Xmas spread

[Ian Robinson]

What are you planning on eating for the main family Xmas day meal ?

[jjjnettie]

Your funny Chris.

It's going to a hot one, as usual.
So I shall just graze all day on fresh fruits and cold crisp salads.

[Omaroo]

Yep Jeanette :) - I'm normally I'm off in the bush somewhere with the fourby club having a good nosh-up. Tinder dry and hot as it is, I'll be doing the cold cuts and salads too I guess. Time for prawns....hmmmm.....:party:

[TrevorW]

I'm starving myself so I can fit into my bathing suit for boxing day lounging in the pool

:P

[jjjnettie]

Alas, I'm allergic to shell fish. So no prawns or muddies for me.

[Ric]

We've got friends coming over to our place on Boxing day and they own a fresh fish emporium.

We've been told to supply the salads and desserts and they are bringing the seafood.

Hey Trevor, you wouldn't want to lounge around our dam/pool. The Browns are usually cooling off in on a hot day.

Cheers

[iceman]

C'mon guys - enough.

I've deleted some posts from this thread. Keep your silly snide remarks to each other in PM or email to each other, not on the public forum.

[GrahamL]

BEER :) and possibly some of that food stuff in between.

Due to a change in work First time I've had any real break over x-mass in 15 years.

[Jen]

What ever my mum cooks for me :thumbsup:
Which is usually an endless supply of seafood and a beautiful smoked ham mmmmm and lots of drinks in between ;)
:xmas::xmas:

[matt]

Seafood....beer....wine......beer.. ..wine.....seafood....:)

Some sleep. Some short trips.

Looking forward to that 2-week break!!

[spacezebra]

Good food, good company, good cheer (lots of cheer), lots of champers!

Cheers Petra d.

[Baddad]

Hi All, :)

Oooh Yessss! Now you speaka my language. Ooh Ja.:):)

Ve haf der prawns, :)smoked ham, salads (grass food), lumpfish caviar, :)scallops, Prime Alaskan salmon (smoked) with capers. Mud crab.:cool::tasdevil::party::family ::family2:

All of that needs a little throat oil.:drink: French Chapagne, :cheers: Grolsch Beer, Imported Cognac, some weird liquers I've never seen before, French. Finally a choice of Dimple or Chivas Regal Scotch.:jump:

That's not all, for the harder to please; Bundy Rum, Four X and chicken or BBQ steak. :rofl::rofl::lol:

Blue Haven has promised that the pool will be finished before Christmas. That is a story in itself. I will start a thread on that. it is an incredible saga. AAMI Insurance came to the rescue. I was told that only AAMI would do it.;):)

Cheers Marty

Woo Hoo.

Cheers Marty

[FredSnerd]

Marty, can I come to your place for Xmas

[matt]

Marty....

A pool!!!!!

I promise there'll be no Tony Abbott 'smugglers' on display:lol:

[Baddad]

Hi Matt, Claude & All,

Yes, there are spare rooms, you pay your transport here. The other condition is you have to teach me how to use my scope. Its a Celestron Goto 250mm Schmit Cass. :lol:

PM me if you want to meet us. I'm harmless ask jjj.

AND, I want to see aliens, or whatever. I focus on a star and it still looks like a star. EP's range from 4mm to 50mm and many are bino. Also have an inverter to spy on Lorrikeets nesting one klm away.;)

That pix of me. That is me at fancy dress 1980. I have aspirations to have skin that don't burn in the sunshine.

Cheers Marty

[jjjnettie]

Harmless he says.
Who am I to shatter the illusion.
LOL

[Baddad]

Hi jjj, :)

Aaww jjj, I thought you would stick up for me. I'm a good guy?

Cheers Marty

[jjjnettie]

Your secrets are safe with me Marty.:)
Sounds like there'll be a fine time to be had at your place.

[Baddad]

Hi jjj, :)
Does this mean you won't let out that I am an electronics teck but incompetent with a telescope?

But a great cook at Christmas?

Cheers Marty

[jjjnettie]

:lol: You should be getting out to some star parties Marty.
You can drink there too as well as get telescopic instruction.

[Waxing_Gibbous]

A bit of dry bread, perhaps some vinegar to dip it in. Some forage brassica from the rich neighbour's paddock (have to get that by night), some bark tea and stewed nettles.
If we're lucky a crow might die and we can eat that. One in a great while we get ROAD KILL- then we really feast!!!:prey:


Merry Christmas everyone.:xmas:

[Baddad]

Hi Waxing G, :)

That is brilliantly funny. I had to get up off the floor to grab the computer mouse. Yeah, I fell off the chair. ....... Do you really like crow?

