Shopping done?... Decorations up?... presents wrapped?
I am ashamed to admit it but my Christmas organisation started in September when I got my Turkey crown off the "cheapie" shelf in Morrisons. Its was a huge crown (just the breast) that was £5 off so I bagged a bargin and its been sitting in the bottom of my freezer since!
This year I have decided to do everything early so there is no last minuite panic (I usually leave stuff untill the last minuite) and because money is a little tighter this year...so I have been watching the cheapie shelf carefully and later bagged some roast potatos in Goose fat, some "the best" baby parsnips in honey glaze, and a packet of "the best" Potato Croquetts with Carephilly cheese!!! so practially all my Christmas dinner comes via the Cheapie shelf. As for my shopping and decorations, well thats done too!! So am I sitting back on my laurals and grinning like a Cheshire cat????....NO!!! as I am still in the process of doing lots of Winter cleaning...also I don't know if Dereks Auntie Joan will be joining us for Christmas dinner yet? She is a lovely lady who will be otherwise at home on her own this year so I have asked Derek to invite her, but I am thinking she might not accept. A: because I am a smoker and B: she hates Sirius!...I will happily go upstairs to have a ciggy and not smoke near her...(I dont smoke in the presence of non smokers anyway) but its trying to convice her. Derek will have to let me know soon though as I still have to plan ahead!
Anyway, I have made this TO DO LIST for Christmas Eve, as I nearly always forget somthing!
Here it is!!!
Finish tidying the house
Set the dinning table
Set the dining sideboard
Make up Brussels sprouts with bacon and a shallot. Rap and put in fridge.
Make up "Pigs in blankets" wrap and put in fridge.
Peel and slice Carrots
Peel and dice potatos
Make up sliced onion in vinager (its an "up-north" thing)
Make up stuffing and bread sauce, wrap and put in fridge.
Put defrosted Turkey crown in my roaster on a bed of veg and add a pint of water and a pint of white wine.
..........Un cork and drink copius ammounts of Warre's Port with feet up while eating stilton cheese and grapes!
The last entry is not an option! LOL!!!!!!!!
Standing the Turkey on a bed of veg in the roaster with the two pints of wine and water mix, is a little tip I picked up from Ivy, my chef at the Rifle Butt (first pub I managed)...Its simply cooks the Turkey more evenly and the water and wine evaporate to keep the Turkey moist! Also I have been expiermenting with sprouts for a long time now as I dont realy like them and cooking them with diced bacon and a shallot, even makes the sourest of sprouts more pallatable!! (slow cooked and left to chill over night)...The sliced onions in vinegar is a strictly up-North thing that I have been brought up with and apparently anyone south of Birmingham has never heard of!! Derek thinks its revolting but Mum and I still enjoy this simple accompanyment to any roast!...oh and while I am at it, here is my Last Minuite Shopping List!!!!!!!!!
HERE!!!!
Hairy Carrots (Carrots with the stalks on as they are sweeter)
Sprouts
Potatos
Christmas Pud
Brandy sauce
Fresh cream
Pate
Bread
Galic butter
Ordinary butter
Yule log
1 lemon
Smoked Salmon
1 cucumber
Bunch red grapes
Beers for Derek
1 bottle of Sherry
2 bottles of Port (one white one pink)
1 bottle of Advocart
Dandelion and Burdock and Cream Soda
Fruit juice, soda and tonic
Chocolate liqures
Some of this is most of the obscure stuff I forget usually half way through Christmas day, when everywhere is closed!! Also my drinks list is a bit skinny I know but Mum and Derek don't realy drink, although Derek likes his bottles of real ale or Cider and Mum likes a "Snowball" hence the Advacart. Port is for me (obviously) with the white port for Christmas day and the pink port for Boxing day!
Ok...now for the real reason why I blogged this!
I am so forgetfull I may even loose the lists I have made so my blog can be my emergency refrence! LOL!!
Finnaly a piccy of my baby boy this morning!!!
Merry Organising everyone!!! x