I have every Christmas, wanted to get away from an English Christmas.
Pudding cake all the trimmings, pork ham, roast chicken, gee how I hate it.
My heaven, my wonderful Christmas would be a salad with a beer, maybe the sausage on the Bar B Q but it will never be.
Tradition binds me, the eldest it is my job, yes I am fair dinkum.
If I have my dream Christmas I have it alone.
Got away with easy cooking, chooks in the bag and no one knew they got micro waved.
pork looked good out of the turbo oven, but why?
One in my family true, thinks the baked dinner has something to do with worshiping God, other think it is not Christmas without it.
Tell me good news about real enjoyment and real Aussie tucker.

Belly,
I think the answer would be "what didn't I eat"

We had
- types of cold beer
- wine
- soft drinks
- ham, turkey (cold)
- two different types of potatoes (sweet taro, and two type of ordinary)
- 4 types of cheese
- dry bickies
- 3 types of pate
- 3 types of spread
- 2 cabana
- 3or 4 types of dry pretzel munchies.
- cake
- pudding and ice cream (honey comb)
- Did I mention beer
- 2 types cold slaw
- 2 types of salad
- chocies and jelly lollies, individually wrapped nuts,incl peanuts. (eldest son's idea of a joke)
- two small shihtzu running a-muck
- Three women a disapproving wife , SIL , my mum
- me, two sons and a daughter having a whale of a time mischief and did I for get a beer or two.

- we had three women a chating, Two children a flaking, son a performing, me listening and a laughing.(pickies of flaked, on their face books (he he he))
- two dogs a mooching
A great day was had by all
To day......2 panadols a swallowing and a beroca a drinking all around. Did I mention the odd hangover a throbbing?

GUESS WHAT I'll be having for lunches this week .....leftovers a plenty.

It seems examinator you had the Christmas I wish to avoid.
But had too.
Why?
In my case family loyalty holds me to an English winter style holiday.
I love hearing of Aussie innovation, a gum tree Christmas, Bar b q or even cold meats and salad.
Surely one day we will evolve and develop our own Christmas.
At this time of year, while not being a believer, I am aware why Christians celebrate the season, refrain from giving an opinion.
But my story of the many Christmases I did not want to have, is true.
My problem was a very much full on Christian, who insists the British style food is a celebration of Christ.
Gluttony, is celebrated in his home every day of the year.

Hi Belly - at our place we haven't done the traditional Christmas dinner for years. This year we went for prawns, cold ham and lots of fruit and salads - not to mention various forms of chocolate and the obligatory fruitcake. Oh, and much beer and wine.

Since we didn't have the kids or grandkids with us this year, we just kind of grazed, guzzled and snoozed all day - after which we watched the DVD somebody gave us of Baz Luhrman's atrocious 'Australia' movie, which was a very good way of putting us to sleep.

Mind you, I love the old-fashioned Christmas roast - in these parts we do that in July when it's cold and occasionally snowy, with absolutely no religious connotations!

Belly,
There was no hot food, it was all cold including the beer or two. The idea of BBQ on a hot day that rained? Nah.
All that cooking, all that cleaning....yuk
I don't see it as tied to English style,just a general pig out. 'Chook', my wife rules, the roost, she loves to put on a feast, and will do so at the drop of a hat. Besides which BBQ's tend to become a production with hot meat, anyway,(with blowies).

The Mum and sister in Law are the Crazy Christians One a nun the other a fundy. The rest aren't we celebrate Bacchus principles rather than Christian.

30 years of marriage has taught me '*don't interfere with the running of the house, or else*'. We, the rest, just let it roll and amuse ourselves, aside from doing what we're told. We did the park thing BBQ years, ago she just moved the venue. The restaurant, she waited untill we got home then jumped into the nibblies etc ...and complained over the bill. Over the top.....definitely.. but she's happiest this way. As she puts it she feels most content this way because its *her* brood. (hence, one of the reasons for the 'chook' nick name)

belly,
At our place, we have a sea food Xmas Eve, beginning about 4.00pm with canapes and then preparing each of numberous courses, as we go, untill we hit the sack about 10.00pm.

Xmas dinner is traditional, not for religion, but because we love roasts and have many during the year. We love roast veges and thick gravy on the meat. It is also an easy way to cater for a lot as you just throw it in the oven and put the veges in about a hour before the meat is due to be done. We can socialise with our guests while it is cooking. We generally forgo the pudding and have fruit salad and cream. Sweets and nuts available all day.

That evening we pick at leftovers and the same on boxing day. Fried roast veges and ham make a beautifull breakfast. Ham and turkey salads go down well for other meals.

We usually get enough bar-b-ques at community events and fund raisers during the year. Am told that even our local Maccas was closed Xmas day and that is good.

