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Christmas Dinner Triumphs and Fails.
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So this year we went to the in-laws for dinner as usual having moved 3 years ago to be closer to them, they offered to host (nothing new there) and we arranged rather than bringing stuff with us we would give them £100 towards the cost of Xmas dinner for the 8 of us. Massive mistake!!!
It was the worst Christmas dinner they have ever provided and felt like it was more ‘Mums gone to Iceland’ frozen re-heated crap, than the M&S delicious meal they said they were providing and which was why going half’s was £100 per family (4 of us, 3 of them and a grandma.) as they wanted to make it a luxury meal despite normally shopping in Tesco & Sainsbury’s.
They bought packets of everything and made absolutely nothing, there was a rolled 3 bird roast and a rolled turkey roast both included stuffing and both had been cooked so long they had dried out completely, packets of frozen roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips were soggy no crisp outer to anything, the sprouts were raw, red cabbage cold was tasteless and slimy, a cauliflower cheese with 5 small florets of cauliflower and a congealed sauce, mini sausages they claimed came from the local butcher and were massive when brought out the over were tiny and looked more like mini cocktail sausages that should have been put on a stick straight from the packet with burnt bits of bacon near them but not wrapped around them, mixed with part cooked stuffing balls made up of a mix of sausage meat rolled in raw stuffing mix and cooked with the mini sausages & to top it off, soggy Yorkshire’s.
Puddling wasn’t any better, the selection was just as awful they had brought a Vanillla Viennetta and Profiteroles and a pot of double cream, despite knowing our kids don’t like cream and one doesn’t actually like ice cream either.
There was No Christmas pudding, mince pies, nothing Christmas related at all. If it wasn’t family and I thought it wouldn’t cause more hassle than it was worth I would have kicked off, I meal you know it’s bad when the brother in-law who cooked it fills his plate then doesn’t eat it and just throws it in the bin at the end. It was a total waste of time and money this year and now I am craving a proper roast dinner and Christmas pudding meal.
So looks like I am now in need of shopping for stuff to make that proper meal for the family as they were all so disappointed with what we got.
How was your Christmas Dinner? |
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It was the worst Christmas dinner they have ever provided and felt like it was more ‘Mums gone to Iceland’ frozen re-heated crap, than the M&S delicious meal they said they were providing and which was why going half’s was £100 per family (4 of us, 3 of them and a grandma.) as they wanted to make it a luxury meal despite normally shopping in Tesco & Sainsbury’s."
Just so I'm understanding this the total food budget (which excludes your in-laws gas/electric costs) was £200 for 8 people which equates to £25.00 per head? |
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Our Christmas dinner was delicious. Everything cooked fresh from scratch. Not many of us so had chicken instead of turkey but otherwise the full works.
Veg in Lidl was 8p a bag this year, rolled our own pigs in blankets, made our own Christmas pudding and served it with homemade ice cream.
Much less than £5 a head in total for 3 courses. The pudding was made a few weeks ago, but everything else took less than 2 hours from starting the preparation to food on the plate.
Easy, fairly cheap (although more than we usually spend on food) and stress free.
Don’t know what the big deal is. |
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We had an amazing Christmas dinner. First of all Gammon doubled boiled to remove salt, then cooked with cider and Coca Cola in the ninja foodie, then we cooked the turkey crown on the ninja woodfire. All the flavours were amazing. We had to cater for 10!! |
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How about instead of complaining (there’s a lot of complaining in your post) you be the host, cook everything from scratch next year and most importantly, be thankful for having a family around, time you got to spend with them and means to provide a meal, no matter how fancy or not. |
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"How about instead of complaining (there’s a lot of complaining in your post) you be the host, cook everything from scratch next year and most importantly, be thankful for having a family around, time you got to spend with them and means to provide a meal, no matter how fancy or not. "
Yeah this.... I'm speechless |
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How dare someone offer to cook food for 8 people using their electric or gas, their time and their effort on what really is a minimal budget for 8. If you think you can do Christmas in M&S or Waitrose for 8 you need a reality check
I hope next year you’ve put your hand up to offer to do it all and then I hope they have the audacity to complain about it to blood of strangers on the internet |
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Hubby’s Mum has cows, pigs, and sheep… and instead of crap we don’t want or need, our Xmas present is always home-reared meat for our dinner.
Hubby always cooks everything, from scratch, I don’t really do anything. He did forget to do stuffing this year which was highly amusing when he remembered halfway through dinner and threw a cute little tantrum. |
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"OP you had it easy giving £100 for four and doing nothing. As well as all the cooking they had all the shopping to do too. "
Really?
The shopping only takes the same amount of time as usual. We just did our normal weekly shopping only Friday morning. 45 minutes in total including the driving. All in Lidl.
£25 a head is extortionate. |
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I'm sure it's disappointing getting a dinner you didn't enjoy having paid a reasonable amount towards it. However, it's difficult to read your OP with it's itemized list of faults, snobbish attitude to food and air of believing you are doing others a favour simply by being there, without feeling a great deal of sympathy for anyone who through choice or otherwise has a person like you in their life.
