I'm here to steal you ideas!

What are you having? Traditional roast, or BBQ type stuff? Can't be bothered with cooking a whole turkey and all the bits and bobs, but a steak on the barbie seems not special enough for Christmas Day? For me and my husband, my sister in law and her friend.

We're having crayfish, prawns,snapper, and maybe some lamb kebabs for the barbie, a couple of nice salads, pav and cheesecake for pudding.

cheesecake...hmmm..

KOH and his mother insisted i cooked the works last Xmas - after working all Xmas as a chef - pretty pissed me off i can tell you...

We're having a barbie this year - prawns, rugger (lil snapper) marlin and lots of salad bits.
Home made chocolate mousse for pudding

Prawns are always very popular.

Special offer at our local - 5Kg for $100 (Australian Ocean King prawns)
That's about the normal size of prawn purchase for Christmas

Personally I like a nice steak or roast beef, so I'll settle for a Chateaubriand.
I'm sure we should have a couple hiding away in the freezer.

We cater for every taste, we have the turkey, a chinese chicken recipe which oh makes and everyone likes, salmon, roast veg, lots of salads, plum pudding, pavlova, fruit salad, we oldies sit down for dinner the younger generation graze. Its all pretty informal for everyone except me who is chief cook.

What we hope for is the weather we are having at the present time in Melbourne, low twenties.

A take on the traditional - did the salad and bbq thing last year and just not the same.

Breakfast

Homecooked ham with poached eggs

Lunch

Prawns and oysters

Turkey with chestnut stuffing and homemade bread sauce
(and probably a few bacon wrapped chipolates for the boys!!!)
Steamed peas,onions, asparagus and broad beans in a lemon vinegarette dressing (serve room temp)
small chopped potatoes roasted in the oven with garlic and rosemary

Homemade christmas pud with brandy butter or
christmas fruit compote with cinamon icecream

In actual fact just made the brandy butter, mincepies and sausage rolls (put in freezer uncooked)

Chicken Treat is open!

Thinking about cooking the 'beer' chicken on the barbie! You know the one where you cut the top off a tin of beer and shove it up the backside of a chicken and then cook slowly on the barbie!

Then the usual prawns, oysters....and whatever else I can think of...Oh and the Pav!

If it's gonna be a stinker I'm doing the seafood and salads thing and homemade trifle (with sherry, brandy or rum). What's the use in a non-alcoholic trifle...just doesn't taste the same.

Otherwise I'm doing an easy carve leg of pork (for a change), with roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes,and pumpkin. Fresh green beans and yellow squash (if I can find some) and gravy. Dessert: Trad xmas plum pudding with cream or custard.

seafood for us, $200 worth of prawns /bugs and a cray may be some marlin steaks........all done on the bbq ..........followed up with xmas pud ........mm

I'm working til 3.30pm on Christmas Day,out for a run then a nanna nap before ringing home to speak to the family.
Dinner looks like it may be beans on toast for me!
Will have a proper Christmas dinner after New Year when my mum arrives.

Probably not be much more for my family. Brother, SIL and family going to Fiji the next day, mum will probably still be in hospital. Christmas will be almost a non-event this year.

Full turkey and trimmings I do believe.

Could I beg for that home made chocolate mousse recipe PLEASE
sod my cough and what it'll do it my mouth is watering all over the keyboard just reading that !!!!