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Tip Store: Christmas: Christmas Dinner
Christmas Food Prep
Make your finger foods a day or two before Christmas and store them in the fridge or freezer; you can heat them up if needed before serving. It'll save you a lot of time on Xmas morning.
Contributed by Ashly Walsh
Contributed by Ashly Walsh
Quick Turkey Dinner
Short on money, and they want turkey for Christmas dinner? At Safeway supermarket they have turkey chops for $6.99 a kilo. Buy a kilo and make some seasoning (stuffing) - buy a packet of ready-made or make it. Place stuffing between chops (like a long sausage) and tie up with some strong cotton. Roast - there is a cheap turkey dinner.
- Contributed by Kitrina, Ararat
- Contributed by Kitrina, Ararat
Cheap Table Decoration
To make a beautiful table decoration, which can be adjusted to complement different themes, make an ice bowl with flowers frozen in it (or anything you think will look good). Get 2 bowls of same shape 1 smaller than other with approx 10-15mm space between the two. Arrange flowers, leaves, herb sprigs or citrus slices, maybe lollies etc , around the inside of larger bowl and place smaller bowl inside. Tape the two bowls together so they are flush and will not move apart. Gently pour cooled boiled water into the gap between the bowls to about 1cm from the top, (cooled boiled water gives a clearer more sparkling ice bowl). Add some more flowers or other decorations, if needed, arranging them with a skewer. Freeze overnight. Next day, remove the bowls from freezer and stand at room temperature on a plate or tea towel for 10-20 mins, or until they separate easily. There you have it, a beautiful ice bowl. Return this to freezer until needed.
- Contributed by Barbara, Forster
- Contributed by Barbara, Forster
Budget for Christmas by Making a List
I budget for Christmas by making a list of the foods I will need for Christmas Day including what is needed to make any foods on the day, ie turkey, ham, lollies, chips, tins of food and other non perishables etc and each week for about 12 weeks leading up to Christmas I buy one or two items from the list (depending on how expensive they are) when I do my weekly shopping and I put them away in a box in the pantry out of sight of our four children. It is much easier to find an extra couple of dollars each week with the regular shopping rather than go out and do one whole shop closer to Christmas for everything. It is always a great surprise to open the box at Christmas and see how much we have put in it.
- Contributed by Kelli-Jo, Clovelly Park
- Contributed by Kelli-Jo, Clovelly Park
On a Strict Budget
It depends on how 'proud' you are. Work out your menu and then cost it. If it comes to more than your budget ring your family, explain the situation and ask them to bring some of the 'luxury' items, anything you don't need to prepare in advance. I don't think its unreasonable to ask them to contribute to the festivities as you will be doing most of the planning and preparation work.
- Contributed by Jo, Isseka
- Contributed by Jo, Isseka
Keep it Simple!!
Don't spend hours in the kitchen preparing a big roast, which heats up the kitchen and uses loads of electricity!!! Cold meats are most acceptable. A slice of roast turkey, ham and pork each (maybe two for the big guys) from the deli and lots of vegies. Buy one 500gm bag each of generic brand beans, peas and corn kernels. A pumpkin, bag of potatoes, bag of carrots, a head of broccoli and a head of cauliflower from your local greengrocer. Dessert - nothing wrong with a yummy dark fruit cake with homemade brandy custard (you can buy brandy essence at the supermarket) and whipped cream - all generic of course!! For treats and bon bon fillers our Salvo Family Stores sell big bags of packaged up toys for between $2 and $5. Make your own. A few bags of, you guessed it, generic chips and lollies, some crusty bread and dip (cream cheese and sweet chilli sauce, cheap and yummy!!) However don't skimp on the gravy. Buy a good quality brand that you know tastes great. Ask your guests to bring drinks - suggest generic brand (or Aldi) flavoured mineral waters and two or three bottles of wine (Butterfly Ridge are about$4.99-$5.99 a bottle and are great tasting and great value!!) I hope this helps!
- Contributed by Bronwyn, Bannockburn
- Contributed by Bronwyn, Bannockburn
Traditional Alternative
A nice cheap dish is a cooked chicken pulled apart and a jar of Kantong sweet and sour with plum sauce served with rice. I also buy the small champagne hams for around $10 - $14 at any supermarket. There is a lot of ham on them and serves a lot of people. Pasta salad is also nice and it is cheap and to dress it up if your family like seafood just add some crabsticks cut up small to it and celery and a small tin of prawns or salmon mixed in with it. Make your own coleslaw that way it makes a fair amount and use the cheap brand mayonnaises to mix in all your salads. Make some meatballs, but if having a barbeque my husband makes his own rissoles and we just have sausages with that and the rissoles are always the first to go every time. Make your own chocolates in moulds or travel to Metford near East Maitland to Prydes lolly factory and buy their lollies and chocolates, they quite often have lolly seconds and I mix them in with other lollies. They have quite a wide variety. Also their own Christmas mix for $6.90 per kilo. It is worth having a look. Any alcohol I get my visitors to bring with them, that way they are drinking what they like and can bring their own spirits, and it is so much cheaper, people don't mind taking their own and it seems to be the accepted way at parties now. Potato bake is also another good thing. Slice potatoes thinly and par cook, drain and put into casserole dish and make up a French onion dip and add some milk to it. Don't add too much or it will make potato too runny and it won't set, pour over potato in dish and add grated cheese on top and bake in oven for around 15 - 20 mins till cheese browns.
