Xmas Hints and Tips

Here's a place for everyone to place their hints and tips for the festive season.
ie: have you found out a stockist that has got the Wii, how to stop your turkey being dry.
All those little hints that help the occassion go with a swing.

sapphire

[Sapphire]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

Do your food shopping at approx 3 am, find a 24 hours Tesco, Asda etc they are so much quieter then and there's no little ankle biters running around.

sapphire

[Paule]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

When youre wife says she just 'wants a little present' or 'dont spend too much on me' they are lying.

If you do this, it wont be horse chestnuts that are getting roasted

[Buzz]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

1 Start cooking the sprouts no later than mid-November. By Christmas day, they should be tender enough!
2) Just after midnight on Christmas Eve, go in the garden and fire a shot from a cap gun then tell the kids that Father Christmas has committed suicide so couldn't come
3)Start a campaign to move Christmas to July when the shops aren't as busy.
4) Follow cooking tips from a reputable chef like Fanny Craddock, then when your turkeys are cooked they will look like fanny's.:roll:
5) Remember the shops are only closed for TWO DAYS, so you don't need to buy 15 loaves, 8 gallons of milk and 5lb of every cooked meat.
6) When you are in Asda with your trolley full to the brim with beer/wine/vodka, etc., dont tell everyone you meet that you are only celebrating Christmas "cos of the kids"!!
Buzz.

[Buzz]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

Sorry, I know my previous post was a bit silly, so here is a serious contribution.

On Christmas Eve, if you go to http://www.northpole.com/NoradSanta.asp
your children can watch and track Santa on his journey. Is great fun.

The link at the moment does say for Xmas 2006, but will be updated nearer the time.

Will keep the little 'uns transfixed as they watch where Santa is via news links.
At around 8pm, it announces that he is not too far away and to go to bed soon.

Worked wonders with my 5 yr old ( and me!!) last year.

When you click on the English tab, then go to "history", it tells you how it came about.

Buzz.

[WendyB]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

When I tell Bloke I don't want him to spend too much - I MEAN IT! It comes out of our joint account.
However, a useful tip is - have a birthday in January (like me) get your OH's credit card charges back, then book a few days in Milan "well you never buy me anything much for Christmas so I thought we could go away for my birthday" Its worked for me......

[Delta]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

I usually cook the turkey on Christmas Eve, that way it's easier to carve the next day. (and a lot less stressful than trying to get everything ready for the same time)

When doing the Xmas dinner, we carve the turkey into slices and then bung the plate of slices at the bottom of the oven while the veggies/tatties etc are roasting, finished it off a treat and warms it up too.

[WendyB]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

If you're having loads of peeps round for Christmas dinner, plan the table in advance, get the tablecloths, napkins etc sorted, make sure you've got enough cutlery, crockery, serving dishes. Or resort to those tin foil thingys for cooking the roasties, parsnips and whatever in, you can serve em up at the table in then chuck em away.
Make it quite clear you're not gonna be washing up
Make sure you have enough alcohol to last the day (thats just you, never mind the guests)
To avoid arguments, only invite people you like and who get on with each other. (This cuts me down to 7 from about 15)
If it all goes horribly wrong - don't panic - there's always a corner shop or a chippy open.

[Nattie]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

It lasts only one day.

[strangewayofsavin]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

If you find money is a little tight on the approach to Christmas, save money on tinsle, by wheeling grandad infront of the Christmas tree, and through some pepper up his nostrals, once the desired effect has been reached, just wheel him around the otherside.

[mistie]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

ok nintendoe wii's.....ring your local game st 9.am on the day of their delivery, my local store will save them for you .
also studio cataloges are getting some in and taking pre orders.....same price as the retail store.

[Paradox]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

Don't start arranging christmas 2 months in advance!

[WendyB]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

Tempty I'm waiting for the trifle recipe.

[Sapphire]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

SHOPPING

January: Buy your cards, wrapping paper and labels in the sales, you save a bomb and get all the best one, so peeps 'think' you have spent a fortune on them.
Find a label programme on the pooter and enter names and addresses on through the year, so easy to print of and stick to envelopes rather than writing them all out.

November:

Write out the cards and stick labels and stamps on ready for posting on Dec 1. Thats out of the way then.
Start planning your shopping list, food, pressies etc. And get started on the buying of the non-perishables and some pressies and get them wrapped and out of the way.

December: Enjoy the run up with parties etc because you are safe in the knowlege that everything is in hand except for the last minute shopping of perishables and last minute pressies, because earlier in the year you have been very clever and discussed with the kids etc etc that because the sales are so good after xmas, if you give them vouchers they can get so much more for their money.

Sorted.

[Sapphire]

Re: Xmas Hints and Tips

COOKING

On Christmas Eve lay the table and ban anyone from sitting up at it.

Cook the Turkey and any other meat you are having, cool, carve and store in the fridge.
Par boil the veggies, cool and store in fridge.
Make gravy and store.

Prepare your starters/pudding, ready to put together quickly on the day.

On the Day:

Enjoy the morning safe in the knowledge that everything is prepared in advance and you have everything organised. Get the dinner on and have a large drink.

About half and hour before serving put sliced meat in bottom of oven, add some hot water and knobs of butter and cover with foil and leave to warm through.

Dish up your dinner and enjoy.

Sit back and let everyone else clear up and load the dishwasher and have yet another drink or two.

Oh and I always state that I will cook and serve the dinner and clear up if necessary, but after that its every man for themselves and I'm chilling, having a drink, sleep whatever.

Sorted.