My take on various Christmas meals and organisation. So anyone really disliking all the hassle, and can afford it , go on holiday to a basically Moslem country where you can have a pleasant time without the rackets etc. Then going back to the actual christmas day. We had a pattern where the women and girls did one thing and the men and the boys another, but this was not sexist attitude by the men. No , in the days long past with no oven timers and boiling pudding for a long time, on christmas morning Dads first job was to go down and light the oven and make tea for my mum, whilst we,, of course were racketing around shrieking and messing about with presents. Then before we set off to church Mum would be putting the pudding in the top of the steamer and if the service was running late there would be much glancing at the watch and one or other of my parents would usually have to just call out Happy christmas to friends as they beat a hasty retreat to rescue the pud and baste the roast!
So later when we had a whole mix , I was married, my next sister had boyfriend and the younger ones were still at home, so women and girls sorted out the cooking of the meal, with men and boys peeling spuds or doing brussel sprouts or whatever. The men and boys under instruction, laid the table moved wrapping paper cleared a safe path to the table, moved chairs etc and kept small children safely out of the way. After the meal men and boys cleared the table and washed up and put away, whilst a clean cloth was put on the table and women and girls put out trifles, desserts, christmas cake, chutney etc etc and piles of clean plates etc. So after the christmas meal the house rules were you now helped yourself whenever you wanted anything and no one was expected to do any more serving etc. The one thing that usually happened and we all joined in like a chorus , was about 4pm my father would say, well I think I could just have a cup of tea and a nice plain piece of fresh bread and butter! Boxing Day my dad used to say he almost enjoyed it more than the christmas meal as we put out all sorts of cold meats etc, with a great variety of pickles and sauces and then it was bubble and squeak and cold meats and salads. I have never liked breast meat, much prefer dark and legs etc, much better flavour I think, and we used to have 3 sorts of stuffing of which my great favourite was chestnut, hot or cold. This scheme seemed to work out well and of course these days with timers and microwaves much easier. Now we never cook the christmas pudding until we all agree we could fancy some now and ping in a few minutes there we are.
Another tip I pass on to avoid arguments and hassle. I have been a keen gardener for many years and at some point on christmas day announce I am going for a walk round my garden. I do the same on new years day. I walk slowly round the garden making a note of what flowers are in bloom, these days of course people take pictures. I walk all the way round, then turn and walk round the other way. You would be surprised at how many you can miss just going one way. So the timing will be decided by , feeling too full and needing the walk, an argument brewing, a sudden sense there are too many people about or whatever. So you get a bit of fresh air and a break. Also these days we gardeners have been able to provide convincing information re climate change. So for example I lived just over 20 years in my previous house, being able to check through my gardening diaries year by year, can see the overall changes in flowering times , not just over a couple of years. As a singer, I am always very busy with rehearsals and concerts so another little tip I have is this. I get something like Anton Berg box of sort of posh Jaffa cakes , which are chocolate covered and have liqueur inside . Wrap it in good paper and put a label on it but dont write it . I also get a book token. So now I have two gifts at the ready for the unexpected or forgotton guest. They dont hear you rustling wrapping it up which is a dead giveaway! So if you need them there they are. If all goes well and you dont need them, I used to save the chocolate biscuits for middle of January when my son was at school and used to organise with 3/4 other mothers that we would need the first week they were back at school to sort out the wreckage and catch up and then they would come to my place for fresh coffee and these super biscuits. A well deserved treat for having survived. I would award myself the book token, on the grounds that it might get lost or be out of date if I left it and I reckoned end of january beginning of february it was a well deserved treat to look forward to. Money is tight then and if it was actually money you would feel you must put it towards the bills etc . My last tip that some may find useful. I have always been a woman of champagne taste and beer money! In the past we have known smart hotels and michelin star level restaurants have offers for christmas and then for new year . Way outside my price levels if I even wanted to go to them , but sometimes they will offer a cheap 2/3 days arriving on the 27th and leaving morning of new years eve. They have to keep the staff for the whole time especially if out in the country and so those three days are usually a loss so if they can get you to go then everyone wins . We have had some lovely times like that . Friends of mine ran a very good cafe along a walking route, and all over the christmas and new year holday period they served absolutely NOT christmas food or connected things like curry which often is used for leftovers. So a lovely beef shin casserole and jacket potatoes was very popular and a fish chowder etc. so if I am expecting visitors, I make a beef shin casserole with loads of veg especially celery and carrots which I think go well together . Because of my back problems cant stand for ages so I might prepare all veg in the am, have a break then loads of onions - which must be fried in a little oil for me - they taste totally differently than just cut up fresh and added. So good old pressure cooker keeps cooking time down and is safe and works well. So I do all that and make usually twice as much as I need , then split it up and freeze half and then , on the day they are coming I put the oven on and do jacket potatoes - always with a couple spare and put the beef to sit on the bottom of the oven and reheat. I think it improves the flavour and it is all ready whether they arrive early or late . Well I had better go and organise something to eat myself now. Have listened to DID and now Private Passions. The rain is pouring down and it is grey and miserable outside so am pleased to be dry and getting things done. Hope one or two of these things might be helpful for someone