- Contributed by Jill, The Entrance North
- Contributed by Jill, The Entrance North
Don't Over-Cater
Try not to over-cater to avoid spending any more than you have to. I hosted Christmas last year for the first time for a group of 18 (including children) and made notes afterwards about the quantities required. Here is what I found: - Turkey, whole - about 350gm per adult (i.e. a 3.5kg uncooked bird will feed about 10 adults when cooked) - Boneless ham, cooked, about 60grams per person served with another meat plus vegetables - Greens, 40grams per person - Baked vegetables, 3 pieces per person - Pudding, a standard sized pudding will easily feed 12 adults Other options are to cook a chicken (or two) instead of a turkey, and if your family isn't that keen on pudding, serve ice-cream instead - or any other dessert that's inexpensive to make, such as trifle (a good Christmas dessert if made with a splash of sherry!) or pavlova. Given that you have about 8 weeks until Christmas, perhaps it's possible to trim your regular grocery budget a little (drop off one or two items, substitute a few store brands, eat vegetarian one night a week) so that you can stock up on drinks, nuts, chocolates and other treats - the supermarkets are now full of these products.
- Contributed by Emma, O'Connor
- Contributed by Emma, O'Connor
Christmas Dinner for 10 for Under $20
Christmas isn't a cheap time of the year. I buy turkey and Chicken pieces instead of a whole bird. Saves time in cooking and preparing and if you want stuffing to go with it make it up in muffin tins. I make my own cake. I soak the fruit and nuts in black tea for 24 hrs and make it up as usual. Don't make a cake with more than 2 eggs in unless you have your own chooks, I also pour a tablespoon of brandy or whiskey over the cake for about 2 weeks to keep it fresh, the taste does disappear after a few days of not doing it. Mince tarts can be made with 1/2 kilo of mixed dried fruit mince up fine in a blender and make your favourite pastry. I make sweet short crust and put in about 2 teaspoons in each tray and bake for 20 mins or till golden brown. I have worked out for 10 people Christmas dinner will cost under $20. We make our own beer so for $11 we have 72 bottles of beer. I buy the beer kits when they are on special. You can make you own hats, sweets and table settings quite cheap the library has lots of books on the subject, most stuff can be found in op shops very cheaply and you're not only helping your own pocket but that of a charity that helps others.
- Contributed by Robyne, Goolwa
- Contributed by Robyne, Goolwa
Finger Food Lunch/Dinner
I know what its like to be able to have a lovely Christmas dinner with the family while on a tight budget. What we do now is not have a proper sit down lunch/dinner instead we all pitch in with some item of food. We now have pick food since many have a proper breakfast, ours is usually ham, eggs, tomato & onion gravy served on toast. eg. someone will make a Cob Loaf Dip, this cob loaf can be bought for 90c at Woolies when near closing time, Cheerios, homemade pinwheel sandwiches, fruit, etc. No one worries about doing this as we all have problems with money through Christmas. We all have a great time, kids and all as no one feels as they should eat what is in front of them, so they are all relaxed and happy. We do this type of thing even during the year for BBQ's, Birthdays, etc. Hope you all have a great and happy Christmas and stress free.
