Christmas Dinner Plans

If you have never met my family and Christmas time was the first time you ever entered our house, you would be forgiven for thinking we were a bit "eccentric" to put it politely.

Christmas is perhaps the biggest event of the year in our Household.  We never have relatives join us for Christmas dinner it's only ever me, my parents and my brother, but that doesn't stop us making a Christmas dinner that could feed 14 people.  Actually that's probably an understatement, I am actually serious.

These dishes are taken from the Good Housekeeping Step by Step Cookbook, this book is my Kitchen Bible.  I cannot praise it enough.  The original book is incredibly hard to find circa 1977 you can read about it here.

Christmas Dinner usually consists of:

Starter:
Prawn Cocktail or
Melon wedges sprinkled with Cinnamon

Main Course:
Brussel Sprouts in Buttered Breadcrumbs
Spiced Carrots and Vegetable mix
Honey roast Parsnips
Roast Turkey [Usually says "serves 12" or 16 but it never does]
Roast Gammon cooked with a brown sugar glaze covered in Oranges and Clove
Roast Gammon in a honey and mustard glaze [yes we cook 2 Gammons as well as a Turkey]
Roast Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes with Butter and Spring Onions
Cranberry Sauce
Bramley Apple Sauce

Dessert:
Traditional Christmas Pudding
with Cream or Custard

or

Marks and Spencer Melt in the Middle Belgian Chocolate Pudding

or

Poached Pears in a Chocolate and Brandy Sauce


This year however I want to try something new.  Both Gammons will remain but instead of a full Turkey we will get Turkey breast and slice it and in place of the actual Bird we are considering buying Pheasant.  There is a Scottish Farm on Amazon.co.uk which sells Pheasant and Partridge selection packs which consist of 1 Pheasant and 2 partridges.  So I was thinking of buying 2 so that we will each have 1 Partridge and half a pheasant.  Together with the sliced Turkey breast that should be enough I think.

Also to convince you how seriously we take Christmas, we have already started buying Christmas food and Christmas Decorations.  Our main Tree [yes we have more than 1] will be decorated in Green and Silver decorations and possibly blue fairy lights this year. In case you were wondering we have 4 Christmas Trees but we usually only have 2 up, one in the Lounge and one in the Kitchen, sometimes I put a small one in my Bedroom.  We also have several garlands, wreathes and general festivity around the House, oh and a model village with snow and a working Train that chugs its way through.

Like I said ... eccentric.  haha