Help, Help!

We have frozen home made cheesecakes / key lime pies and they’ve been fine. But not with cream on.

You are so lucky in the UK that the shops are open.. Here in Germany they shut at 2 pm on Christmas Eve and you can't do anything until the 27th (unless the 27th is a Sunday in which case there's nowhere to go till the 28th)

I am away, like newatthis until Christmas Eve, looking after my DS and DiL in America, who are expecting a baby just before Christmas.

Fortunately, however, DH is not coming, so I shall leave him a shopping list and hope he finds everything(he has no idea about shopping or cooking). One of the DS may be home before Christmas, which will be a great help.

I have booked a table for Christmas Day for four - sister-in-law and DS included. On Boxing Day, DiL's parents have invited us for lunch, as a thank you for looking after their DD.

Now I've just got to get Christmas presents and cards done and decorations down, and leave the rest to DH.

But food deliveries and any hope of buying anything between lunch time on Christmas Eve and the morning of the 27th (when the supermarkets will be bustling), - no chance!

Easy option, cook a lovely home made casserole, freeze it, have it for christmas day. Boxing day shops are open, but your christmas dinner and cook it then, you will be less stressed and everybody can help you. You won't be tired from travelling back, and worrying about flight delays, just postpone christmas dinner. After all lots if people have a family Christmas before Christmas. I live in Spain, my youngest will be with us on Christmas day, I'll cook Christmas dinner, the my daughter will come over in Jan, so I'll cook another Christmas dinner. When I was a child we used to visit Grandma weekend before Christmas and she did Christmas dinner for us all, we loved it. whatever you decide, good luck , and it's all about being with those you love

This happened to me one year and I asked my neighbor to go in
My house and take the turkey out of the freezer etc. Also she kindly bought me cream etc

If the turkey crown is vacuum packed/watertight, it will defrost much quicker (overnight) in a large bowl of cold water.
We prefer the Iceland perfect one to M & S and it can be cooked from frozen.

I’ve just made bread sauce and stuffing. Bought pigs in blankets from M&S. All in freezer. That’s all anyone likes off my Xmas meal! Buy a turkey crown and freeze. Ham cooked in Coca Cola is also lush. Buy in frozen veg, gravy etc. It will be fine!

I would cook turkey before you go away, carve make individual foil parcels of meat with a little gravy in them, you could put a portion of stuffing and a pig in blanket in them too, then on the day just have to be popped in oven to heat through, I would buy frozen vegetables and there is lots of frozen desserts you could buy. I shouldn’t make too much work for yourself on Christmas Eve.

Do you have a trusted neighbour that could buy/take out of your freezer the turkey crown earlier on the day you come back?

Buy everything in advance from M&S. Don't apologise to your family about not making from scratch. Just enjoy the day. I repeat - do not apologise!!!

Thank you for all you advice. I have just been to M & S but their Christmas stuff is not in until after the 6th but it all looks good and I am hoping that I can buy a lot for the freezer, pre-order, pick up before I go and freeze. I've prepped and frozen the red cabbage/stuffing/and will try to do more. We are all coming back on the same plane so cannot delegate so it has to be prepped and frozen. It's only fresh veg that I will have to get on 24th and I am hoping that our local farm with take a pre order.FPraying there won't be power cuts while I am away.

Sorry the text is in a bit of a mess,I,m all over the place.

Hi Gransnetters, I posted here a few months ago,asking for advice.My 48 yr old intelligent healthy son does not work and has relied on me for handouts for years. (I know it’s partly my fault)His wife has to work full time and does not know I,ve been funding the mortgage and holidays. So everyone’s advice was to tell him that there was not going to be any more money, I,m in my 70s and have to think about my future.So I told him that I was ashamed he wont get off his backside and look for work and I thought a lot about his wife and didn’t think it right she hadn’t known anything for years. All he said was how dare I talk to him like that. Haven’t heard from him for months now and worst of all I,ve texted my daughter in law and 12 yr old granddaughter about Xmas presents and had no reply. So I,ve certainly shot myself in the foot. He’s on Facebook during the day as usual so can’t be working. We used to get on so well, I,m forever in tears and it’s absolutely destroyed me.

now the outcome is that now he wants no contact with me and worse still my daughter in law and 12 yr old granddaughter haven’t replied to my texts about Xmas.

