Are you having a Delia, a Nigella or a Mary Christmas?

None of these. I'm settling for a Merry one.

Oh dear, that pun went down like a lead balloon didn't it?

I am having Sainsbury's and M&S Christmas

Since there are only ever two of us for years I simply cook chicken breast as usual, but make some stuffing balls and wrap a couple of cocktail sausages in bacon for a change ! Oh and maybe a mince pie for pud (he doesn't like Christmas pudding and anyway, he now eats hardly anything ,,but hopefully he will enjoy it ...he hates Christmas, so I don;t do anything to remind him !

Fortunately here no one celebrates Christmas like they do in the UK so it is just another day ..this year not even a holidaty as it is on a Sunday !

I really admire you for giving up your day to help others less fortunate ! God bless !..and for those who do 'do' Christmas, I hope you have a good one and a Happy New Year !

I've made Nigella's Xmas cake. It's a recipe I've used before and it turns out well. I'm also cooking Jamie Oliver's spiced ham. I made it in 2014 and then again last year by popular demand, and the family want it again this year. I will also be anxiously consulting Delia, as I do every Xmas, regarding timing and temperature for cooking the turkey.

I'm with Shysal and have used the Phil Vickery recipe for turkey every year for the last three years. It stays so moist, no basting and my family love to eat all the veggies that are cooked with it.

I'm having a sons in law and daughters Christmas. All 6 in together; they all enjoy food so they are just getting on with it. I am doing nothing, nada, zilch, just sitting back and watching the fur fly . Oh joy ??

It was always Delia for me, pudding, cake, mincemeat and turkey timings, glad to say have now passed the job on but still have freezer full of mincepies for DOH

Delia for the veggie sausage rolls always - family tradition now ?

I was given a Readers' Digest Cookery Year when I got married - best present ever! Their Christmas stuff is brilliant.

I will be having a merry (Mary) Xmas as for the first time in 37 years am eating in a restaurant and not hosting. I am taking great delight in seeing Delia remain untouched on the kitchen shelf!

This is the first Christmas for years that I haven't hosted because I don't have the room now. We are going to my daughters and while I'm relishing the freedom from coping with all the food etc, I'm also missing it as well! The control freak in me.
SHYSAL - Another thank you for the Phil Vickery site. I used to have an old French cookbook that gave a similar method for cooking a chicken in stock, and it was moist and delicious.
I'm going to have a flat warming in the new year - a drop in one during the day with food on offer- so I'll cook a turkey crown in this way for a cold buffet.

I've picked up several ideas from this string - one I'd love to try is Delia's coca cola gammon. Thanks to everyone who suggested that.

Not hosting this year, off to be with one young family. Will do a general family 'something' after Christmas if their work schedules allow. Tradition says my Christmas cake recipes are from my Mum and Mother in Law, both fantastic cooks. They were written down for me as I asked for them. No idea where the recipes came from as I don't recall either possessing a recipe book.

My late dear MIL once attempted her MIL's Christmas cake recipe.
Reading through the scrap of paper it had been scribbled down on she commented to FIL "there doesn't seem to be any mention of flour. Do you think your mother has made a mistake?"
He assured her that his mother did NOT make mistakes, her baking was legendary and if she hadn't mentioned flour, then there wasn't any
So MIL sighed, said Yes dear and baked the remaining ingredients into a black, fruity alcoholic inedible mess.
Years later she asked about the flour quantity in the recipe and was told "I should have thought that was obvious for the size of cake you were making"

Loved browsing through this thread and getting ideas. I have been cooking Christmas lunches for 40+ years but always get excited( and not a little bit fearful) in the preparation stages, as if it were my first time. Truthfully, I am not a good cook( but creative, a not always good combination).
I too use an assemblage of recipes but shysal's link is a new idea and I shall try it. Thank you!
When our children were teenagers( and very disrespectful), they ( and OH) made me promise not to use artistic licence in interpreting said recipes as my creativity could (quite often) prove to be disastrous( although brilliant at times). I now stick to Delia/Jamie/Nigella/ Mary et al and (try to) suppress (most) urges to turn my cooking into an "Art".

None of those ways daphneB just the old Rosesarered tried and trusted recipes that the family want every Christmas.Thank goodness.

Same here - no fancy recipes just my own jura ones- a fusion of British and Swiss with a dash of inspiration on the day lol

Hurray - Elle est de retour!
We have missed you and you have missed no end of shenanigans.
Hope you had a nice holiday?

Delia and Nigella.

None of them.

I will be on my own (apart from the dog) so will probably have one of Iceland's rather nice vegetarian options.

None ......it ll be a great Sunday roast with crackers and Iceland pud