Are you worried about hosting a Christmas dinner this year? 🥕🥔🥘

[Aribah-NRAS]

Read our '6 tips on hosting a Christmas dinner if you have RA' blog post. nras.org.uk/6-tips-on-hosti...

[sylvi]

No i have my Bob who cooks now, He took over the cooking when he retired as he said i am not safe with tthe way my hands are. He has plenty of help in the kitchen as well as our son and our friend Celestine will be in there helping. xxxx

[Mmrr in reply to sylvi]

I'm with you sylvi. Cooking for others is a no, no. We need to be realistic, I want to enjoy my Christmas too, putting myself at the risk of a flare is not the way to go.

[Mmrr in reply to sylvi]

If I'm honest I am taking starters to my daughter's for Christmas, and it isn't soup 😂😊😉. I'm taking hot and cold smoked salmon which I've ordered from a wee family run smokehouse on the shores of Loch Torridon in the North of Scotland. Our favourite area.

My partner will throw (literally) a salad together and my son is making homemade lemon mayonnaise to serve with it.

I'll put the salmon on a serving plate.

Job done. A wee treat for us all.

[Mmrr]

I don't do any big cooking events. It just isn't worth the downturn in my health. People are welcome to visit me and have a good coffee made in my coffee machine or a bowl of fresh homemade soup, made in my soup maker.

Any further expectations are firmly squashed before they fully raise their head.

My advice : say no, I'm not well enough to cook Christmas dinner, it would most likely cause a flare. But I could bring delicious homemade soup as a starter if you host and cook the main dinner ?

[HappykindaGal]

nope! Deliveroo is my friend 😂

[Mmrr in reply to HappykindaGal]

I'm delighted to see that are a few of us confident enough to say, no, to the expectations of others..... in good health... that we should cook Christmas dinner for them, whilst we are struggling with health issues.

[HappykindaGal in reply to Mmrr]

I used to love being the 'hostess with the mostest'. I'm a pretty good cook too. It's taken me a long time to say no. Not today thank you! It's liberating

[Mmrr in reply to HappykindaGal]

Same here. I used to host a pretty good dinner party years ago. But times change.

[nomoreheels]

My h cooks & I wash up what doesn’t go in the dishwasher. To save faffing about with traditional Christmas dinner (& because I prefer it to turkey or goose!) we have a half fillet of beef. It only takes half an hour in the oven & all the veg & Yorkshire’s are done in the oven as well so it’s less work for him too. It works for us & I think that’s the thing... do what’s best for you to be able to enjoy the day & not spoil it by making it hard work.

[Mmrr in reply to nomoreheels]

Absolutely. No one person should be left organising, shopping, cooking ....and tidying up Christmas dinner, whilst others make little or no contribution. The day is for everyone to enjoy.

[Hidden]

Taking my dad and his wife out to lunch today (+ dog) and then going for a walk in the park. No cooking, no washing up, will get picked up and dropped off; and will have a relaxed Christmas Day as I won’t have to see them 😂.

I sound terrible, but pjs, chocolate, baileys & films is my kind of Christmas!

I have other people round separately (one family at a time) and just do a table buffet. The only cooking involves putting pizzas and pigs in blankets in the oven. Add crisps, chocolate, salad and dips. Done. 🎉

[Mmrr in reply to Hidden]

It sounds wonderful enjoy and no huge expectations that one person will do everything, as often happens.

[Hidden in reply to Mmrr]

Having a fragmented family helps 🤣

[medway-lady]

Nope not my turn to cook. So its dress up and go to church then lunch at son and DIL's.