Mum and I had our annual planning day yesterday and we came up with a plan for 2024.
Mum and I have been sharing the baking and meal prep for the last 20 years or so. It makes buying the groceries and the prep a lot easier and a lot more fun. For example for Christmas dinner, I buy the Turkey, she buys the ham. I do the pasta salad, she does the potato salad, I do one dessert and she does the other. Anything that is to be used at Mum's is stored at her house. She has a cupboard specifically for Christmas/Holiday foods. Anything that I am storing here goes on the very top shelf of a cupboard in my laundry.
We will be paring down things again this year, we find we are just not needing as much as we have done in previous years. There is typically just 4 of us so we are all for making the day a fabulous one but also by making it as easy as possible. We have discussed changing the menu and we all decided that we are perfectly happy with what we offer but will cut back a little on the amount. We generally use any leftovers for Boxing Day and then the following day so get 2 or 3 meals out of what we make.
Baking:
Condensed milk (X)
Milk arrowroot biscuits (X)
Coconut (X)
Cocoa (X)
Cooking chocolate (X) Stored in freezer
Choc chip cookies to crush for fudge (X)
Choc chips for fudge (X)
Condensed milk for fudge (X)
Candy canes (X) Leftover from last year. To be crushed for chocolate bark.
M&M's (X) and gummy bears (X) for chocolate bark.
Sprinkles (X) Still have plenty after Christmas '23
Freckles (X)
Butter (X) Stored in freezer
Cooking margarine (X) Stored in freezer
Fruit mince mix (X)
SR flour (X)
Plain flour (X)
White sugar (X)
For meals:
Turkey breast (X)
Bake at home bread rolls (/)
Tinned corn (X)
Tinned pineapple pieces (X)
Tinned beetroot (X)
Dried pasta (X)
Ranch dressing (X)
Bacon (X)
Eggs (/)
Jelly crystals (X)
Cheese cake mix (X)
Long life custard (X)
Drinks:
Sparkling Apple juice (X)
Ginger Ale (X)
Lemonade (Sprite)(X)
Juice for punch (X)
Coke/Coke no sugar (X)(X)
Extended Family Dinner:
We have decided on Sunday 10th November for our extended family dinner. We like to have it early to free up time later in the season.
I will be doing fresh fruit. Watermelon, strawberries and blueberries.
I will also be providing rotisserie chicken and salad. Others attending will contribute.
Christmas Eve Dinner:
Apple cider x 2 (X)
Dh would like steak sandwiches and onion rings (X) Milkshakes ( )
Christmas Eve Basket:
Block of chocolate (X)
Savory crackers (BBQ Shapes) (X)
Savory snacks Cheezels etc (X)
Popcorn (X)
Little bottles of drink (X)(X)
Mixed lollies(X)malteasers (X)pods (X)
Christmas Day Breakfast:
Coco pops (X) Honeynut cornflakes (X)Froot Loops (X)
Apple juice (X) Tropical juice (X)
Tea and coffee (X)
Ham, cheese and tomato croissants (in freezer) (X)
Waffles (X) Mum will make these for me.
Mixed berries (X)
Crushed pineapple (X)
Maple syrup (X)
Vanilla yoghurt (X)
New Year's Eve:
Non alcoholic cider (X)
Soft drinks (X)
Fortune Cookies (X)
Frozen cheesecake/lemon meringue pies (X)(X)
Chips/Cheezels/Shapes etc (X)
Mixed lollies (X)
Mum and I have been sharing the baking and meal prep for the last 20 years or so. It makes buying the groceries and the prep a lot easier and a lot more fun. For example for Christmas dinner, I buy the Turkey, she buys the ham. I do the pasta salad, she does the potato salad, I do one dessert and she does the other. Anything that is to be used at Mum's is stored at her house. She has a cupboard specifically for Christmas/Holiday foods. Anything that I am storing here goes on the very top shelf of a cupboard in my laundry.
We will be paring down things again this year, we find we are just not needing as much as we have done in previous years. There is typically just 4 of us so we are all for making the day a fabulous one but also by making it as easy as possible. We have discussed changing the menu and we all decided that we are perfectly happy with what we offer but will cut back a little on the amount. We generally use any leftovers for Boxing Day and then the following day so get 2 or 3 meals out of what we make.
Baking:
Condensed milk (X)
Milk arrowroot biscuits (X)
Coconut (X)
Cocoa (X)
Cooking chocolate (X) Stored in freezer
Choc chip cookies to crush for fudge (X)
Choc chips for fudge (X)
Condensed milk for fudge (X)
Candy canes (X) Leftover from last year. To be crushed for chocolate bark.
M&M's (X) and gummy bears (X) for chocolate bark.
Sprinkles (X) Still have plenty after Christmas '23
Freckles (X)
Butter (X) Stored in freezer
Cooking margarine (X) Stored in freezer
Fruit mince mix (X)
SR flour (X)
Plain flour (X)
White sugar (X)
For meals:
Turkey breast (X)
Bake at home bread rolls (/)
Tinned corn (X)
Tinned pineapple pieces (X)
Tinned beetroot (X)
Dried pasta (X)
Ranch dressing (X)
Bacon (X)
Eggs (/)
Jelly crystals (X)
Cheese cake mix (X)
Long life custard (X)
Drinks:
Sparkling Apple juice (X)
Ginger Ale (X)
Lemonade (Sprite)(X)
Juice for punch (X)
Coke/Coke no sugar (X)(X)
Extended Family Dinner:
We have decided on Sunday 10th November for our extended family dinner. We like to have it early to free up time later in the season.
I will be doing fresh fruit. Watermelon, strawberries and blueberries.
I will also be providing rotisserie chicken and salad. Others attending will contribute.
Christmas Eve Dinner:
Apple cider x 2 (X)
Dh would like steak sandwiches and onion rings (X) Milkshakes ( )
Christmas Eve Basket:
Block of chocolate (X)
Savory crackers (BBQ Shapes) (X)
Savory snacks Cheezels etc (X)
Popcorn (X)
Little bottles of drink (X)(X)
Mixed lollies(X)malteasers (X)pods (X)
Christmas Day Breakfast:
Coco pops (X) Honeynut cornflakes (X)Froot Loops (X)
Apple juice (X) Tropical juice (X)
Tea and coffee (X)
Ham, cheese and tomato croissants (in freezer) (X)
Waffles (X) Mum will make these for me.
Mixed berries (X)
Crushed pineapple (X)
Maple syrup (X)
Vanilla yoghurt (X)
New Year's Eve:
Non alcoholic cider (X)
Soft drinks (X)
Fortune Cookies (X)
Frozen cheesecake/lemon meringue pies (X)(X)
Chips/Cheezels/Shapes etc (X)
Mixed lollies (X)
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