Christmas lunch

[noelm]

I have probably posted this before, but, Christmas lunch is always at our place, it involves somewhere around 20-35 family (depending on who can come) my wife goes way over the top, Turkey, hot Ham, Pork, Chicken, 100 different baked vegetables, plus Peas, Beans, home made proper gravy, the whole box and dice. We have a big stove, two BBQs plus the Weber all going to cook everything. I setup tables and chairs, real plates and knives and forks (no paper/plastic) people come, swim, play games, eat, make a huge mess, then finally shove off........this year, I carried on like a spoilt kid, whinged and whined until my wife relented and we are having a cold lunch! Ham, Prawns, Crabs and chicken, plus every salad known to man! So far getting the crabs is a challenge, but I will get that sorted. Anyone else do an all singing all dancing Christmas lunch? Of course I spend hours cleaning up and putting away all the stuff that gets dragged out, dive gear, boogie boards, surfboards, pool toys, tables and chairs, bags of empty bottles and cans for the bin, Christmas.......bah humbug.

[Renegade460]

Been there done that, a stack of work for one day.

Now that there is only 5 of us we normally just go out for lunch somewhere. This year we will probably go out on the boat, find a beach and have a seafood spread and relax.

[noelm]

I suggested we all go somewhere, but that didn't go over too well.

[Little_Flatty]

22 minutes ago, noelm said:

I suggested we all go somewhere, but that didn't go over too well.

It's not the same...especially if you have a pool!

I'm guessing on top of what your wife plans, everybody brings a plate?

My extended family is large as well, making it very easy to over-cater...all you need to say is 'bring a plate'! It took about 10 years to adjust the food down to an appropriate level after we all grew up...the parents had to adjust their expectations now that we are no longer eating them out of the house! Although it's all starting over again now that all of our kids are getting older.

[noelm]

No, no one is allowed to bring anything, except their grog, but that's a sore point, one brother in law, and a nephew never bring one drink, because they are "not drinking today" until they have been here 15 minutes and the  it's "just one" a dozen beers later........they have not changed in decades! Christmas lunch at our place is a big deal, it's been that way for near on 40 years! My wife just ran the salad list by me, Garden salad (is there any other kind?) Coleslaw, Wombok salad, potato salad, and a Beetroot, Pear and rocket salad, that's when I started pouting and whinging again, why so many? Half of all of them will get eaten, that's it! OH well, off the get the crab traps sorted.......

[noelm]

13 minutes ago, Little_Flatty said:

It's not the same...especially if you have a pool!

I'm guessing on top of what your wife plans, everybody brings a plate?

My extended family is large as well, making it very easy to over-cater...all you need to say is 'bring a plate'! It took about 10 years to adjust the food down to an appropriate level after we all grew up...the parents had to adjust their expectations now that we are no longer eating them out of the house! Although it's all starting over again now that all of our kids are getting older.

Yep, we have a heated pool and the beach straight across the road, lots of room to play cricket and stuff, but.........

[Yowie]

53 minutes ago, noelm said:

I suggested we all go somewhere, but that didn't go over too well.

You were probably told WHERE to go.  

[Fab1]

We cook enough to feed Uruguay until the next World Cup mate and keep them drunk until then too.And even then we still have enough for all the loosing teams to take food home for a week.

  And I have 2 xmases one on the 24th and the 25th.

My mums birthday is the 24th and the Mils on New Year’s Day.Busy times with lots of eating to keep this stunning body of mine fit and strong to wind @Yowie’s fish in hand over fist into the boat.

 

[Fab1]

4 hours ago, noelm said:

Yep, we have a heated pool and the beach straight across the road, lots of room to play cricket and stuff, but.........

I picture volleyball..

[noelm]

Nah, we play cricket, it's always "trap" meaning you hit the ball and whoever gets it has a free shot at the stumps from where they got the ball to get the batsman out. We also hit golf balls into the water, and fight about who hit further! It's a long day, carting boards and stuff back from the beach and keeping an eye on the little ones, it's not too bad now, the youngest are 6 and can swim. Now and then I dig out a bait caster and have a casting competition, trying to land it in a bucket. All the while trying to help get everything ready, make sure all the eskies have ice, eat way too many lollies, chocolates and other odds and ends before lunch, then seriously over eat lunch and hope for a nanna nap, but that never happens. 