Even when the polys do their damnest to ruin this country, we still do pretty good. Tough life!

We had a cold smorgasbord, with ham & chicken salad & potato salad, with local avocado, tomatos, watermelan, lettice, & heaps of prawns, from the prawn farm, down the road. Nothing like prawns that have never seen a freezer.

Followed by pavlova, but a strange one with no fruit, but a peanut flavour, with choclate, cream, & a few strawberies, concocted by my daughter. No one could stop eating it.

Cake, & cider was, as usual, a bit too much, requiring a lazy afternoon by the pool.

What more could you ask.

Dear Belly,

As I've mentioned in my earlier posts - we start
our Christmas celebrations on Christmas Eve -
with my having cooked for several days before
hand. The entire family - gathered at our place.
Including both mothers - one in her nineties,
the other in her eighties.

The traditional dishes were served for
the Christmas Eve meal, beginning with the
recitation of Grace and the breaking of a special
unleavened wafer, called "Plotkele." This wafer, blesed
by the Lithuanian Parish priest, is shared by all at the
table, signifying a spirit of unity. It's a lovely
tradition - and is shared by Lithianian families on
Christmas Eve - all over the world.

The dishes we had (served cold) were seafood
- and ours consisted of platters
of cooked King prawns, smoked trout, salmon, baked stuffed fish, marinated herring, Russian salad, mushroom dumplings,
Christmas Biscuits with Poppy Seed milk, Christmas Bread,
Fruit Compote, Rye Bread and so on. Of course there's wine,
beer, fruit juices, iced water, dessert wines, port, tea,
coffee, Christmas Fruit Bombe, and a cheese platter.

Christmas Day Lunch - again at our place -
was the traditional hot Christmas Lunch consisting
of roast turkey, lemon and parsley stuffing, glazed ham
with Cumberland Sauce, Christmas vegies of baby beans with
almonds, brussel sprouts with chestnuts, candied yams, roast
potatoes, a garden salad, a Christmas log for dessert and a
traditional Christmas Cake. Again, wine, beer,
iced water, fruit juices, and fortified wines & port to drink.

It was a lovely family time - and everyone, especially the
elderly mums - enjoyed themselves.
I'll keep on doing this for as long as I'm able as I
feel that bringing the family together in such a
positive way is important. Besides, it's only for such
a short time and it would be a pity to break with traiditon.

Mind you I slept like a log on Boxing Day!

Mmmm .. all sounds very yummy to me ..

We eat Indo 90% of the time but, aah, variety is the spice of life methinks so .. we decided to have a very much Aussie style menu .. all the Holy Days here have a special food to additionally distinguish them so here again ..

We had the Bali Hindus over for Breaky .. crispy back bacon, german bangers, scrambled eggs with our own organic dill mmmm, toast and butter, local fruit salad, apricot yoghurt, organic bali kopi and juices.

..

We slothed mostly mid day ..

..

For dinner, we put on a party for the whole mob - Bali Hindus, Jawa Muslims, Ferral Aussies, Mad Morrocans and us.

Fresh garden salad with thousand island, potato salad with egg and more dill, juices and icees from the left over fruit salad,

AND

the barbi *Belly* .. mmm .. some serious Jappo Santori beef steaks
(extra dry for those of the Islamis persuasion, extra bloody for me)

and we had some left over curry beef madras which we shishkebabbed with red "bombay" onion, tomato and capsicum on the barbi
(which went down a treat) and more german snags, a crate of the amber fluid and a good time was had by all.

Oh, and n.american style barbi sauce and I did a hot sour fish sauce Thai sambal which always goes down a treat with all the Indos for those who like a bit of "woop, woop" with their meat.

Foxy CJM and hasbeen had as close to my dream as anyone could,no rain here examinator, but that night till now you bet.
I sat 37 down at mums last Christmas ten number 20 chooks in two days.
Kids seem to be content with far less than our traditions say.
I planned for sea food and salads cold meats all year, but trudged home weeks ago, under pressure to be traditional.
All the trimmings and enough left in freezer to do it again when other relos arrive after new year.
Not tight, would gladly spend twice that, for a mud crab each, prawns ousters and a few cold beers, well got the beer Bundy and wine at least.

Great idea OLOer *
It's been decided, next Christmas day we all go to Foxy's for lunch....Her's sounds the best! I'm sure she wouldn't notice a few extra freeloaders?

If GY gives us the address, he can come too.

P.S. Belly, I told you it was a good idea to post this topic, to find out who put would be the best host for next years first OLOer Christmas lunch.

:-) he he he he (evil laugh)

Not funny Foxy ? :-( (Ok the naughty corner, hand on head too?)