- Contributed by Kerry, Rosewood
- Contributed by Kerry, Rosewood
Christmas Dinner Menu
You don't have to do anything very fancy just because it's Christmas Dinner!I would buy some mince beef on sale whenever you can from now on. Cook it up with lots of onion and then freeze it until a few days before Christmas. If you really need to make it stretch, add a product called TPV (Textured Vegetable Protein) which, when prepared and added to the cooking meat will take on the texture and flavour of the meat. No one will know the difference but you will save heaps of money feeding the hungry hoards. After the cooked mince and onion is defrosted you can make any number of tasty dishes such as spaghetti bolognaise; nacho's, home made meat-lovers pizzas, chilli con carne, gravy mince and casseroles etc. You could also make mini savoury pies using a homemade pie pastry and your muffin pan. Shape the pastry into the muffin tins and then fill with mixture (of any variety and flavour you could want), top with a pastry cover, bake! Simple! [PS: Your friendly local pastry cook/baker may be able to roll the pastry for you ready to use - this will save you heaps of time and energy and it will be very "professional" looking!] Did you know you could make your own corn chips too? Try this recipe if you like! It's from the USA. 1 cup of polenta (yellow cornmeal). 2/3rds of a cup of flour. 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of baking powder. 2 Tablespoons of dry milk powder. Stir all the above in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl add 1/2 cup of water. 1/4 cup of oil. 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. 1/8th teaspoon of Tabasco sauce. Add liquids to dry mixture and stir with fork. Knead a little until smooth. Grease two baking trays and sprinkle each with polenta (or yellow cornmeal). Divide dough in half and roll out each half directly onto the baking trays. Roll as thin as you can. Sprinkle lightly with paprika, garlic, onion powder or seasoned salt. Roll a little more. Cut into squares or triangles and bake for 10 minutes at 180 Celsius or until lightly browned. You should get around 500g of corn chips out of this mix! Cheaper than buying chips and should be just as tasty for nacho's and dips etc! Don't forget you can make things such as Gingerbread men and ginger shapes ahead of time too for sweets and treats. Seal into snap lock bags and freeze until just before you need them. The kids could be commandeered to make party crackers out of cardboard rolls and crepe paper, paper ring streamers, party hats and Christmas table decorations! You only need safety scissors, sticky tape and a bit of imagination to make it fun! Christmas is not necessarily about making a "good" impression; it's about sharing our love for each other and enjoying the company of special relationships! Don't worry about the fancy stuff too much! Just worry about having a great time with your family! Be honest about what you can and can't achieve and hang the rest! Have a great Christmas Day!
- Contributed by Michelle, Horhsam
- Contributed by Michelle, Horhsam
Bush Christmas
I would suggest making all the table decorations, bonbons, etc. You could decorate with pinecones that are found lying around in parks, gum leaves could be spray-painted. Purchase the cheapest white paper plates & serviettes and decorate them by stencilling flowers or leaves. Maybe you could get butchers paper to use for the tablecloth, and give the children crayons to decorate the paper.As for gifts, put a limit on the cost, such as $5 each for the children,and ask your husbands family to do the same. You could request that no presents be bought & exchanged for the adults.The theme could be a Bush Christmas. A barb-b-que is suitable (unless the weather is very hot, or fire ban is in place) You can buy cheap cuts of meat and make a tasty marinade. Kebabs would look good, especially with the range of summer fruits. A damper is cheap to make and would be suitable for the theme. For a reasonably priced dessert, meringue cases filled with tinned fruit, unless fresh is cheaper at the time with whipped cream or yoghurt topping.A simple punch would be refreshing, no name juices and soft drink would make a tasty punch.Bake simple cookies, sprinkled with sugar and decorate with stickers for the children.Make stockings, and fill them with lollies from the $2 shops etc.Popcorn threaded around the tree, could be given to the children later to eat.Have a wonderful Christmas day,
- Contributed by Jill, Kariong
- Contributed by Jill, Kariong
Plan the Menu Together
Sit down with all the family and plan the menu together. Saves any problems with likes/dislikes etc. Then ask each person to choose a menu item to make and bring for lunch. Takes pressure off the budget, saves agonising over the menu and finally everyone contributes to a wonderful truly family meal. GOOD LUCK
- Contributed by Annie, North Adelaide
- Contributed by Annie, North Adelaide
When Money is Tight
I found myself in exactly this position a couple of years ago. Here's what I did I hope it's of help to you. I bought my cut of meat from the butcher. (Sometimes cheaper than the supermarket) check before buying. I bought veggies direct from the Fruit and Veggie market, delicious and very fresh. My Bonbons, table linen and decorations all came from my $2 shop and I still had money over for a pavlova, which I decorated myself. I know your $80 will stretch to this and I hope your Christmas dinner is as happy and enjoyable as ours was. Good Luck.
- Contributed by Beverley, Narre Warren
- Contributed by Beverley, Narre Warren
Cheap Ideas for the Christmas Banquet
You don't want to spend the whole day cooking....I plan ahead and make salads the day before. Then on the day we have a baked dinner for lunch, with salad for the evening. This means one cooking task and I can relax for the rest of the day. The cheapest baked dinner I know is to make two meatloaves and bake 2 or 3 chickens up. Buy a large alfoil baking dish (no washing up)....two meatloaves will fit nicely in if you put them in crosswise instead of lengthways.
