We had chicken this year for our Christmas dinner - we used to have turkey (a Bronze free range one which used to cost a fortune) and none of us really like it that much, so last year and this year we went for chicken instead - after all, what's the point in cooking a dinner which no one is actually that keen on?! This year we had a lovely 2.5kg free range, corn fed chicken (bought yellow stickered in a supermarket and put in the freezer) and it was gorgeous!. We also had pan fried sprouts with pancetta, spring greens, carrots, cauliflower cheese, peas, sweetcorn, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, sausagemeat stuffing balls, Yorkshire puddings and pigs in blankets - oh, and bread sauce and red cabbage (the last two made beforehand from Delia's recipes and frozen) Pudding was a few hours later after that lot! - adults had pears poached in red wine and orange juice with mixed spice, served with whipped double cream and the children had ice cream - only I like traditional Christmas pudding - but the pears were a lovely festive dessert, and much lighter than a rich pudding! :)
Onto leftovers - we only ate most of one breast and a leg of the chicken for the day itself. I just put the carcass in a large tub on the day in the fridge and dealt with them the next day - when I stripped the carcass and made stock, fishing out all the tiny crumbs of chicken from the stock afterwards. I took the remaining breast off in one piece, together with the other leg and some other large pieces of meat.
We went to the panto on Boxing Day - it was good fun, especially watching our four year old belly chuckling at a lot of it! We had an easy dinner that night - DH had another Christmas dinner with leftovers (just fresh greens cooked), I had bubble and squeak made with bits of all leftovers, DS had pasta with the crispy bacon from the top of the chicken added to the sauce and the others just had sandwiches/ jacket potatoes.
Most of the veggie leftovers then went into more bubble and squeak yesterday, leaving about one portion's worth to be had as a side with something later. Chicken crumbs from the stock were used in a creamy basil pasta sauce. That means our Christmas leftovers today are that last bit of bubble and squeak, more chicken breast and leg which I'm just about to freeze in the remaining gravy) and two part tubs of ice cream in the freezer. Oh, and two portions of stock for the freezer. I'm pleased with that! We have a lot of uncooked carrots left - but these will be eaten by our guinea pigs and also snacked on raw and a few used in carrot muffins and carrot and lentil soup (which will use up one tub of stock)
We also have LOTS of biscuits and chocolates (there are 6 of us) Ones which people aren't keen on will be used up in fridge cake - a sort of rocky road. I love fridge cake and flapjacks - not to eat, but as 'vehicles' for using up a bit of this, a bit of that, a couple of those and a spoonful of these - it's never the same recipe twice, but it keeps our wastage right down! Most other biscuits and chocs will be consumed as snacks and desserts - and we did get through quite a few at the panto, rather than buying sweet treats there!
We are going to the shops today - some food shopping - Sainsburys sent me £14 off a £60 shop - that's almost 25% - and I have a £2.50 brand match coupon for there, too. I don't need that much fresh food, but I can stock up on some stock cupboard items to make the most of it. I shall aim to spend as close to £60 as I can :) We also need to go into town - a pair of PJs DS3 got have some poor stitching in that the seam goes across the body - rendering them unwearable! DH also had some socks which were too big (from Sainsburys, though - so we can do that at the same time as the food shopping) and DS3 received a jumper which he doesn't like very much - and we were given the gift receipt, so I'd like to swap it for another jumper which he'll actually wear! We don't need much else, but DD has some vouchers which she is itching to spend (Waterstones and WHSmiths) on books and I'd also like to bank some cash.
I received a couple of gifts which I may re-gift later in the year - some chocolates - we could eat them, but I really don't need the calories and there is already so much extra chocolate in the house! I also got a beautiful candle which doesn't match any colourscheme in the house, sadly, so I will probably regift that, too. Small cracker gifts not snaffled by our small children have been put aside for the shoebox appeal and DD has had a sort out of some things in her room and these have been put aside for selling at a nearly new sale later in the year (she'll get the money). DS1 received several new tops, so I will get him to sort out some from his wardrobe in return, as there are a few which are too small, really. If they're nice enough I'll save them for DS2, otherwise I'll sell them at cash for clothes. I used to donate it all to charity, but DH has been out of work for 7 months now and my priority is my house at this moment in time. I still donate some items, just not as much. :( However, I 'donate' hours of my time each week to volunteering, so I still do my bit!
It's currently only myself, DD and DS3 awake, so I think I need to change this, seeing as it's gone 9.30am and we have things to do! :)
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