I'm not usually this blunt and try to see both sides in any situation but your long and detailed rant grated.
P |
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By (user no longer on site) 2 weeks ago
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"
£25 a head is extortionate.
How much does a pub charge for a roast dinner on Christmas Day ?
My local is £65 each. "
Cooked by a chef. Most likely a 3 course meal.
Cooked by your gran/mum/dad/uncle Dave....nah. |
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By *929Man 2 weeks ago
bedlington |
Sounds like a disaster mate
I went to my mams for my dinner she takes great offence at the suggestion of seasoning anything and at one point I heard her trying to assert her superiority to my son as she had everything set out and just heard the tail end of her saying “but your dad tries his best…” as she spent the last 17 years or so having Christmas dinner at my house.
I won’t be going back |
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OP your in-laws tried, so what if it didn't turn out as good as hoped for. They tried their best to make it a special meal for you and your family. Quite possibly they took on too much but rather than come on here giving us your trip advisor review you could plan to cook for them on New Year's day as a gesture of oh what's it called? Oh yes a gesture of good will.
Mrs |
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"
£25 a head is extortionate.
How much does a pub charge for a roast dinner on Christmas Day ?
My local is £65 each. "
No idea how much a pub charges, can’t understand why anyone would want to go out to a pub for Christmas dinner so not investigated it.
As I said, our 3 course meal was less than £5 a head, probably really around £4.
Took about an hour of my time, spread over 2 hours to prepare and cook it. Easy.
|
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"
As I said, our 3 course meal was less than £5 a head, probably really around £4.
Took about an hour of my time, spread over 2 hours to prepare and cook it. Easy.
"
I have a great idea. Next Christmas invite OP and his family round. Charge them the usual £100 and you are over £80 in profit for no extra work. |
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By *ornycougaWoman 2 weeks ago
Wherever I lay my hat |
"I'm sure it's disappointing getting a dinner you didn't enjoy having paid a reasonable amount towards it. However, it's difficult to read your OP with it's itemized list of faults, snobbish attitude to food and air of believing you are doing others a favour simply by being there, without feeling a great deal of sympathy for anyone who through choice or otherwise has a person like you in their life.
I'm not usually this blunt and try to see both sides in any situation but your long and detailed rant grated.
P"
Couldn't agree with you more. Instead of the OP whinging and moaning and whining maybe he should spare a thought for those that had no Christmas dinner or were without their loved ones this Christmas, and reflect on how fortunate he is |
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"How about instead of complaining (there’s a lot of complaining in your post) you be the host, cook everything from scratch next year and most importantly, be thankful for having a family around, time you got to spend with them and means to provide a meal, no matter how fancy or not. "
Exactly why I cook my own dinner and invite friends round. I charge nothing but expect them to bring wine.
It's nice when I'm offered help to wash up.
I do go the extra mile necause it's a once a year meal so I make my own bread and cheese sauces. Yes it's easier to buy parsnips already cut up and glazed but I.preger to fo it myself. Same with the roasties
|
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"Pork.
I mean. Why?
What's left is just sat there in the fridge looking sad, stodgy and dead.
Of course it's dead. Who eats live animals ?"
Oh dear dear..
Maybe you should try it.you make friends with it first. Give it a little stroke. Make it smile and then WHAM(ageddon).
Festive ritual in our house.
 |
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"I cooked a lovely christmas dinner for my boys and I on Christmas eve. All from scratch. I made way too much though and sadly burnt the stuffing.
My orange and cinnamon carrots were lush "
The carrots do sound lush never heard of that way before would love to know how you did them
The only real fail we had was I managed to drop the cauliflower cheese when I got it out the oven |
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"I'm sure it's disappointing getting a dinner you didn't enjoy having paid a reasonable amount towards it. However, it's difficult to read your OP with it's itemized list of faults, snobbish attitude to food and air of believing you are doing others a favour simply by being there, without feeling a great deal of sympathy for anyone who through choice or otherwise has a person like you in their life.
I'm not usually this blunt and try to see both sides in any situation but your long and detailed rant grated.
P
Couldn't agree with you more. Instead of the OP whinging and moaning and whining maybe he should spare a thought for those that had no Christmas dinner or were without their loved ones this Christmas, and reflect on how fortunate he is"
I agree Cougar. Just to be invited for dinner is amazing in itself. I've not been invited to a Xmas dinner in over twn years. |
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"So this year we went to the in-laws for dinner as usual having moved 3 years ago to be closer to them, they offered to host (nothing new there) and we arranged rather than bringing stuff with us we would give them £100 towards the cost of Xmas dinner for the 8 of us. Massive mistake!!!
It was the worst Christmas dinner they have ever provided and felt like it was more ‘Mums gone to Iceland’ frozen re-heated crap, than the M&S delicious meal they said they were providing and which was why going half’s was £100 per family (4 of us, 3 of them and a grandma.) as they wanted to make it a luxury meal despite normally shopping in Tesco & Sainsbury’s.
