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Thread: Christmas dinner for a small family.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
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    Kent, England
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    Christmas dinner for a small family.

    My family, growing up, was huge. This is my first year away from home where I'm responsible for the festive dinner, and have no idea where to cut back. We had everything with all the trimmings, but now it's only me, my boyfriend and our infant son. I have no idea how to do the extravagant thing without things going to waste.

    So, any of you with small families, what do you do? It seems it would be a shame to cook up a storm and throw almost everything away,

  2. #2
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    Smile

    Quote Originally Posted by Cera View Post
    My family, growing up, was huge. This is my first year away from home where I'm responsible for the festive dinner, and have no idea where to cut back. We had everything with all the trimmings, but now it's only me, my boyfriend and our infant son. I have no idea how to do the extravagant thing without things going to waste.

    So, any of you with small families, what do you do? It seems it would be a shame to cook up a storm and throw almost everything away,
    A very merry to you!!!

    Well, Im part of a small family too, but most Christmas we spend the day with friends, so we cook everything and do not throw a thing!!!

    Many years ago, when I was a little girl, we had the same problem.. Mum was cooking all day and she ended up throwing most of what she had cooked..

    So, what about inviting some good friends home, for the big day?
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    And so, as Tiny Tim observed, "God Bless us!! Everyone!!''
    A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (1843)

  3. #3
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    Thank you for the welcome!

    I would LOVE to invite people over, but most people seem to be staying with their families. Our families have been very.. demanding. They both want my son to be with them, and don't understand that we can't visit them both on Christmas day (My parents are 300 miles away, and neither me nor my boyfriend drive) and they were all being so unkind that we decided we'd spend christmas just us three.

  4. #4
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    :gift:

    Quote Originally Posted by Cera View Post
    Thank you for the welcome!

    I would LOVE to invite people over, but most people seem to be staying with their families. Our families have been very.. demanding. They both want my son to be with them, and don't understand that we can't visit them both on Christmas day (My parents are 300 miles away, and neither me nor my boyfriend drive) and they were all being so unkind that we decided we'd spend christmas just us three.
    Well, I know exactly what you mean!! A lot of new families have that problem, including my best friend who has ended up celebrating with her husband and their two little children..She really has got tired of them!!

    Well, why dont you try somrthing else? You can go to a closed friends house for a while and then go back home and celebrate the day just the three of you! I dont know, its just a silly idea..
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    And so, as Tiny Tim observed, "God Bless us!! Everyone!!''
    A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens (1843)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    Back home again in Indiana
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    4,162
    Buy the smallest turkey you can find or sustitute Cornish game hens. Now, unlike my mother and most Americans, I liked to have roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, so I would get a small roast and do that if my family were small. If you have room in your freezer compartment, you can put leftover turkey in there. The turkey can be cut in bite size pieces and put in a casserole type dish when you're in the mood for it.


    Chicken or Turkey Casserole
    1 1/2 c. uncooked macaroni
    1 1/2 c. diced chicken or turkey
    1/4 c. chopped pimientos
    1 c. milk
    1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
    1 c. drained mushrooms
    1 (10 1/2 oz.) can chicken broth

    Stir all ingredients together in a 1 1/2 quart ungreased casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
    COOKS.COM


    Turkey and Dressing Strata
    This recipe is great for using leftover turkey and stuffing from Thanksgiving! (Note that chicken may be substituted for turkey.)

    1 (10 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
    3/4 c. milk
    3 c. cut up cooked turkey (or chicken)
    1 1/2 c. leftover stuffing (sometimes referred to as dressing, it is made with bread, sauteed celery and sauteed onion).
    1 tbsp. grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

    Preheat oven to 350. Grease 1 1/2 quart casserole. In 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, heat undiluted soup with milk; stir in turkey.
    In casserole, layer stuffing and turkey mixture twice, ending with turkey mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through. (Makes 6 servings.)
    COOKS.COM

    If you don't do turkey in the UK, tell me what your menu was like at Mum's house. I'll see if I can figure something out.
    Last edited by Merry Christmas Darling; 09-27-2009 at 04:25 PM.

    "Hail him who saves you by his grace,
    and crown him Lord of all."

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    Do you have a pudding basin? You can freeze your Christmas pudding:

    http://www.jamieoliver.com/forum/vie...php?pid=340902

  7. #7
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    Sep 2008
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    Back home again in Indiana
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    Leftover pudding

    Still got pudding leftover from Christmas Day? Never fear, turn it into a whole new tasty dessert.

    Ingredients (serves 6)
    400g leftover Christmas pudding
    1/2 lemon, zested
    2 eggs
    300ml milk
    1 tbs light brown sugar
    1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    Icing sugar, to dust
    Ice-cream or cream, to serve
    Method
    Crumble the pudding into a bowl or roughly process in a food processor, then stir in the zest.
    In a separate bowl, beat together eggs and milk and pour over the pudding. Set aside for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 190°C and grease a 23cm pie dish.
    Spread the pudding mixture into the pie dish, flatten the top. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top. Bake for 30 minutes.
    Dust with icing sugar and serve hot with ice-cream or cold, cut into slices like a cake and topped with cream.
    http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/6056/leftover+pudding

  8. #8
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    Nov 2008
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    I was also going to suggest cornish hens. They are festive and special, and you won't have any leftovers. Rack of lamb would be nice too. I would also suggest googeling Valentine Menus". I'm sure there are several great meals for 2 that would work for Christmas dinner as well. (I don't think the baby will eat much)

    I think you and your boyfriend should talk about what you both "have to have" for Christmas dinner. I've heard people say "it's just not Christmas without (for example)smoked oysters" and other people say "what do smoked oysters have to do with Christmas?" If you must have smoked oysters, by all means buy some, but if neither of you really want them, skip it.

    I'm sure you're not the only one with a situation like this. Let us know what you decide. I'm sure it will be helpful to others.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Washington
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    48
    Last year I made our Christmas dinner; it was just my husband and I. I made a LOT of food, but almost all of it got eaten. The best part of Christmas dinner is the leftovers! And you can freeze whatever will freeze properly.

    I just made everything in the smallest proportions I could get away with.

    We had a turkey roast (smaller than an actual turkey but not too small), roast beef (DH doesn't eat poultry), mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, rolls, and peanut butter celery.

    It was a lot of food, but it worked out.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    27
    Perhaps you can consider making stews. One of the dishes I always make is a gigantic pot of lamb stew on 23rd and we (family of four and all pretty small eaters) have that for Christmas eve dinner. We have the leftovers for Christmas day and sometimes, even Boxing Day. I keep the remaining stew in the refrigerator and simply reheat it the next day. Best part is ... the stew gets tastier as the days pass! And, we can laze around on Christmas day and not have to bother about cooking.

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