Festive Food Plans

[Seatallan Profile]

My Christmas order was placed today (local lovely food hall). We're having goose (also ordered a gammon joint and some quail). Hurrah!!

[Suffs Profile]

An unexpected addition to our festive food plans is a brace of partridge from a local shoot which has gone in the freezer to cook for New Year
... such a treat and one we permit ourselves to enjoy very occasionally, (once a year if that) now that partridge numbers are very healthy again in Norfolk, thanks to farmers investing in improved conservation measures and the rearing of partridge chicks ... apparently this year has been very good for Norfolk partridge on the local estates, and the income from the shoot is helping to fund more conservation projects.

Not sure what I'll cook with the partridge ... bacon and black pudding with wild mushrooms and polenta maybe ....

Any other suggestions?

[Pepper Pig Profile]

Because of my upcoming surgery I have mixed and soaked the fruit for the Christmas cake today!

That will probably be it.

[Suffs Profile]

We are giving you a Wildies' Note entitling you to have the laziest and most indulgent Christmas you can possibly manage ... have you ordered a spread from W'rose/M&S or someone? If not, better be doing it now ... explain that we're authorising PepperPig Priority !!!

[Pepper Pig Profile]

So long as the caviar doesn’t end up in the handbag with the liquorice allosorts!

[Suffs Profile]

It's ok PepperP ... I'll lick the caviar off and put the liquorice allsorts into a bottle of vodka to 'marinate'

[Pepper Pig Profile]

[Sloe-Gin Profile]

Our festive food plan are up in the air too.
He says he wants a goose and all the trimmings (my puds are made) but we are prepared to have 'Christmas' at Easter if necessary.
However, we may have a pre Christmas dinner on the caravan, so it'll be a chicken crown, roasties etc.

[Uschi Profile]

I'd rather put the caviar on pumpernickel-egg-mayo canapées.

Sloe, fingers crossed you will get to have a proper Christmas!
And PP and everyone else with difficult things going on, too, of course!

[Amber Profile]

Because of various problems, we have taken the easy route, and booked lots of Cook options. It feels very relaxed - so far .

Sorry, nearly forgot to say to PP and SG, hope all goes well for you both. Is it time to let somebody else do the catering this year? Fingers crossed for you and yours.

Christmas cakes are made and fed (drowned ) here. I just need to find the time to marzipan and ice them . At least this year I’ve been able to buy normal royal icing sugar. Typically this is the first year for ages I haven’t had to worry about raw eggs and the elderly, or pregnant.

[Badger's Mate Profile]

Pheasants and red-legged partridges are reasonably common because tens of millions of them are released every year. It's difficult to be precise, a published paper put the numbers for 2016 at 47 million pheasants and 10 million partridges. In fact the biomass of released pheasants in September is thought to exceed that of the total biomass of British breeding birds. In the Spring, it's something like 20-25% of the total biomass.

Whatever the pros, cons or concerns about eating these particular gamebirds, scarcity shouldn't be a worry!

[liketocook Profile]

Thought it might be time to revisit this thread.
I've not done anymore actual food prep but chocolates etc. are all purchased. Festive food deliveries have been booked and feeling reasonably well-organised in the catering department. Christmas Eve & Hogmanay catering remains tbc but apart from that menu's for Christmas Day, Boxing Day (leftovers rule), 1st January (Roast lamb) are in hand. Just a simple lunch on the 3rd with my sister & cousins to decide.
Main priority for the next week or so is freeing up some freezer space, I like to take advantage of some of the only on at Christmas offers to do a bit of future planning.
How are everyone's plans progressing?

[OneMoreCheekyOne Profile]

All sounds great ltc!

We have lots ordered…

Pished fish smoked salmon and sausage rolls from the local deli

All sorts from M&S…meat, cheese, cake, canapés

Abel and Cole veg box, plus butter and a few extras coming a few days before Christmas

Pastries and bread from the local bakery to collect on Xmas eve

A list of Aldi bits that I want to get when they are in store on the 10th and the 19th

We had a Naked Wines delivery a week or so ago but we have made a bit of a dent in that already

I am also trying to make space in the freezer but for everything that comes out, two things seem to go in so we’re not doing so well there!

[liketocook Profile]

Share your pain re the freezer space OMCO sounds as though you're well organised.
This weekend I plan to go through what I've already bought and write a list of still to buys.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I’ve started
I bought the last remaining pack of marzipan stollen bites in Dalston Aldi, and a box of Medjool dates

Also some wine

[slimpersoninside Profile]

I’ve started
I bought the last remaining pack of marzipan stollen bites in Dalston Aldi, and a box of Medjool dates

Also some wine

Steady on there Sue .

[liketocook Profile]

Love your priorities Sue
I've bought all the wine and booze I'm buying, not a huge amount as I was fairly well stocked just need to sort out some mixers once we have decided what our Christmas Day present-opening cocktail will be. If it includes something I don't have one of the others will buy it.
We've decided against table crackers again this year and will all bring along a joke and motto to share at the table. I wonder if there will be any duplicates?
I think I have most of the non-perishables now but DS2 and I need to have think about meals the week before and between Christmas and New Year. The festive period will start for us after he returns home, he finishes on the 16th so has a decent break. Last year we had a curry night, a Chinese night and a party food night with various homemade and bought bits which worked well so will suggest something similar again this year.

[WWordsworth Profile]

We have a small drinks party planned for next Friday.
It's 3 hours and I'm serving cheese and crackers, pigs in blankets and lentil pate. If Boris lets us.

Christmas day is just us.
We will walk in the morning then enjoy a seafood platter for our Christmas dinner. No cooking

Today I have been ambushed by my (lovely) brother.
He is in the north, I am in the Midlands, Sister From Hell is in the home counties
Bro phoned and suggested we meet here on Mon 27th and go out for lunch.
That's fine, nobody needs a bed and I don't have to cater for (and to) my bloody sister.
I can live with that.

[Suelle Profile Website]

I've got meat in the freezer for three of us on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. I just hope the supermarkets don't run out of vegetables in the week before Christmas, otherwise it will be oven chips with our roasts!

[Pepper Pig Profile]

I was very taken by a smoked salmon/cream cheese moussey thing which Simon Rimmer made on Steph’s Packed Lunch, Channel 4 Friday. Right up my street but then he said I had to find the recipe on Instagram which is beyond my powers, and anyway OH wouldn’t give it the time of day. We are going to Tim and James (DS1 and partner) unless bubbles come back, and mum is coming down and staying at Grimsdyke which will probably give her lots to complain about. (What was my sister on when she booked that? Not at all suitable for oldies. WS Gilbert died there FFS).