Christmas eve meal

Oh roll mop herring. Haven’t had one in years.

Love them!

Back in the past, when we had lots of children, and 24th December was a busy food preparation day, we had our once-a-year takeaway meal that evening. Hubbie would save up ALL his LV's for the year (taking sandwiches each day frim home), and the local Chinese takeaway would take these as payment. Such excitement for this special meal. Two oldest children would accompany Dad to collect it, Rest of children would help to clear the large dining table and lay it all out for us to sit and eat this.

One of my adult children (whose own elder children are at Uni), still continues this 'tradition; and has a chinese takeaway on Christmas Eve, and although nice is not such an excitement for a generation of children who are far more used to takeways.

Another one here who has the Christmas ham. We have it with chips and cranberry sauce.

Our Christmas eve routine is to go out for a late lunch (main meal) so the evening is just nibbles, sandwiches depending on how full we are feeling.

We normally have a light snacks type of meal but this year we are having ham because we are not seeing DD and family on the day. She/they want to have Christmas Day on their own??‍♀️.
DGS has complained so much that this is a compromise and we are having a mini festive evening.

I have written out a very detailed plan for all the days up to Tuesday, so I don't have to think of anything on the day (and because the shops don't open in Germany on holidays). We never have the same meal every Christmas Eve, but this year I have planned bangers and mash, just for DH and me.

The traditional meal around here would be potato salad and frankfurters, but I'm not to keen on that - rather have the hot version!

Usually fish, but we always have fish on a Friday. It might be fish pie, or salmon. When Christmas Eve is a Thursday or Saturday, it might be a meat loaf or lasagne or whatever is in the freezer.

Usually prawn curry, quickly made thanks to a Homepride tin! One year I dropped the casserole it was in, (totally sober in case you were wondering). It went all over the kitchen, leaving a stain on the stereo speakers and a blister on my foot the size of an egg. It was years ago but I think about it every year.

I have always done a ham on Xmas eve, we eat it with cheesy leeks and jacket potatoes.
This year we are away in a holiday house in N.York’s with our two sons and DIL, our daughter and family are at their home in Cheshire.
So I have broken with tradition as the fridge/ freezer capacity isn’t as good as at home!
I cooked a ham before we came away and froze some, it’s being turned into a ham and leek pie for Christmas Eve..
The turkey is being collected today from a local butcher for the big day.
I feel so blessed to be in such a fabulous location with a wonderful family, thankfully we all seem to be healthy?.

It's become a tradition for us to have a leek and ham bake every Christmas Eve, using some of the freshly cooked Gammon joint, topped with a cheese sauce and served with a jacket potato. Quick and easy, prepared in advance and so tasty.

Roast Gammon from the local supplier, Cumberland sauce [of course ] dauphinoise potatoes and red cabbage. Mince pies or Ginger cake with toffee sauce to follow.
When the children were at home one dear dd made the mince pies and collected greenery from the then garden the other helped make a fish pie. When they were really young we went to pick up the goose had lunch out then came home to the fish pie I had made. They watched "Wind in the willows" and the "Snowman" on DVD.
This year on our own we have reverted to our childhood meals with all the spices and booze used in our county.

Homemade pizzas to please all tastes and garlic bread.

We will be having fish, perhaps with the scallops we bought extra with our fishbox. As long as I can make my portion without fat, all will be well with the gallbladder.
My Christmas food is sadly very plain this year.

I do not cook on Christmas Eve it will be just a fish from the chippy with a little curry sauce. I always make a large tray baked mince pie which I slice like school dinners (I come from a large family old habits don’t die). I serve it with brandy cream and gorgeous rose Cava later.

we have ham in cola and cheese board with nice bread

None. We usually go out for lunch pre Covid. We have a buffet in the evening.

We usually have fish - seafood if I can get any or salmon en crute. This year we are having a buffet family lunch so it will be leftovers from that. I have just taken a large joint of beef out of the oven, there will be a cheese board and a deli slate. I'll make a winter salad to go with that (Jamie's) I have made a traditional trifle for my sister and a fruit tart for afters.

OOh err - I haven't said 'afters' for years - Christmas is a nostalgic.

I have the gammon cooking in the oven at the moment (in cider, bay leaves and cloves) we will have that on Christmas Eve with creamy mash, cabbage and mustard sauce.

Oh yes.
You have to say "afters" once a year.
It's the law.

Salmon with teriyaki glaze with noodles and tenderstem broccoli, although at a restaurant recently, we were served shredded sprouts, which were really nice (as long as you like sprouts), so I might try that.

We say “afters” all the time!

We were going to have steak and chips tomorrow evening but have just had a phone call to say that DD, DSIL and two DGDs are coming to see us so it's going to be a pub lunch and then we'll have a scrambled egg on toast supper later. What joy, we haven't seen them for months so it will be just wonderful!

I like the word "afters".
I'm sure I always use it, too.
I may slip up with dessert occasionally, because I sometimes find a bit of a language barrier between me and my boy.
He doesn't know what I'm talking about half the time (so he says)

They just don't listen! Two of mine are still in bed all they do is eat and sleep
eat sleep game repeat