This Christmas I learnt........

That I can scoff a whole tin of Quality Street over two days. But really shouldn’t.

V3ra

^That I don't like cranberry sauce from a jar. Our local shops had run out of fresh cranberries by the time I shopped for them^.

Maggiemaybe frozen cranberries work just as well as fresh to make a sauce.

How long will they keep in the freezer? We still have a bag from last year!

Calistemon my half a bag in the freezer says "best before April 2019," and I'd use them, so I'm probably not the best person to ask ?

Thank you V3ra!

They're not as old as the blackcurrants and I'd eat those ?

I learnt that I quite like a bit of pink gin in my coffee.

I am AB and along with A we are very well suited to them [peanuts], in fact 'highly beneficial' although they suggest peanut butter is better.

I learnt this, just now, from this thread. I'm happy about that as I am group A and eat peanut butter a lot.

that even though I have been alone for the last 12 Christmas holidays, it does not get any easier and I still don’t like it. Thank goodness I have my dog to keep my company, but still it’s not like having family, which I have none. Just not meant to be I guess, but darn it’s difficult.

…..that there are other people worse off than me. So stop worrying and try to get some sleep (it’s past 3a.m. and I just can’t get to sleep )….

That it is possible to enjoy Christmas without alcohol and it’s someone else’s turn to host next year.

I learned to just let DH get on with it. I asked him to slice up a melon. He said he’d never done that before so I told him…. Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and slice it. He cut it in half, scooped out the seeds ok and proceeded to ‘slice’ it with a pair of large scissors. After much hilarity I left him to it and we had rustic melon chunks on the buffet table. .

That I have a much better night’s sleep if I don’t drink wine in the evening.

? for you NikonLady and I’ve private messaged you

I will not buy Brussels anymore! It is only OH and daughter who eat them. This year I bought a small bag and said I would microwave them as there was no room on the hob. I forgot all about them and no one noticed! Evil vegetable.

My husband learned this year, after saying many times over the years that he would like beef for Christmas dinner, and my finally giving in as it was just the two of us, that it wasn’t as tasty as the traditional Christmas dinner. Don’t think we’ll have that argument again!

Maggiemaybe

That I can scoff a whole tin of Quality Street over two days. But really shouldn’t.

The good news is that the tins and contents have shrunk even if the cost hasn’t!?

That’s just as well, Mollygo. I’ve turned my attention to the Christmas cake now. And am avoiding the bathroom scales.

I won’t be eating cream anymore it has no taste to it I have gone right off it. I will try an alternative maybe Dream topping I used to like that.

I've learned that I must look closely at the Use By date on the packaging, seeing that my pigs in blankets were dated 22.12.21 but I cooked them anyway and I'm still alive.

NikonLady

that even though I have been alone for the last 12 Christmas holidays, it does not get any easier and I still don’t like it. Thank goodness I have my dog to keep my company, but still it’s not like having family, which I have none. Just not meant to be I guess, but darn it’s difficult.

Can you join with some volunteers locally that either arrange a meal for people on their own or volunteer to help serve the homeless with the salvation army. Even if you are disabled or unable to get out of the house there should be something around that you could join in with at Christmas. I'm sad for you that you are alone so many years.

that son and daughter in law are really ungrateful and put £50 gucci perfume and £50 gucci aftershave/giftset on ebay on Christmas day.

GagaJo

That I've gone off mince pies.

Me too Gagajo! I felt quite sick after eating two. Mind you, it was with brandy cream.

Smudgie

This Xmas I learnt an easy way to make mince pies. I looked at my jar of mincemeat and felt depressed as I just couldn't summon the enthusiasm to make shortcrust pastry but I had made a promise to take them to my daughter.
I remembered I had a chilled packet of all butter puff pastry in the fridge (for sausage rolls).
I enrolled it, spread it with most of the mincemeat and drizzled a few teaspoons of Amaretto over it. Egged the edges, rolled it up like a Swiss roll and cut it into 12 sections. Put them on a lined baking tray, egg wash over the tops and baked them for 20 minutes. They were lovely and a great success, I shall always make them in that way in future.

Wowsers! Great minds and all that! I also made some quickie mince pies with butter jus-roll from freezer, I was going to make them Eccles cake shaped but couldn't be ar5ed so I just folded them like mini pasties brushed with egg and sprinkles of cinnamon sugar and omg they were the best thing I'd done like EVER! See-necesssity really is the mother of invention!!!

For the first time in my life I just wish the festivities were finished on boxing Day. I've had enough this year. Sorry to be so Scrooge like.

lovebeigecardigans1955

I've learned that I must look closely at the Use By date on the packaging, seeing that my pigs in blankets were dated 22.12.21 but I cooked them anyway and I'm still alive.

Can beat that! Frozen roll of sausage meat dated use by 12.12.20 keept in wonderful cryo frozen state was perfectly ok! Used for stuffing rolls and were delish! I never get all the absolute hysteria about use by and sell by dates? I use my senses, if it looks ok , and importantly smells and feels ok ( any stickiness/slimeyness on meat is a no-no) then it gets cooked.anymeat that's no 'right' will make itself known during early cook stage and raw its colour/odour/feel?.Don't rely on packaging 100% anyway it's wasteful and you really don't know how it's been stored all its shop life anyway. I remember seeing a pallet cage full of frozen turkeys in boxes at the back of an Asda loading bay many years ago when I was visiting the gym next door. I did my hour, showered, met mate, had lunch, went round Asda and 4+hours later? Still siting outside in loading bay....ahem!

That my non-stick saucepans, that I've always carefully handwashed, are actually OK shoved in the dishwasher. So many pots to wash and I just couldn't be a***d.