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

As Shelflife said---a lot to be thankful for.
I never take for granted how fortunate I am in every way really.

Although alone for the second Christmas I've had warmth and more than enough to eat. What more does anyone want ?

I learned on Boxing Day that I can still cook a large roast dinner alone and unaided, in spite of being ancient and with a bad back. I had help on Christmas Day, but none on Boxing Day.
I also learned that to have a roast dinner two days running is not a good idea. I shall have cold chicken and chips today.

........ that the whole concept of Christmas dinner doesnt have to result in a near nervous breakdown.

This Christmas I learned not to leave the back door wide open when Smiggles ( next door cat) is around.Half defrosting steaks on a plate in the kitchen.......

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

No frozen left either, V3ra. I was offered dried ones, but didn’t think they would work. It’s strange that after all the dire predictions about Christmas shortages and empty shelves, cranberries were the only thing I couldn’t get at my nearest store.

I also learnt that it’s cheaper to buy veg than to grow them. I got all my Christmas sprouts and parsnips for 39p a bag. Cauliflowers 39p each too. It’s a good job DH actually enjoyed growing the carrots and potatoes, as they were on offer at the same price!

Smudgie and Baggs thanks for the tips I shall definitely try out the mincemeat roll and the cranberry sauce in chicken pieces.

That it’s ok to buy mince pies, as I’ve threatened to do for years but never done before. Used to make my own mincemeat then started buying it, now I’ve gone right down the slippery slope of laziness! Sausage rolls are the favourites here so I wouldn’t dream of not making them.

That Christmas comes and Christmas goes. You don't need to panic from September over presents it doesn't,t matter what anyone gets they appreciate it or pretend to.
That everything looks the same in the freezer if you cook ahead and don't label.
Burned red cabbage smells as if your electricity is shorting somewhere in the house and you can send three sheets to the wind with port DH to find it for a couple of peaceful hours.

Christmas is just another day. Spent my afternoon visiting my 90 yr old mother.
I had bought enough food to make our christmas lunch but she was in hospital from the wednesday. There was little celebration on the ward, apoarently no carols etc. I took her a couple of presents and sweets. Most other ladies were just asleep.
I drove to see a friend who wasnt in and went home, passing the lighted windows full of happy people.
Home to a cold house. Looking forward to the end of this charade.
I wont celebrate christmas again but may spend time celebrating the solstice thanking our wonderful mother earth for our lives.
I must add that for lunch that day i was at my daughters which was lovely and i saw my little granddaughter but i had to dash off to do my visit. I saw a world beyond festivities.

I Learned that my Mother in Law can do far less when she has an audience than when she doesn’t know anyone is watching her.

I learnt not to trust DH, when he says that all the Christmas lights are off, before going away overnight.
We were lucky he didn't burn the house down!

PS, cranberry sauce is a delicious accompaniment for pâté and oatcakes.

I learnt that my hunch was right not to buy chocolates or sweets in preparation for xmas as we were given quite enough thank you for gifts!

Oh yeah, answer to original question: our woodshed, which I scrabbled in yesterday for some logs, harbours insects that bite even in winter! Wondered why my left shin was so itchy yesterday: red evidence of a bite this morning. ?

Co-op port and cranberry sauce is very nice. I stuffed it into slits in chicken pieces which we then roasted alongside a load of root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, potatoes, Brussels sprouts). Dead easy for three people and no leftovers. Didn't use the whole jar but winter vegetable season isn't over yet! I think this will become one of our favourite winter meals.

I love cranberry sauce and always make my own too. It's so easy and tastes much better.

Back to the original question:
I learned not to leave DH in charge of parboiling potatoes. We had roasted potatoes slush. . But as its only us two I let it go.

Violet, find a d`adamo book for your blood group on amazon, as chestnut says AB, like me, does very well on peanuts. Almost my whole way of eating is via the d`adamo food list. I know my beneficial, neutral and harmful foods pretty well off by heart, after using d`adamo fo very many years

I learnt that I don`t like marons glace, I have eyed them up for years, took a nibble of one yesterday and binned the lot. They are so high in sugar

I also learnt, again, that I must not succumb to temptation and buy too many treats for myself before christmas. I am weak willed when christmas arrives

Sadly I learnt that my lovely nephew has an eating disorder and I am terribly worried about him.

That reindeer really do have red noses.

Smudgie I usually make my own mincemeat, although not this year, and add brandy. I had never thought of amaretto but I reckon I might try that next Christmas.

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.

Ooh that sounds lovely 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.

Hetty58

I was told off, by my mother, for buying a jar, rather than making it. Christmas dinner for 15 - with four small children and a sick husband to look after - she was lucky not to be wearing it!

????

Chestnut that's really interesting!

I am O. I guess I'm an avoid?

I did eat quite a lot of them today and yesterday with the same result.

I'm on my 4th Die Hard movie over two nights awake with indigestion.

This Christmas I learnt that I can no longer manage a whole chocolate orange for my Christmas evening meal, but only half of one. The other half will have to wait until Boxing Day.