[Fab1]

12 minutes ago, noelm said:

Nah, we play cricket, it's always "trap" meaning you hit the ball and whoever gets it has a free shot at the stumps from where they got the ball to get the batsman out. We also hit golf balls into the water, and fight about who hit further! It's a long day, carting boards and stuff back from the beach and keeping an eye on the little ones, it's not too bad now, the youngest are 6 and can swim. Now and then I dig out a bait caster and have a casting competition, trying to land it in a bucket. All the while trying to help get everything ready, make sure all the eskies have ice, eat way too many lollies, chocolates and other odds and ends before lunch, then seriously over eat lunch and hope for a nanna nap, but that never happens. 

Golf balls into the water!!!!! I’d cry hitting my ones into the water due to their price!!!

[noelm]

Nah, I buy cheap ones, or get given old ones by golfing mates, we go across the road and hit them into the ocean. None of us are golfers, so most can be found at low tide, but, now and then, it all comes together and one just goes way out. I am pretty useless, and usually just dong them on the top and drive the tee into the ground, but it's great fun. Cash Converters usually have a plastic shopping bag of mixed balls for $10.

[noelm]

Jesus, the dessert options, Pavlova, Trifle, boiled Pudding, whipped cream, ice cream and fresh fruit salad, and possibly a cheesecake........once again, a bit of all of them will get eaten!

[Rebel]

Just remember there will be a lot of people not having Xmas at all,for various reasons.

Be grateful that we live in the greatest country in the world.

AUSTRALIA.

[big Neil]

Great post for this time of year Noel.

Your Christmas party sounds very much like mine used to be, when my wife was alive. Everybody came to us and we had tons of hot food and cold drinks. We played games and the usual people cheated in the usual way, but we all knew what was going on. We laughed about it, made sure the grandkids were spoiled and were knackered at days end.

Great times and great memories. But that's all they are now. My wife passed away 2.5 years back and the Christmases since have been vastly different. The family is no longer, and everyone is busy making their mark for their own families. Fair enough, that's the way the cookie crumbles. The days of yesteryear are gone and cannot be re-incarnated.

The point I would like to make is this... enjoy every moment of what you have today, for tomorrow is NOT guaranteed.

We live very fortunate lives, here in Australia... enjoy it while you can.

Cheers and Merry Christmas to all the Fishraiders and their families.

bn

[noelm]

We got our Ham today, and I have been dancing around, carrying on that we should cut it to "taste test" it, but, so far, no go......always get a Bertocci Ham, nice and moist, full of flavour, they are not the cheapest, but very good, a half leg is about $65-75 depending on the size. A cheap supermarket Ham is about $40-50 but usually dry and poor tasting by comparison. We used to get a Ham from a local guy that did his own, you order them in October, and he gets the leg, brines it and does the curing, then smokes them, but he has disappeared, don't know whether he moved or what.

[big Neil]

3 hours ago, noelm said:

Nah, we play cricket, it's always "trap" meaning you hit the ball and whoever gets it has a free shot at the stumps from where they got the ball to get the batsman out. We also hit golf balls into the water, and fight about who hit further! It's a long day, carting boards and stuff back from the beach and keeping an eye on the little ones, it's not too bad now, the youngest are 6 and can swim. Now and then I dig out a bait caster and have a casting competition, trying to land it in a bucket. All the while trying to help get everything ready, make sure all the eskies have ice, eat way too many lollies, chocolates and other odds and ends before lunch, then seriously over eat lunch and hope for a nanna nap, but that never happens. 