Banjo: << Even when the polys do their damnest to ruin this country, we still do pretty good. Tough life! >>

Quite so. It makes me wonder why you whinge so much about people who are doing it much, much tougher than you ever have.

examinator what a great idea.
Now back to reality.
Some of the Branch's of my family tree have been growing in other directions for some time, it happens.
This year lines of communication opened, many calls and promises on the day.
It was not my idea but it grows in others how can I aviod it?
And an idea, firming into a plan, a reunion, my my place.
Yes you got that right ,could be 50, and traditional for sure.
So keeping in mind both my weight and wishes my plan will include sea food platter for one, me, a nice quite room to take that nap after lunch, well drinks

Belly,
You catered for 37? Me never. Big job, no wonder you want change.

Don't know how you do traditional and keep it hot, domestic cooking appliances can't handle that amount.

If that many involved, you definately better off with barbie where the blokes can yarn and do the cooking, with a few beers. Others can bring cold seafood and salads for smorgasboard.

Kids really do not care about tradition anyway, so give them slices of watermelon for sweets and they will enjoy making a mess.

The social aspect is the most important, so put your foot down next year and if some insist on traditional, let them do it.

CJM,
I don't whinge, but am not about letting others take advantage of all the effort and hardship we and our forebears put it to get where we are. They don't even ask, just impose themselves on us and expect us to conceed and we give them a free ride. Many come from countries that are rich in oil and minerals if they just got off their bums and worked at it. This country, and myself, have done well but it is not luck, it is the effort put in. I am generous to a fault, but strong enough to resist being told what I should do.

Our polys are the biggest worry though, trying to trash the country deliberately, in my opinion. The ETS tax is designed to bring us down, not to mention raising the population to 35 million. That stupid Fraser wanted 50 million. You gotta watch them at all times.

Good Morning Everyone,

Thank You so much for sharing your experiences
of your Christmas Celebrations and for your
lovely words regarding mine.

As Banjo pointed out - it's family getting together
that matters. And Dear Belly, you're to be Congratulated
for continuing to cater to so many. Bravo! That's a
lot of work!

Dear Examinator, no naughty corner for you - just
a permanent place in my heart. :-)

Merry Christmas to all!
I have been away in Brisbane for the past week visiting my father and the wicked stepmother!
She wouldn't let me go on the computer to check olo in case I went over her allowance! I said I would pay her some money- but no way.
And a very merry Christmas to her too!

My husband comes from Ireland, so has always wanted a hot Christmas lunch, with plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week. I went along with it because my family always had either duck or turkey roast dinners for Christmas ever since I can remember.

I always enjoy it because it is something we only have for one day a year, so it is special. We have prawns and barbeques every other day during summer, so it wouldn't be Christmas without turkey!

Luckily, we have a weber kettle barbeque outside wherein we cook the christmas lunch. No hot house at all. We just add salads and trifle or pavlova, and our day is complete!

Banjo the 37 was a fair while ago, it is done by every one bringing something to cook in, this year it was turbo ovens.
suzeonline we all have relos like that, unbearable but we have to put up with it.
Strangest thing about it is they do not play by the same rules?
Why do we make that extra effort they will not?
Because I hope we are better than that.
I am heartened by evidence not every one needs old English traditions to enjoy this time of year.
Do not get me wrong, a roast can be great but such a massive one without any way out is annoying me.
New year will be sea food salads and beer.

We ate simply this year

Christmas day breakfast of waffles and fruit, with one on my daughters and then we were off to the Great Ocean Road

Actually we ended up at the Lorne Hotel, she having rib eye steak and me a succulent piece of skippy along with a quiet drink as we savoured the peace and tranquility of dusk on a balmy evening.

Boxing day we did a road trip to Port Campbell and back with the lid down… and me ending up with a face which matches the red of our SLK230. We again ate light stuff… working within the limits of our diets, fresh roast chook, salads and a home-made apple and rhubarb crumble, picked up at a market in Apollo Bay.

It was a different Christmas but a good Christmas –

And I trust everyone else had as an enjoyable one as we

I had a great Xmas Day. I did absolutely nothing except clean out the grease trap which is an annual chore every Christmas Day, I read a bit and slept a bit, swam a bit and went to bed early.

Snake - the grease trap chore sounds more appropriate as a NY Eve sorta job. Anyway the rest of your day sounds lovely.

We didn't eat much Christmas Day. Just didn't feel like it. Maybe it's because on Christmas Eve I got tiddly on a couple of (big) glasses of pink champers and ate pretzels. So Christmas Day I just had coffee and a plate of home made tidbits given by a friend who cooks. The boys ate more substantially but still casually.

On subsequent days we had the left over cold turkey, potato and Greek salads and lots of lovely stone fruit.

The Christmas cake, ice cream and trimmings still await.