poach for mulitple dazz? ... I make the perfect egg in the microwave (for 1) but will need to do 12 eggs in total... They need to be perferctly formed... not all over the place.
bedazzledjewels,
Aug 14, 4:42pm
Yes - poaching isn't my forte Toady! Let's wait for suggestions. Looks like you and me will be doing lots of practice! I've got one of those egg poachers that turn out uniformly perfect round eggs, and frankly, by the time the dish is created, no-one's going to know how they were poached!
dbab,
Aug 14, 4:56pm
Apparently you poach the eggs until they are almost done and place them in cold water. When ready to serve, you place them in boiling water for a short time. i've never done it, but have read about it.
lythande1,
Aug 14, 5:03pm
It's silly. Masses of food no-one wants to eat. All we ever do is one light meal and concentrate on the main point - pressies for the little ones and some pleasant chat with the little ones parents and then they all leave so we can all do our own thing.
nauru,
Aug 14, 9:44pm
Toadfish, I'm interested in the old recipe. Would your Dad be willing to share your Grt Grandmother's recipe or is it a family secret? .
motorbo,
Aug 14, 9:55pm
leaves it till the last minute, as the family usually want the same thing every year! ! and its only the lunchtime meal, breakfast is get ya own, then lunch and pudding well we are usually so full we have it for dinner! ! !
natalie9,
Aug 14, 10:25pm
I find making eggs benedict for more than a couple of people is easiest done with scrambled eggs, so easy in the microwave too. And smoked salmon or bacon... mmm
uli,
Aug 14, 10:26pm
I haven't got microwave and never poach anything either LOL - I simply soft boil the eggs, rest in cold water and peel - simple, easy and you can do 300 in one go if need be - while your other half shells the eggs you can concentrate on the hollandaise ... cause why waste lovely organic free range eggs to a carton of shop bought chemicals?
uli,
Aug 14, 10:27pm
Scrambled benedicts? Hmmm never knew they existed - must be your own creation? How do you make the hollandaise?
buzzy110,
Aug 14, 11:14pm
What a fantastic menu. I want to come to your place for Xmas?
toadfish,
Aug 14, 11:24pm
I will ask him... . but to be honest for the first time ever I feel quite emotionally attached to a recipe... and if I post it... I am going to have it "Critiqued" and the next thing you know it will be XYZ'ds Christmas pudding and before long it will have belonged to Alison Holsts Great Grandmother lol.
I do know its not for the feint hearted and has suet it in... We had to convert a "gil" of brandy and then decide how small was a small wine glass lol.
As I said I will ask him.
PS we are from the South of England... so it will a south English recipe.
buzzy110,
Aug 14, 11:39pm
Don't post it toadfish. Keep your special recipes 'special'. I have recipes I wouldn't put on here for all the tea in China. Next thing you know it will be over in sofia's thread and being used to sell advertising. Maybe you could post it on the facebook site you all use. That way it will be safe from sofia.
nauru,
Aug 14, 11:48pm
Thanks Toadfish, I undersatnd. I am from the north of England, the pudding recipe I usually use is also English, except I now use butter instead of suet. I remember gills too, used to get milk in bottles that size when I was small.
toadfish,
Aug 14, 11:54pm
What did the change from Suet to Butter do? It is at the moment really really dense and stodgy. I will tell Dad about your change... just had another flashback... think is has soft breadcrumbs in it. Its funny really, my Dad never ever cooks... but once a year he does this ritual... Its boiled for quite a few hours the first time and then reboiled a second time on christmas day.
davidt4,
Aug 14, 11:59pm
If it is an old recipe the suet used would have been freshly grated suet straight from the kidney fat, with no additives. If you are using Shreddo be aware that it is quite different - it has flour (rice flour I think) addded to keep it from clumping, plus preservatives. This may be why you are getting a heavy result.
toadfish,
Aug 15, 12:06am
Not sure what he is using... just know I really really like it it and christmas wouldn't be christmas without it now... The recipe was uncovered about 20 yrs ago. (But I am more of a dense cake person. . really dislike light fluffy sponges)
charlieb2,
Aug 15, 12:11am
All fluff and no substance, huh? Toadie?
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