Marks & Sparks all the way . Or the Aldi Christmas range is very good . The pate , roasties , cheeses , parsnips in a tray have all been excellent and good value .

We always have a taste test in run up to the big day .

I have much admiration for you!
There is no way I would contemplate cooking under those circumstances.

I would definitely book a table at a nice pub or restaurant but if you are determined to cook then I recommend Waitrose turkey crowns.

We have had them for several years now and every one has been excellent.

You could make a couple of different colour jellies in a dish and mash with a fork, then let everyone make their own knickerbocker glory. I used to do this for kids parties, the kids loved doing their own, and it avoided the "I don't like that" scenario.

NO! You don't HAVE to do ANYTHING! This year you can do things differently. Each out, or have "Christmas Dinner" with all the family a few days later.
In your shoes, as a regular traveller, the last thing I'd want to do is a Christmas Dinner the next day.
Cheesecake can freeze well, with my own recipe, but shops sell frozen cheesecake and all sorts of wonderful desserts too. If you insist on doing a big meal, then why not a good old fashioned sherry trifle. Sponge cakes, lots of sherry until they are well soaked, 2 drained cans of fruit cocktail, a pint of custard on top )as there's no jelly it doesn't even have to cool. Then whip some cream a put cherries and walnuts on top. Also get a selection of various tasty ice creams in advance. Maybe do knickerbocker glory for everyone, with layers of fruit, yoghurt, and Angel Delight. Again, the work of moments, topped of with squirty cream just before serving.

@geekesse we are about to undertake our fifth year of exactly that. We have a large family, normally 21-25 at table and frankly neither of us feel like cooking and cleaning up after that so each year now we book up a long table in a local restaurant, walk there and stagger back, great excuse to have a drink as we are not driving, and really enjoy the day. Because my son works nights and bank holidays, and several of the grandchildren normally live with the ‘not connected to us’ parent our Christmas dinner is often Boxing Day or even the next day, but it is Christmas dinner for the family. Have yet to be disappointed, even the Harvester pushed the boat out, although now we tend to go a bit more up market.

If no-one is vegetarian, I can recommend the frozen roast potatoes in goose fat from the Deluxe range at Lidl. They also do a lovely (frozen) Sicilian Lemon tart and several other 'special' desserts. Might be worth a look if you have a branch near you.
If you have a helpful neighbour, or family nearby, why not see if they could put your turkey/crown in their freezer and get it out to defrost before you get home?

When I first came to London as a young wife - I went to Harrods on morning of Christmas Eve to buy a turkey etc - all they had was lamb's liver - the other marble shelves in their huge food area were completely empty and the butcher told me I was ''too late'' - I actually bought some lamb's liver! That was in 70s!

Not missed the point at all Tigertooth. Think you mis understood. I would not pay the amount charged for Chris day lunch - i prefer to stay home. Was just comparing the prices!

The restaurant must live you. Two extra chairs and one table booked out for no profit.

Tesco slots go live 12.01 am tonight.
Iceland you can cook from frozen also has the advantage of everything in one place from starters to dessert.
Just remember if you are flying and you are delayed you might miss your slot and you will have nothing.

I think sainsburys xmas delivery slots are not yet open so you might manage tonget one of those.
Why not have an easier meal on xmas day and move the actual christmas dinner to boxing day? Or have your christmas dinner in the early evening which gives you longer to get things thawed and cooked.

A lot of the wirthwhole supermarkets close early on Christmas Eve and you would run the risk of lie or no stock. Christmas Eve delivery,wiukd be surprised if any slots left even now. Best bet is pre cook and freeze or buy food to be thawed out overnight once you are home. Unless you have a master chef attending frozen veg and desserts won't be noticed even moreso when gravy is added to plate. Have tried frozen cheese and mist are fine but difficult to find one big enough for more than 5 portions. By the way is your freezer shop sized? Would never get all the stuff for Christmas food in mine and I have two. Hope you have no delays and enjoy the day!

One of the reasons I would never go out for Christmas day lunch - get the same meal on Christmas Eve or Boxing day for around £30!!!

But then it’s not Christmas lunch is it? I think you’re missing the point.