I like the idea of the baitcaster and bucket game Noel. I spent a lot of time this year keeping my eye in for when the Cod season becomes a reality (hopefully soon). bn

[Fab1]

1 hour ago, noelm said:

Nah, I buy cheap ones, or get given old ones by golfing mates, we go across the road and hit them into the ocean. None of us are golfers, so most can be found at low tide, but, now and then, it all comes together and one just goes way out. I am pretty useless, and usually just dong them on the top and drive the tee into the ground, but it's great fun. Cash Converters usually have a plastic shopping bag of mixed balls for $10.

I was going to say.This is what you pay for a dozen good eggs these days mate.

Everything is a rort in oz mate..

[noelm]

7 minutes ago, big Neil said:

I like the idea of the baitcaster and bucket game Noel. I spent a lot of time this year keeping my eye in for when the Cod season becomes a reality (hopefully soon). bn

Yeah it is good fun, I have an old ABU 2500C that we use and a small bean sinker, picking out the birds nests is not much fun though! but I have mono on it, so it's not too bad.

[noelm]

Just now, Fab1 said:

I was going to say.This is what you pay for a dozen good eggs these days mate.

Everything is a rort in oz mate..

Holy hell, I would cry to if I was hitting those in the water, I pay max 50c a ball, but usually get them cheaper or free.

[Fab1]

1 minute ago, noelm said:

Yeah it is good fun, I have an old ABU 2500C that we use and a small bean sinker, picking out the birds nests is not much fun though! but I have mono on it, so it's not too bad.

Any chance I can come around this Xmas but you pull out a spinning outfit to teach me how to catch that bloody @Yowie’s fish?I promise to help clean up.😂😂

[Fab1]

19 minutes ago, big Neil said:

Great post for this time of year Noel.

Your Christmas party sounds very much like mine used to be, when my wife was alive. Everybody came to us and we had tons of hot food and cold drinks. We played games and the usual people cheated in the usual way, but we all knew what was going on. We laughed about it, made sure the grandkids were spoiled and were knackered at days end.

Great times and great memories. But that's all they are now. My wife passed away 2.5 years back and the Christmases since have been vastly different. The family is no longer, and everyone is busy making their mark for their own families. Fair enough, that's the way the cookie crumbles. The days of yesteryear are gone and cannot be re-incarnated.

The point I would like to make is this... enjoy every moment of what you have today, for tomorrow is NOT guaranteed.

We live very fortunate lives, here in Australia... enjoy it while you can.

Cheers and Merry Christmas to all the Fishraiders and their families.

bn

Time waits for non of us mate.I lost my dad in 95, sister in 2002 and brother in 2014.Since 95 xmases have never been the same.

 

 

  

[JustJames]

27 minutes ago, big Neil said:

Great post for this time of year Noel.

....

And a great poster's NAME for this time of year too!

[noelm]

30 minutes ago, big Neil said:

Great post for this time of year Noel.

Your Christmas party sounds very much like mine used to be, when my wife was alive. Everybody came to us and we had tons of hot food and cold drinks. We played games and the usual people cheated in the usual way, but we all knew what was going on. We laughed about it, made sure the grandkids were spoiled and were knackered at days end.

Great times and great memories. But that's all they are now. My wife passed away 2.5 years back and the Christmases since have been vastly different. The family is no longer, and everyone is busy making their mark for their own families. Fair enough, that's the way the cookie crumbles. The days of yesteryear are gone and cannot be re-incarnated.

The point I would like to make is this... enjoy every moment of what you have today, for tomorrow is NOT guaranteed.

We live very fortunate lives, here in Australia... enjoy it while you can.

Cheers and Merry Christmas to all the Fishraiders and their families.

bn

I went a bit misty eyed reading that! Maybe you will have to come down one year and get into our family fights and cheating at sports.....

[Fab1]

10 minutes ago, noelm said:

Holy hell, I would cry to if I was hitting those in the water, I pay max 50c a ball, but usually get them cheaper or free.

I wouldn’t hit them or lose them very often but when I did I’d have a moments silence.I’m currently a bit rusty and play with balls around the $30-$50 mark a dozen(Not the same) but I don’t waste the minute of silence when I do whack one into the water.You can spend a fortune playing golf or play it quite cheaply.