Comments on: Competition: Bottoms Up for Christmas Crackers

By: mary

mary — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 22:19:05 +0000

smoked salmon and homemade brown bread, marmalade glazed ham Roast turkey,Stuffing Bread sauce Brussels sprouts goose fat roasted potatoes creamy mash roast carrots and parsnips Turkey gravy
loads of desserts
Brandy butter
Christmas pudding
Chocolate yule log
Christmas cake
Trifle
wine and bailey and brandy for later on with the family

By: Denise

Denise — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 19:46:04 +0000

Planning on a smoked trout and salmon terrine for starters.
It will be my first time to cook a Goose and a boozy sherry triffle for dessert.

By: geraldine murphy

geraldine murphy — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:32:53 +0000

We are totally traditional – the turkey, ham, sprouts, carrots and parsnips. I love sherry trifle and delicious chocolates – followed by a brisk walk. then back to more wine, poker and scrabble with intermittent turkey sandwiches and crisps!

By: Susan Jordan

Susan Jordan — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:26:41 +0000

It’ll be the full works for three ’round Casa Cherry this year. Dustin & all the trimmings. Would really love to win this though, I’ve bought Samsung Galaxy Tabs for the lads, which means I’ll be looking at the tops of their heads for the entire Christmas break.
Some Curious Wine for Mamty Clause would go down a treat
Happy Christmas Everyone!

By: mister ebby

mister ebby — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:26:00 +0000

It’s a big family christmas dinner here, my mother does the turkey, boiled ham and roast potatoes.

I always do brussel sprouts where they’re roasted with chopped onion, other root vegetables and nuts, and covered with breadcrumbs, and end up with a much nicer flavour than boiled sprouts which I hated as a kid.

My sister’s planning on adding a sweet potato, spinach and hazelnut pie to the meal this year, served with a homemade gravy, which she tried out on us earlier this year.

The pudding and cakes are already made – my mother makes them every year, and makes extras for some other family members too. They’re being iced this weekend I believe.

Christmas dinner is definitely a family affair, and everyone gets involved in helping to make some part of the dinner. There’s usually melon with port as one of the starters, and a homemade soup too served with home-baked bread.

Myself and my brothers love a cheese course too, so we usually have a selection of different cheese ready with some chutney.

And somehow, we still end up with sherry trifle as an option for dessert, along with the christmas pudding.

By: emergingwriter

emergingwriter — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:43:42 +0000

Can you really soak a turkey in beer? Or is that just the cook? My husband does the turkey and I do the rest. Apparently my bit is easier. Just roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, peas, steam the pudding I made a few weeks ago, set the table, light the candles and open the wine. I might start with opening the wine!

By: Vicky Comerford

Vicky Comerford — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:18:30 +0000

Our dinner is going to be very traditional. We have 5 children and 2 years ago we changed the menu from the traditional turkey and trimmings to something very different. Nothing was eaten and the children said it did not feel like they were eating Christmas dinner. Mum’s lesson learned.
Beverages. Wine and minerals
Starter, soup or melon.
Main course, roast turkey and ham, accompanied by roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. Vegetable is brussel sprouts and carrots.
Dessert, Christmas plum pudding with served with custard or brandy butter or sherry trifle.
Later when all of the above has settled we will have a slice of Christmas Cake.
After dinner we have some final small gifts for the children. They are not distributed till after the clean up is completed. Great way to get it done quickly and all hands are on deck.
Finally I get to sit down with my glass of wine and relax that is until the inlaws arrive later Christmas night.

______*o***MERRY***o*________ _____*o* CHRISTMAS *o*_______

Food Fight.

By: Gareth

Gareth — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:27:09 +0000

If I was a professional competition type person, I would try and pull on the old heart strings and claim to be volunteering on Christmas Day and cooking up a feast for those less fortunate than ourselves. However this is not in fact the case (as much as I would like to do this) as I am going to cook ZERO on the 25th but rather eat that prepared by others. I suppose this rules me out of the prize, so I will just take comfort in the fact that I will be able to serve them and keep their glasses full during both preparations and the meal. Just as well I saved €28.89 on the Deluxe Christmas case over on CuriousWinesie and got FREE delivery thrown in to boot. (NB – I dont work for them or know anyone associated!)Bottoms up! It is after all the giving that counts.

