The CHRISTMAS Thread

[pagey]

Going back to the mid to late 70s mum and dad decided to go to the Crown Hotel in Stone for Christmas day lunch (accompanied by myself). After I left home mum and dad carried on going out for Christmas day lunch (not always at the Crown) until my dad became unable to go any more.

Looked at this a while back, but taxis drinks and a decent lunch we were looking at bankruptcy

 

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

20-25 years ago I used to do work for an upscale bar/restaurant just outside Wolves.
Xmas Day lunch and New Years Day lunch were their 2 busiest and most profitable sessions of the year.

 

[lemonjelly]

Christmas day is fine, but "Christmas" is shit overall. Like why do we need to do Christmas-y stuff for 2 months before. Pleased to be in Thailand again this year for it, albeit they weirdly have all the decorations and songs etc, even though it's a Buddhist country predominantly and if it's a weekday, it stays as a normal work day

Good lord yes! Stepdaughters have been banging on about it for weeks already. Getting so annoyed with the chatter that I have arranged to go out this weekend so I don't have to listen to the bullshit.

 

[lemonjelly]

Yeah one of the reasons Ive lost a bit of interest in a 'big' Christmas day is my missus gets a bit stressed, even though me and all the kids always help or at least offer help, she still gets stressed.
What we've done recently is try and put a day aside over the Christmas period where we can all get together, thats 8 adults and 5 squirts. For food we have a buffet to take the pressure off trying to get a full cooked meal on the table for 13.

People put too much pressure on it, instead of chilling out.
Compounded for us by a lot of family birthdays in Nov & Dec. So we ended up rushing around too much, getting frazzled, and falling ill every year.

So much better now, simply because we don't try to cram too many commitments in.

 

[Dennisons Wrong Foot]

House up the road has 2 banners that hang down each side of the front door. One says Merry, the other one Christmas. Impossible to get it wrong. Theirs say

Christmas Merry

 

[Lupo]

Selfridges yesterday

 

[Loki]

Jerk turkey for us this Xmas. We`re doing a Caribbean cruise. My missus has four siblings and none of them does a thing to help their mother at Xmas. My missus does every thing for her. Gets cards, presents for all of them and their bloody kids and grandkids. Does all her shopping and we always have her for Xmas day, or go to hers to do the dinner etc. Put my foot down (sort of, with her permission) and booked a cruise. She/we have still sorted cards and gifts and will do some of the shopping before we go but, at least someone else has had to step up and take her for Xmas day and any "last minute" stuff she wants the week before.

 

[EpsomWolf]

Jerk turkey for us this Xmas. We`re doing a Caribbean cruise. My missus has four siblings and none of them does a thing to help their mother at Xmas. My missus does every thing for her. Gets cards, presents for all of them and their bloody kids and grandkids. Does all her shopping and we always have her for Xmas day, or go to hers to do the dinner etc. Put my foot down (sort of, with her permission) and booked a cruise. She/we have still sorted cards and gifts and will do some of the shopping before we go but, at least someone else has had to step up and take her for Xmas day and any "last minute" stuff she wants the week before.

Well done, sometimes it’s really hard to see the bigger picture but there are times you need to.

Go and gave a fantastic time, sounds like you both deserve it.

 

[machin05]

So, who's doing the best Mince Pies this year?

The Tesco Finest ones are great, and only £1.50 with clubcard at the mo. The cheapo Sainsbury's own ones are nice too

 

[Tredman]

So, who's doing the best Mince Pies this year?

The Tesco Finest ones are great, and only £1.50 with clubcard at the mo. The cheapo Sainsbury's own ones are nice too

Always a big fan of the Aldi deluxe ones.

 

[Sniffer]

The specially selected Aldi ones (could be the same as what @Tredman mentioned but they have another luxury set too).
Heated in the oven for 10 minutes with cream on top. The baileys/ballycastle cream closer to the big day improves them further.

 

[BillyDee]

The white chocolate Ballycastle is epic.
Only had the Tesco Finest mince pies so far, really nice and a bargain at £1.50

 

[Sniffer]

The white chocolate Ballycastle is epic.

Looked at that and the chocolate fudge clementine one last week. I’ll probably get one of each. Ballycastle in the home lattes/choca mocha powder things is a habit I’ll have to get out of in the new year.

 

[Jolemai]

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

Aldi always do bostin mince pies.

Last year my daughter made some using the Asda fig, whisky & spiced honey mincemeat (and home made pastry) and they were awesome. I’ve got to get another jar of that this year.

 

[machin05]

These are excellent

 

[Lupo]

Having a long weekend in London, some of the lights and displays are absolutely superb