Hello Friends,
Over the last couple of years I’ve challenged myself to try new things with cooking and decorating for Christmas. Last year I made a Christmas cake for the first time ever and cooked a ham. I also made a garland for the mantelpiece in the playroom and a wreath for the front door.
This year I decided to add making home made ice cream and cinnamon buns to the list. The results have been variable.
I realised last weekend that although I’ve enjoyed the creative side of trying new recipes, I’ve ended up making life more complicated – not what my life on Frugal Hill is meant to be. Each new thing has been added to the list of things I MUST DO every Christmas.
I’ve also done far more running around after other people than was perhaps good for me (a 6 hour drive from Derbyshire to London and back finished me off for Christmas day).
One of my friends has the right idea – she cooks lasagne on Christmas day 🙂
My resolutions for next Christmas are as follows:
- Children returning from university catch the train home
- Children returning from abroad fly to Manchester if they want a lift, or travel home by train if they fly to London
- One meat option and one vegetarian option only will be provided for Christmas lunch and Boxing Day.
- One pudding option only for Christmas lunch + bought ice cream
- No cinnamon buns or home made ice cream – that was a big mistake
- Christmas cards will be posted / delivered by the end of the first week in December or not at all.
- I will no longer read round robin letters of more than 1 page – 8 pages in tiny type about people I’ve never heard of is of absolutely no interest to me and will go straight in the recycling.
- Everything must be bought online – no more grim Saturday afternoons in shopping malls.
Have you managed to simplify Christmas? How have you managed it?
Until next time, Tawney x
I have had a result already – both are returning by train to Cardiff and Heathrow respectively. Otherwise it would have been round trips on successive days which was not an appealing prospect.
I am going to print this off and show it to you in December to remind you of your resolutions!
I did very little cooking over Christmas. I stocked up on “help yourself” food – cheese, biscuits, ham, pork pie, etc and each night if the family didn’t fancy that for their tea then they had to make themselves something.
I have had the laziest Christmas ever!!
Sounds like a perfect plan. I too am thinking I will do less next Christmas, especially in the buying of presents department, as I always go a little overboard, starting in January and buying far too much by the time Christmas has come around. This year, I’m hoping for a more measured approach, that comes within budget!