Boxing Day. A day of two camps.

8.11 a.m. isn't a lie-in!

Definitely Camp B.Except that I don't wear mascara and spent 20 minutes trying to fit all the leftovers into the fridge while DD whipped around with the Dyson.

good post.
Neither really. I got up at 8.30am (normal) the washing up was done the day before so the kitchen was tidy and the wrapping paper had been put straight into the recycling bin at the time I did remember to cover the leftovers so carved what was left and sliced the ham. Stewed the carcass. We had cold cuts and garlic wedges and slobbed !

elaineg1960 brilliant post, made me laugh... loved Oor Wullie in The Sunday Post (we got it in N.I.)

I'm in neither camp.
Boxing Day of recent years has been myself and dh having a quiet-ish day after being at ddil1 for Christmas Dinner. Before that I always hosted Christmas Dinner.

However, dss2, ddil2 and dsgs plus their two labradors were home for Christmas so yesterday Boxing Day we were cooking our turkey crown and ham and just throwing some cream onto a pavlova base as per Nigella. A bit of home made potato salad and some sour dough bread... easy peasy.

Aye.... Right !!

Dh and I started at 11am, easy buffet planned for around 4.30 when dss1 and wife and dgc would come to ours after being at the rugby club. Mid afternoon we got a phone call .. could x & y plus their 2 dc come also, yes of course!

Dsis-in-law and her dh were told there'd be some food, call up round, the boys will be here, meet new wee dgs. No big deal, not going to be a big party time. So, dsis-in-law arrives with her dh, her ds and his GF plus GF's daughter.

Dss3 lives next door, they came and brought GF's mother.

Plan was to be ready by 4pm and indeed I was, just about got my hair brushed, giving a half hour leeway. DH helped such a lot. We were somewhat hindered by the two canine guests being behind us every time we turned around, we kept smiling

Everyone, around 20 total, arrived within 15 minutes of each other, coffee tables became seats, as did the floor. Decent paper plates were used and a bin bag tied to the back door handle for rubbish. Jugs of juice, soft drinks, help yourself, and if anyone wants tea of coffee - there's what you need on the worktop. Anybody wanting alcohol - we hope you brought it with you

We hadn't realised how long it would take us to get ready, no prep done because we only thought there'd be about 8 of us.

On the table:
Very large turkey breast rolled and roasted - all sliced.
Two turkey legs, boned and rolled and roasted - all sliced.
Half a ham donated from a guest (we put ours into the freezer).
Bowl of the yummiest stuffing ever.
Massive bowl of buttered sliced crusty, tiger bread, wheaten bread, plus one of garlic bread.
Bowl of salad that was barely touched.
Two Philadelphia cheeses up-ended on a plate and covered with chilli-dip sauce, plus crackers and chutneys from a hamper gift.
Homemade coleslaw and potato salad.
Pavlova, plus individual meringues, shortbread and tin of celebrations.

We had a whale of a time and glad the numbers were sprung on us, hadn't time to get too stressed about it.
If it ain't done, it ain't done.

All were gone by 8pm, an hour cleared the place up and then it was lay back and watch the recording of Call The Midwife.

Today lunch is cold leftovers and sort of Camp B.

Tomorrow will be some form of curry or stirfry to use up the last of the meats.

Sorry I got carried away with the length of my post.

Love that post. We had our usual Boxing night 'do' for the family - there were 9 of us. I did a large buffet which seemed to go down well. We played daft games and I can't remember the last time I
laughed so much

We had a lovely breakfast with DS (porridge made by him) and DDiL. (DGC still asleep in bed after Christmas Day celebrations) then got car loaded up and left for home. Normal journey time is 1.5 to 1.75 hours but involves M25 then A3. M25 was horrendous - nose to tail and stop start from M1 junction right round past Heathrow to A3 junction. Just got going again then hit major jam at Guildford. Eventually got clear and home in 2.75 hours.

(Reminder to self : Do not travel on Boxing Day)

Made a lovely dinner - confit duck, red cabbage with apple and mini dauphinoise potatoes, small Aldi icecream sundaes for pud. Had a nice chatty phone call with sister then settled down to watch recorded Strictly Christmas special and Downton. Been a pretty good Christmas!

Greenfinch I'm very impressed if it only took 20 minutes to fit the leftovers into the fridge! And how much fell straight out next time you opened the fridge door?

Elaineg - that was a great post !

Woke when the waiter knocked on my door with my breakfast, then just lazed around until lunch.

I woke at my usual 6.30 ish and went down to put the kettle on for a restorative cup of tea. One of the dogs had clearly been scavenging (I know which dog) and the results were scattered across the rug in the utility where the dogs sleep. Just the thing for 6.45 am, I donned disposable plastic gloves and set to the clear up. Dogs skulking, both looking embarrassed though I knew which dog was to blame. Great start to the day but it got better. We lazed around reading the news on line before taking the dogs out for a long walk, in the sun, without the rain. The evidence of rain was everywhere, the brook in our park a raging river, the fields absolutely sodden so slipping and sinking up to the ankles inevitable.
Home for a Sunday breakfast, including fried bread, wonderful.

