I don't want a lot for Christmas...

...there is just one thing I need...and thats stretchy trousers! I'm planning on enjoying myself, as only crazy people want to diet on Christmas Day. I will be as stuffed as the turkey-though thankfully not in the same way.

My family love Christmas dinner and we have tried many different ways of cooking our veg on the day to make it a little different than the rest of the year. Here is our plan for cooking Christmas Dinner, including all our current favourite dishes that we will be serving this year and a rough idea of timings we will follow.

I will be sharing some of the recipes I use over the coming weeks so, keep following for those posts.

CHRISTMAS DINNER

We usually have Christmas Pudding or Chocolate Pudding with either custard or ice cream for dessert.

TIMINGS

CHRISTMAS EVE

Prepare the mixed vegetables ready for roasting the next day (as per recipe).

Prepare the sprouts and cauliflower (as per recipe).

NB: Preparing the veg the day before isn't necessary for cooking, it just makes Christmas Day easier-we will have enough to do!

Make up stuffing (as per recipe).

CHRISTMAS DAY

To eat at approximatly 1.45pm...

8.20am-Preheat oven at 170ºC for 20 mins prior to cooking.

-Prepare the turkey-I stuff our turkey with a peeled and cored apple. Then gently loosen the skin from the turkey breast with my hands and insert butter between the breast and skin. Season with salt, pepper and herbs and cover with streaky bacon. Wrap well with foil but loosely so the heat can travel.

8.40am-Place the turkey in the oven- the turkey needs to be cooked 20 minutes for every pound and then an extra 20 minutes on top (it is important to remember at this point, that the turkey also needs to sit for 40 minutes before carving).Our turkey is 12lbs so will need approximately 4 hours and 20 minutes of cooking time.

11.30am-Peal the potatoes.

12.00 noon-Put the prepared mixed vegetables in the oven for roasting (as per recipe).

12.10pm-Put the pigs in blankets in the oven.

12.15pm-Prepare the Yorkshire pudding mix.

12.40pm-Uncover the turkey and put back in the oven.

-Turn the oven up to 220ºC.

-Start cooking the potatoes (as per recipe).

12.45pm-Take out the mixed vegetables.

-Take out the pigs in blankets.

-Put both the stuffing mixes in the oven.

1.00pm-Check on the turkey, if cooked and juices are clear, take out of oven and leave to rest for 40 mins.

-Start cooking the cauliflower (as per recipe).

1.10pm-Start cooking the Yorkshire puddings (as per recipe).

1.15pm-Take both stuffings out.

1.20pm-Start cooking sprouts (as per recipe).

1.30pm-Take out the Yorkshire puddings.

-Start the gravy.

1.35pm-Take out Cauliflower Cheese.

1.40pm-Take out roast potatoes.

Carve, dish out, plate up.

1.45pm-Serve!

I don't worry if the timings are out, if something needs cooking for longer or if it all goes completely awry! It's Christmas Day and we should be enjoying it, so get a glass of your favourite tipple, take a breath, and tell your family they are lucky they are getting fed at all.

x