Cheers Marty

[multiweb]

Every Xmas we play cards until late. People always teach me a new game (I think) that I usually forget by the time we're done and the night goes on. By the end I know how to play but usually too inhibrihated to remember the rules so they have to teach me again (the same game I think) the following Xmas. :P

[Baddad]

Hi Marc, :)
But your'e not blonde????

Cheers Marty

[multiweb]

Not that I know of... may be I was adopted? :confuse3::doh:

[Waxing_Gibbous]

Hi back atcha!
Crow, well not really but they are protein. Often we are too weak to lift a sling-shot,. That's why we need them to die first. Also they're pre-stuffed.

[Ian Robinson]

Full-on baked dinner at about 2pm , wont matter if it's stinking hot on Xmas Day , we've an good airconditioner and we'll simply turn it on.

Will only be 4 of us , invited mum over this Xmas , we'll wait on her hand and foot for a change and give a nice spread .....

Already got the Steggles seasoned breast meat and brown meat rolls (in the vertical freezer ) , rather have them than mess about with and bake a whole turkey .... they are absolutely beautiful and you don't waste a thing , and carving is ezypezy once it's been allowed to stand , will do one of each along with baked veggies and lashings of wine and garlic sauce. Mouth is already watering at the thought of it.....

I'll do the cooking .... roasts are my thing in this house .... if you want it done just right .... you gotta do it yourself , my roasts are super tender .... whereas my wife tends to over or under cook the roast meat and baked veggies..

Will also have a leg ham (those 4" thick end cuts are about the right size for us and will last us about a month ) and of cause my wife is doing a xmas pudding (her grandmum's recipy) and a hot home made apple pie (I want that) . Will get the ham where the local toffs shop .... the hams from the local Woolworths and Coles are never as nice and don't seem to keep as long.

Seriously considering getting some crumbed scollups and some green king prawns too which I'll batter , season and crumb === for the deep fryer on the day as the entree. Yumm .... love crumbed scollups and prawns , so does mum , can't get enough of them. Will also get a few kg of local cooked king prawns too (will freeze them and thraw them out overnight in the refrigerator the night before we want to eat them).

If we don't use the seafood on Xmas day , it'll be fine kept deep frozen in the freezer and thawed out for New Year.

Take my advice .... buy any seafood you want for over Xmas - NewYear early in December , well before the demand takes off and the prices get highly inflated and go to the local fishermens' Coop .... they'll have better quality and will usually be cheaper than mall based seafood shops or the big grocery chains (buy ONLY local caught (in Australia) , if you buy imported you don't know what the quality and purity will be like , even if it may be cheaper).


If I happen to catch a big snapper or jewie between now and Xmas , I may also do a nice whole baked fish or big fillet marinated in lemon juice too ( and keep one of the Steggle's turkey rolls for another night ).

We'll also graze on chippies , lollies , crackers and cheese and dips as well .

Mum-in-law is spending Xmas with her friend (out of town) and so we wont have to do any obligatory visits on the day (for a change) .... that suits me .

Not decided on what wine to get .... I'm partial to nice red with a nice meal , and wont be driving anywhere this Xmas once I collect mum from my brother's place (unless he drops her over).
Might even splash out and get a nice desert wine too.
I'm open to suggestions on the wines .... :thumbsup:

[Ric]

Don't forget home-made Egg nog on Chrissy eve.

Couple of glasses of that and you see Santa everywhere.

cheers

[Ian Robinson]

That's a given .... bought some last year at Coles and it was very yummy too ....

A nice pavlova is also a must have , cut as needed , eaten with freshly sliced chilled Kiwi fruit, strawberries and passionfruit and rich whipped cream ....

[Ric]

MMMMM Pavlova. :thumbsup:

Unfortunately it plays havoc with my blood sugar levels. :sadeyes:

Come to think of it most Chrissy fare has that effect. :lol: I'll have to live on salad for the week after Christmas to compensate. ;) :D

Cheers

[jjjnettie]

:tasdevil:I've gained 2 kilos by just following this thread.

[Ian Robinson]

What , only 2 kg .... ?