By: Tom Creed

Tom Creed — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:46:12 +0000

A large box of chocolates and a bottle of port.

By: Spaghetti Hoop

Spaghetti Hoop — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:01:25 +0000

Spaghetti Hoops

By: Lourda

Lourda — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:48:58 +0000

As I have all my well travelled children back for the first time in years I have to stick to tradition. Turkey, glazed ham, home made potato croquettes (with herbs from the garden), a chocolate cake house made by Grandma and Vienetta ice cream. Wine of course is always on the menu. I make one small christmas pudding for my husband.

By: Lou

Lou — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:56:54 +0000

Ohh Christmas planning is always fun so much food to choose from though the old traditional meal is always the best, how can you go wrong with turkey, ham and brussel sprouts all washed down with some vino and then dad’s once a year treat of homemade triffle for dessert yummie!!

By: Elly Parker

Elly Parker — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:46:27 +0000

Would you believe that I still don’t know where I’ll be on Xmas day? Hubbie hasn’t been given his work shifts yet, so we can’t do any planning (he works shift). If we end up at home I think I’ll have to do something different, as I can’t afford a turkey, so maybe duck this year?

By: Fiona

Fiona — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 06:51:45 +0000

In a break from tradition we will be having a small, two-person christmas dinner without turkey! The plan so far is for: crab salad with the last of the homsemade nasturtium pesto as dressing to start, and then a beef wellington with wilted spinach and potato dauphinoise, followed by a cheese board (probably Cashel Blue, Camembert and Conte) and dark chocolate fondant. We will precede it all with a very nice pain farci and champagne and probably nibble on some Christmas bark afterwards. The plan is to spread it out over at least 4 hours and enjoy a rare, quiet christmas to ourselves. The wine is yet to be decided…

By: garrett mccord

garrett mccord — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:10:11 +0000

Ham boiled in cola and glazed with honey and wholegrain mustard, butter basted turkey and a selection of roast veg – butternut squash, parsnip and carrot braised with orange. Of course this will be complimented by potatoes done about 5 ways!

By: Fiona Darcy

Fiona Darcy — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:05:31 +0000

Am still thinking about the menu but at the moment it’s home made tomato soup with warm bread rolls to start. Then the usual turkey and ham with brussels sprouts, roast carrots and parsnips, butternut squash roasted and sprinkled with cinnamon (yum!), roast and mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and delicious cranberry sauce! This will be followed by my Mam’s homemade pudding with cream and some trifle if I can fit it in Going to make Mulled Wine too!

By: Dave Moriarty

Dave Moriarty — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:35:04 +0000

Hand fed loin of ham baked with an honey and irish whiskey glaze, served with a light mustard & girolle sauce’
Centre-cut of turkey on a potato and truffle galette, topped with sliced and pan-fried truffle with a poached cranberry sauce, garnished with wild mushrooms & served with a Brussels sprout mousse.
Deconstructed sherry trifle; Layers of lightly poached winter fruits layered with crème anglais & lightly whipped fresh cream mixed with duck egg meringues.
For the wine a nice bubbly to start with and a Châteauneuf-du-Pape served to my mothers disgust at room temperature .

By: Evelyn

Evelyn — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:08:46 +0000

Absolutely nothing! This year my inlaws are coming to us and my husband has said he’ll do all the cooking while I entertain and have some fun with the kids, so a few extra bottles could really help increase the fun element

By: Roisin

Roisin — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:03:41 +0000

Traditional Turkey and ham, Roast Potatoes, acres of veg, lashings of gravy and potato stuffing(mashed potato, streaky bacon, celery , onion, thyme parsley all combined yummy)

By: Sue Carroll

Sue Carroll — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:56:39 +0000

I’m going to visit my sister in law on the day, so not cooking, but will be cooking a leg of lamb on St Stephens day.