They bought packets of everything and made absolutely nothing, there was a rolled 3 bird roast and a rolled turkey roast both included stuffing and both had been cooked so long they had dried out completely, packets of frozen roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips were soggy no crisp outer to anything, the sprouts were raw, red cabbage cold was tasteless and slimy, a cauliflower cheese with 5 small florets of cauliflower and a congealed sauce, mini sausages they claimed came from the local butcher and were massive when brought out the over were tiny and looked more like mini cocktail sausages that should have been put on a stick straight from the packet with burnt bits of bacon near them but not wrapped around them, mixed with part cooked stuffing balls made up of a mix of sausage meat rolled in raw stuffing mix and cooked with the mini sausages & to top it off, soggy Yorkshire’s.
Puddling wasn’t any better, the selection was just as awful they had brought a Vanillla Viennetta and Profiteroles and a pot of double cream, despite knowing our kids don’t like cream and one doesn’t actually like ice cream either.
There was No Christmas pudding, mince pies, nothing Christmas related at all. If it wasn’t family and I thought it wouldn’t cause more hassle than it was worth I would have kicked off, I meal you know it’s bad when the brother in-law who cooked it fills his plate then doesn’t eat it and just throws it in the bin at the end. It was a total waste of time and money this year and now I am craving a proper roast dinner and Christmas pudding meal.
So looks like I am now in need of shopping for stuff to make that proper meal for the family as they were all so disappointed with what we got.
How was your Christmas Dinner?"
You didn't have to cook and you were surrounded by family. Sounds like a win to me
I cooked for five this year, local soured meat from the butcher, all fresh veg everything done from scratch and judging by the clear plates and no leftovers it went down well  |
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"I just had venison as only me so not worth the whole turkey thing . I don’t like veg so just good roast potatoes
I assume you didn't have a whole venison ?"
Course he didn’t, it’s very dear you know. |
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For tea, Mr KC and our daughter had homemade chicken goujons with roast potatoes and peas. I had bean chilli with toast. We had a selection of cheeses with marmalade centres as a starter and random desserts from the fridge.
Lunch was a picky lot of chips, nachos, tortilla española and other bits, by the pool.
Totally untraditional but we had a really lovely day  |
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Ours was great. Hubby brined the turkey two days before, and cooked it on Christmas Eve, cutting and parceling up the meat ready for the big day.
He also prepped all the vegies and - most importantly - prepared the family recipe of "bacon-wrapped sausage meat stuffing loaf" the day before, so everything was ready to go.
The turkey was lovely, flavourful and moist, everything made for a really stress-free Christmas dinner. |
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"Turkey goes in the oven , just get the timing right
veg goes in saucepans and boiled for a few minutes...or a steamer.
peel boil scrape potatoes and roast in the oven.
its no big deal to me....."
Any herbs, seasoning, stuffing or sauces ? |
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"So this year we went to the in-laws for dinner as usual having moved 3 years ago to be closer to them, they offered to host (nothing new there) and we arranged rather than bringing stuff with us we would give them £100 towards the cost of Xmas dinner for the 8 of us. Massive mistake!!!
It was the worst Christmas dinner they have ever provided and felt like it was more ‘Mums gone to Iceland’ frozen re-heated crap, than the M&S delicious meal they said they were providing and which was why going half’s was £100 per family (4 of us, 3 of them and a grandma.) as they wanted to make it a luxury meal despite normally shopping in Tesco & Sainsbury’s.
They bought packets of everything and made absolutely nothing, there was a rolled 3 bird roast and a rolled turkey roast both included stuffing and both had been cooked so long they had dried out completely, packets of frozen roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips were soggy no crisp outer to anything, the sprouts were raw, red cabbage cold was tasteless and slimy, a cauliflower cheese with 5 small florets of cauliflower and a congealed sauce, mini sausages they claimed came from the local butcher and were massive when brought out the over were tiny and looked more like mini cocktail sausages that should have been put on a stick straight from the packet with burnt bits of bacon near them but not wrapped around them, mixed with part cooked stuffing balls made up of a mix of sausage meat rolled in raw stuffing mix and cooked with the mini sausages & to top it off, soggy Yorkshire’s.
Puddling wasn’t any better, the selection was just as awful they had brought a Vanillla Viennetta and Profiteroles and a pot of double cream, despite knowing our kids don’t like cream and one doesn’t actually like ice cream either.
There was No Christmas pudding, mince pies, nothing Christmas related at all. If it wasn’t family and I thought it wouldn’t cause more hassle than it was worth I would have kicked off, I meal you know it’s bad when the brother in-law who cooked it fills his plate then doesn’t eat it and just throws it in the bin at the end. It was a total waste of time and money this year and now I am craving a proper roast dinner and Christmas pudding meal.
So looks like I am now in need of shopping for stuff to make that proper meal for the family as they were all so disappointed with what we got.
How was your Christmas Dinner?"
Wow talk about ungrateful |
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By *AJMLKTV/TS 2 weeks ago
Burley |
We had 26 family members over at Christmas. The catering company we hired did an excellent job, from breakfast, main dinner, then they made snacks and sandwiches for the evening and cooked up some meats for cold on Boxing day. Expensive, but bloody worth someone else doing all the work and cleaning up afterwards. |
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