Vegetables to peel, vegetables to roast, a bird to roast, stuffing to make, gravy, and then the Christmas pudding and mince pies that don't have meat in them.
Precision organisation is required. What a bore!
So, in the true spirit of Bah Humbug, I have decided to outsource the cooking and pre-preparation - not necessarily the healthiest of options as I cannot control what goes into what, but nevertheless an easier option and cheaper than going to a restaurant.
Funny how most restaurants tend to get the Uber disease at this time of the year. Rather like those $99.99 cherries in the supermarket.
Frozen roast potatoes and sweet potatoes. Who cares if they taste like cardboard?
Fresh parsnips that my helper calls white carrots, will need peeling and preparing. So be it.
Broccoli and carrots - these have to be fresh - frozen stuff is just mushy.
Stuffing - thank you Jamie Oliver.
Cranberry sauce - thank you Wilkin & Sons.
Turkey - no legs and wings, because no one eats then and I think the cats are quite fat enough this year. Roasted by the supermarket - thank you Cold Storage. All that will be needed is a whizz in the oven to warm it up on the day.
Gravy - easy, a few lightly sautéed shallots and some chicken stock.
No Christmas pudding as no one eats it apart from me, so maybe I shall make a rich chocolate cake tomorrow - not rich in the sense of having lots of money, but rich because it has copious amounts of dark chocolate melted in to it.
A sliver of smoked salmon, a morceau of pate de fois gras de canard, some cheeses and mini pizzas (thank you Waitrose, you allowed me to be lazy) for those who really do not want to eat turkey and vegetables.
Perhaps I may manage a lie in on Christmas Day?
Probably not.
BAH HUMBUG!