Into the city to see an art exhibition by the daughter of close pals. It's in a cafe bar/book shop which also does food so we ate even more. Home, another walk (do I love the dogs….) and made a pie with left over turkey and ham. It's now cooking and I'm looking forward to eating more than I need, again

A walk (not raining for once!) then the pub where it appeared that the world and his family had had the same idea!

We have a second Xmas Day on Boxing Day, cos it's the day the grandsons and their Mum and Dad arrive. They have the other grandparents at theirs for the actual day, and then they are ours for three days. we have a second roast, pork this time, and present opening in the pm. Good deal all round. Nice peaceful Xmas Day and then the fun of the kids Boxing Day.

I suppose today has been our Boxing Day. Pub for lunch and then walk by the river.

Neither - we 'did Christmas day' yesterday, so I was up at 7.30am and baking by 8, dinner was at 4 (with my husband, daughter, son-in-law, 2 small grandsons and my son), the furthest outdoors I went was to the shed to fetch wine and beer, and by 10 we had cleared up. Today on the other hand has been spent watching DVDs and eating leftovers.

Elaineg - are you a comedy writer? If not, you should be!

Brilliant post Elaineg
Yesterday I was in the early, crack of dawn camp. DS and DD were still here with divas 1 and 2 plus my ageing mum. Also it was DS's 40th birthday - balloons, banners etc etc.... Lunch was cold turkey with - what else - but bubble and squeak and home-made chips - it's a Boxing Day tradition
with us!
Today we still have DS and diva 1 - lunch was using up the leftovers - hope tomorrow sees the last of everything and we can move back to fish and steamed vegetables and a more healthy diet

Thanks GrannyAsNanny but I'm just a middle aged grandma of three and work in an Opticians! Got a vivid imagination and just seem to pick up on the nuances of life. I was lying in bed yesterday morning thinking about the insane people who had probably been queuing outside Next since 4am and thought of all the things I wasn't going to do! By the way I am probably somewhere between camp A and B! Glad you enjoyed it.

We have presents on 25th and Christmas dinner on 26th, it works well! DD and SiL started it almost by accident, deferred dinner one Christmas. GSs grew up with it and now I join in too! Rather pleasant, stretches out celebrations and defuses the stress of everything havin to be achieved, perfectly, on a single day.

Oh, yesterday afternoon and today included some involved, and some simple, board games! Fun (and furore) for all the family!

Excellent post elaineg. Very funny. We had 12 adults and 4 children yesterday as per our usual Boxing Day and I certainly recognised myself in Camp B, except that I got up at 9 a.m and tackled that mountain of plates and rubbish before collapsing in a heap and did little else other than graze away at all those calorie laden left overs that appear to have trebled in the 'fridge overnight. I'm sure I've put on 10lbs at the very last over the last 3 days.

Option C : None of the above.

Our son gets very little time of work (he's a pub-chef) but he does always insist on being off work on Christmas Day - and he takes his wife and son to visit his wife's parents who live about two hours drive away. Wife and I spend Christmas Day on our own.

The pub where our son works does not do hot food on Boxing Day, so he takes Boxing Day off as well, apart from going in for a couple of hours in the evening to prep for the following day. So on Boxing Day the family come to us. Boxing Day is a second Christmas Day for us. No time for shopping (either Internet or real) and no chance of schlepping about in track suits either.

I do not begrudge the "other grandparents" their Christmas Day with the family. After all, we see our grandson a couple of times a week during normal term time - they only see him during school holidays.

I'm so lucky as I spend Christmas Day with DD1 and her family and then Boxing Day at DD2, this year got up lounged about for an hour then got ready, out, collected 4 grandchildren, DD1 would normally come too but was working and Sil rarely wants to attend unless he can drink. Drove to daughters(had to go on motorway as the roads I would normally have taken were flooded) arrived at same time as my ex husband, wife and daughter(aged 10). Spent a lovely few hours, chatting, eating playing games and exchanging presents before driving home dropping off grandchildren and returning to a quiet, clutter free home. Best of all world's I think.

Elaineg, that was funnier than any of the Crimbo TV programmes - and I loved Oor Wullie when I lived in Scotland. I had a tidy-ish Boxing Day, as I wasn't hung over - but it took me hours to gather he motivation to take all the empty boxes to the recycling bin. Stayed in pyjamas (new) most of the day - bliss!

Oh i had a large part of Boxing day to myself as DH went to football...what bliss! Only effort was in making some meringues for yesterday (Sunday) as other family members who were visiting