What to serve for Xmas lunch?

[Matango]

This is our first Christmas away from family, so I think that OH and I will probably celebrate with lots of champagne, the dog who will finally be out of quarantine =), and to mix things up--strange foods from the market. Lime-flavored milk, anyone?

PS: GG--brisket cooked in a slow cooker is the best thing ever! I think I'm drooling a little now...

[James 1077]

what is it with bloody ham here! they even have hambags!

Everyone who works for the company my aunt works for gets a Christmas present each year of a big leg of ham.

It is very strange - but good none-the-less!

[dilanium]

I am working this Xmas. I'm actually working the 25th-28th, so I guess I'll have to celebrate on Xmas eve. We'll see how the weather is, but I think maybe tramping is in order.

[Mickfin]

Mickfin, if you haven't tried parsnips and carrots mashed you need to try it out!

What recipes would you like, if you truly want them...? My OH is the main cook in the family and he's proud of his specialty dinners!

Any and all you want to share! I collect cook books and love to cook and try out new things.

Mashed parsnips and carrots? Hummm. Do you just mash them with a fork? Do you add anything to them?

[scarycat]

Feeling sad now just been out to look at xmas trees as ours is sailing over the ocean to you guys. All I can say is £7 for a pathetic droopy plastic thing or £40 for something more substantial i.e will withstand my son 'playing with it', that I am going to get rid of somehow on boxing day!!!! What to do, I refuse to go through xmas without one but how much Very jealous of all your plans and receipe ideas, looking forward to picking all your brains next year or maybe june 25th who knows

[JandM]

Any and all you want to share! I collect cook books and love to cook and try out new things.

Mashed parsnips and carrots? Hummm. Do you just mash them with a fork? Do you add anything to them?

Cut parsnips and/or carrots into slices and boil till a knife slips in easily. Drain thoroughly. Mash with a fork, a pototo masher, or put through a ricer. Mix in a good knob of butter, and little milk or cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper, warm through and serve. That's the basic way, then people add various different herbs (e.g. parsley, coriander, chives - and I've even seen a recipe that adds maple syrup ???), depending partly on what they're going to serve it with. It can be sloppy like a puree, or, by adding less liquid, quite stiff and even lumpy, to taste.

[newarrival]

Feeling sad now just been out to look at xmas trees as ours is sailing over the ocean to you guys. All I can say is £7 for a pathetic droopy plastic thing or £40 for something more substantial

Please don't tell me you're having a plastic Christmas tree in Europe, where there are loads of 'proper' ones?
We don't have a tree anymore here, because they look really sad, it is just the wrong time of the year (in their growing season)..., but before we put up a plastic tree we just skip it altogether.

A matter of personal taste, though, I suppose

[Mickfin]

Thank you JandM. I will give it a go.

Renate, we have a fake tree but I think we will be passing it up this year. Just so hard to get in the spirit so far. On Friday it occured to me it was the day after Thanksgiving and traditionally that is the day we put up the tree. Our kids rotate years that it is their "turn" to put the angel on top. Our youngest asked if we were going to wait for her so she could. I just laughed and told her when she comes over this winter (her summer) we will do it.

[newarrival]

I grew up with 'real" Christmas trees and real candles...., we moved on to electric candles on top of the real ones, just because it was so much easier to plug the electric ones in...
That is probably why I can't imagine having a plastic tree..., it all comes down to different cultures, probably.
When I was a kid, we weren't even allowed to see the tree before
Christmas Eve, my father prepared everything behind closed doors.... Our children put the decorations on our tree, but we never had it up weekes before Christmas.

Different countries, different customs

[Mickfin]

That is one of the things I love about it here Renate. All the different cultures. Life is not the little fish bowl anymore. I so hope my kids come over and join us. I think it is such a good thing to be exposed to the differences and realize that the world is so much bigger then them.