My dietition would probably tell me most stuff I'll consume is on the naughty list and to be good .... but I'll be fishing a lot over the next couple of months (involves lots of walking and dragging a heavy jewie-trolley through sand to get to my favourate fishing haunts on Nobbys - 30min walk each way) so I'll likely walk and sweat a lot of those extra kg I'll gain off.

[jjjnettie]

And this is why I'm sticking to fruit and salad over xmas.

[JimmyH155]

I'm a traditionalist from the old country so, Ian, like you it will be roast turkey, bread sauce, roasties, chestnut stuffing, regular stuffing, sprouts and cranberry sauce, all washed down with good wine, and a nice plum pudding to finish off with crystallised fruits and chocolates YUM YUM:D:D
In evening watch a nice innocuous film like The African Queen!! and fall asleep in the chair.
Boxing day we will go swimming at Bribie Island;)

[jjjnettie]

LOL and get the traditional boxing day sunburn.
Will you be on the surf side or calm side of Bribie.?

[Ian Robinson]

My mum used to do a huge traditional mixed baked and cold Xmas spread (included a monster stuffed and seasoned and glaced turkey , a couple of baked chickens , a monster leg ham (cold) , loads of baked veggies , gravy .... etc very traditional ) , my dad insisted on it and insisted that everyone be there to eat it (huge family gathering (mum and dad, us kids, and our kids , the house was full to rafters with over 20 people and kids)) , she did it with no airconditioning on stinking hot Xmas days ....

I miss the big family Xmas lunches back in the old house in Mayfield.

Now we kids take turns being with mum at Xmas , usually at her place , will be nice to have her come here this Xmas and I plan on spoiling her and giving her a good feed.

[Ian Robinson]

Typically we are still so full from Xmas day , that we just grase on cold meat (ham , turkey etc) and maybe some salad stuff on Boxing day , and we keep our feet up and just veg out on the day.

[Baron von Richthofen]

For a moment think of all the poor people on a pension like me and unemployment, I hate Christmas because every thing cost more and makes a bad situation worse, its just another day of survival
Happy Christmas:(

[Jen]

:lol::lol: lol Ric, i have always wanted to try that stuff :P

[jjjnettie]

Quite right. Believe me, I think of it often.

[Chillie]

Just keep it simple. I am on a Disability Pension and will be having frozen pizza with chicken salt and BBQ sauce as extra toppings.

For pudding I will be having my version of trifle:

2 slices of Madera cake - diced in a bowl
1 small can of fruit salid poured on top of cake
3 (or 4) scoops of icecream on top of fruit salid

Coming back for seconds on the icecream.:D

To wash it all down, I have Pepsy (or Coke) with the pizza and milk with the trifle. Trust me, you DON'T want to drink soft drink or fruit juice after eating icecream!:eek:

For tea, I do it all again.:thumbsup:

I will be having Christmas (at least I've spelt it right;)) on my own as usual so I can eat when I want to.

[JimmyH155]

We've been going to the surf side lately, jjjnettie!
Used to go to to the dog beach - Red Beach, but our lovely English Setter and Lab have now departed for the happy hunting grounds. :mad2:
You should see the devastation on the surf beach. In places 2 METRES of sand have disappeared. Global warming in action.:mad2:

[Ian Robinson]

I'm on a similar income (been long term unemployed (boom ? (before the crash last November) what boom was that ?) and have studying (got to do something to keep the brain sharp and keep up to date) . and have given up on job hunting for now and retired at 52 yo).

Having a big vertical freezer in the laundry , and a big corner pantry , we usually start buying stuff for over Xmas and New Year in November spreading the extra expense over 6 to 8 weeks and buying only the ham in the last week (I'll go to a shopping mall in a rich area and buy it there , rather than risking a second or third rate , near rotten or really watery ham at the local Woolworths or Coles) ,it costs no more , but is always a beautiful bit of ham that way.

End cuts if a leg of smoked ham are very economical , you've ham for sandwiches and salads for about a month after you open the sealed packaging and start cutting from it.

Seasoned turkey rolls (1 kg Steggles rolls are big enough for us unless we expect guests , then I'll spash out and get a 2 kg Steggles Turkey Breast meat roll) which will give us a nice baked meal on the day and cold turkey for carving for 4 or 5 days afterwards. (Same applies to roast legs of lamb , every other week, we buy them 3 at a time , ONLY when they are on special (towards the end of the week), cook one right away and freeze the others).

I budget for extra luxury foods and extra stuff to eat and drink from September each year. I just don't buy expensive presents or many presents , and do not send out cards.