The Community Christmas Topic

Lounge
21

We generally have a large family lunch on the Sunday before Christmas, this year it’ll be around 18 and still counting. I do most of the cooking with the assistance of my sue chief (wife) who hates cooking. Having a get together before allows our kids to see in-laws, step parents, parents, grandparents etc on Christmas Day without having to travel and the additional stress of catching with us. Also we live up the coast and the traffic is a nightmare on Christmas Day.

On Christmas Day this year we’ll be off to my eldest daughters which is a treat as we normally have a smaller gathering at our place. No cooking.

While not being a Christian I do enjoy the spirit of the holidays and appreciate the opportunity to catch up with family and friends. However I sometimes think it’s really now only about retail. When I see the amount of junk our grandkids get, most will be forgotten by the end of January. It’s just waste.

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22

Well we got out that table of 50 without any glitch. They were mostly somewhat older and appreciated the Brussels Sprouts being a bit overdone. :firecracker:

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23

We will be at the church first thing as i have to do the sound mixing for the music etc , then lots of family round . 2-3 years ago we had a homeless man very near us sleeping in the snow around christmas . He refused to be helped but it brought home the pain of homelessness a great deal.

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24

Christmas has not been very enoyable for several years due to my parents’ ill-health.

Mother passed away in April, dad a few weeks ago - frankly a thoroughly depressing few years, this year in particular as last Christmas they were both alive, though not enjoying the best quality of life for several prior to that.

Perhaps a sense of calm, knowing they are no longer suffering, and have hopefully gone to a better place.

Looking forward to quality time with the children, though recent events have made Christmas preparations even more disorganised than normal.

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25

Christmas starts for me with my favourite radio event, the service from Kings . This year to be heard from my NAT 03, rather than the Dynalab which has started making popping noises. Always a test, the high sopranos , the deep bass of the organ and the spoken word.

This year an organic free range chicken, washed down with bottle fermented cider, a very specialist cider (I have the last six bottles ) and an ice cider to accompany the home made Christmas pudding .

Then its the recording of the final of Masterchef - The Professionals

26

9L&Cs from Kings (Christmas Eve, 3pm live on Radio 4, for the benefit of the heathen) is indeed a real occasion, and not just from a SQ point of view. It’ll be a bittersweet on this year - it’s Dan Hyde’s first as the new director, but of course also the first since his predecessor’s death just a few weeks ago.

Mark

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27

My sympathies x

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28

Thanks Eoink.

29

Sorry to hear that, though they will be at peace now.

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30

I am very sorry to hear that and wish you a peaceful Christmas at this difficult time.

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31

Very sorry to hear of your loss.

Christmas can be very hard

Best wishes

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32

Anyone out tried sous vide cooking, bound to be some on the Naim forum

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anova-Culinary-Precision-Cooker-Nano/dp/B07QM5R11R/ref=sr_1_5?crid=DLHBNFXHGIVR&keywords=suvide+cooker&qid=1576307856&sprefix=sue+vide%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-5

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33

I’ve been dying too, but I’m too scared. Apparently it’s too easy to stuff it up.

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34

My joule sous vide has become borderline indispensable. Slow cookers, bbq’s, etc. now used much less often.

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35

Sous vide is basically boil in the bag.
The restaurant business has been doing this for years. You simply prep up what you want. Vacuum seal it and put in the freezer. When you want to serve you pop it in some boiling water whilst still frozen until up to the recommended temperature.
Of course the principles can be played with. Using fresh uncooked products at specific temperatures along with other cooking techniques.

36

I still like my BOQ, I prefer a little colour on the meat.

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37

Quite the opposite in UK - it is probably by far the quietest day of the year on the roads!

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38

Boxing Day is even worst everyone heading north (up the coast) for the holidays.

39

I struggle with Christmas. It seems to me that the point of the celebration, the birth of Christ, has been (largely) lost. Nowadays, it is (imho) simply a festival of consumption, generally excessive, and is treated as a retail opportunity

I get that young kids enjoy the rituals of Christmas (tree, decorations etc) or is it just the receiving of presents?

I also get that this may be the only time of the year that geographically dispersed families come together and, depending on the quality of those relationships, that could be an enjoyable time for all. However, given the often significant extent of dysfunctionality within families (mine included), the pressures of spending time together may not be worthwhile, or even counter-productive.

The parts of Christmas that I do enjoy are the get togethers with friends (ie people I want to spend time with) with good food/wine (no present-giving - it’s not expected or wanted) and, invariably, some party games. However, we do this all year, not just at Christmas.

The best Christmas I can recall was partying on a beach North of Sydney, bbqing shrimps (etc) with just 6 of our friends in blazing sunshine.

Our sons are in their forties now and so we just buy something for each of the grandkids (a trip to Anfield, roller skates, new scalextric cars are amongst the nominated items this year).

I’ll be glad when it’s all over though and normal service gets resumed.

Having said all that, I hope you all have a wonderful time and may your God go with you (remember that?)

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40

@YNWA250505 I’ll be thinking of you while I enjoy Christmas just north of Sydney. And I’ll also raise a glass in your honour and hope you do have a great Christmas with your family and friends.

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