BBQ MEATLOAF
500g sausage mince,
500g minced beef,
1 cup stuffing mix (preferably sage and onion),
2 chopped onions,
1 beaten egg,
1 dessertspoon curry powder,
1/2 cup milk,
1/2 cup water,
1 teaspoon salt,
1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Mix together thoroughly with clean, wet hands. Place into the baking dish, making a mounded shape. Dry hands. Pat plain flour over the surface of the meatloaf. Any mixture which sticks can be easily removed by rubbing hands with a little of the flour. Make two of these because they can be used cold with salad or as sandwich fillings. Bake 30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
Meantime make the bbq sauce.
BBQ SAUCE
1/2 cup water,
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon instant coffee
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon margarine.
Bring to the boil in a saucepan and then simmer for 5 minutes. Pour this over the meatloaves, and cook for a further 40-45 minutes. Baste frequently.
For savouries I make up 1 carton of sour cream with 1/2 packet generic French onion soup. This is best left to set in the fridge.
I also make a dip from spreadable cream cheese, mixed with generic corn relish.
Mock chicken also makes a great dip or can be used to fill bread cases.
BREADCASES
Remove crust from a loaf of bread, and brush one side with melted margarine. Press gently into muffin pan, buttered side out. Place in 180 degree Celsius oven and cook until brown and crisp. Can be stored in tin inside your freezer beforehand.
MOCK CHICKEN
1 large tomato (drop into hot water until the skin starts to split, then cold water, and remove skin)
1 small chopped onion
1 tablespoon margarine
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
salt to taste
1 tablespoon grated cheese
1 beaten egg.
Fry the onion in the margarine, then add other ingredients except egg. Cook until tender. Add beaten egg, but DO NOT boil.
Cheap savouries can be made by buying a packet of generic puff pastry sheets. You cut 3 sheets into 4 x 4 rectangles, when partially thawed. Allow to finish thawing, then press gently into a shallow patty cake baking tray. Drop 1/2-teaspoon generic salsa dip into each pastry. Sprinkle over with a small amount of grated tasty cheese. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes.
A nice punch can be made by using a large bowl and combining 2 tins fruit salad in natural juice, 1 litre pure fruit juice, 1.25 litre bottle generic lemonade, 1.25 litre bottle generic dry ginger ale. I make it up 1/2 at a time so it doesn't go flat. Alternatively, you can buy generic soda water and add to cordial to make your own soft drinks.
Dessert can be made using a double unfilled sponge to make trifle. You cut up the sponge into squares, dribble over about 1/2 cup sherry (use fruit juice if you are teetotaller). One sponge will make 3 bowls of trifle. Mix up 3 different jellies, using only 1 cup hot water each. Dribble over the cake using the back of a tablespoon to spread the jelly so that it doesn't break up the cake. When set, cover with tinned fruit. Pour 1 litre of custard over the three bowls. Top with whipped cream.
The table can be made festive if you set it with a white tablecloth and then put a coloured tablecloth on top cornerwise. Coloured serviettes look good too, and need not be expensive. If you save the empty toilet rolls or empty hand towel tubes, you can make up popcorn the old fashioned way (in a covered saucepan), fill the tubes, wrap in red or green crepe paper, and tie the ends with a bow. Much cheaper than bonbons and much better than those party hats which fall apart! Dinner at night at our house is usually salads, with the second meatloaf, cold chicken, and a seafood salad.
SEAFOOD SALAD
1 kg seafood extender (from the Coles or Woolies deli)
3 stalks celery, finely sliced
1 red capsicum, finely sliced into pieces about 2 cm long
1/2 cup mayonnaise mixed with 2-3 tablespoons tomato sauce and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Adjust to suit taste.
For salads we make up a pasta salad using 1/2 cooked pasta and 1/2 cooked mixed vegetables.
Curried rice salad, using 3 cups cooked rice, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 finely chopped onion, 2 diced red apples (leave skin on), 2 stalks diced celery, 3 tablespoon sultanas, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 diced capsicum and add 1/2 cup Italian dressing. Best made the day before.
A mixed green salad with quartered tomatoes and sliced cucumber.
A second dessert can be made if necessary using a jelly made up with one-cup boiling water, and let cool but not set. Beat up a tin of carnation milk in a large bowl until it forms peaks. Fold through the jelly (gently), and add 1/2-cup coconut. Put in fridge to set. I hope this helps.
Contributed by Lesley, Rooty Hill
BBQ MEATLOAF
500g sausage mince,
500g minced beef,
1 cup stuffing mix (preferably sage and onion),
2 chopped onions,
1 beaten egg,
1 dessertspoon curry powder,
1/2 cup milk,
1/2 cup water,
1 teaspoon salt,
1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Mix together thoroughly with clean, wet hands. Place into the baking dish, making a mounded shape. Dry hands. Pat plain flour over the surface of the meatloaf. Any mixture which sticks can be easily removed by rubbing hands with a little of the flour. Make two of these because they can be used cold with salad or as sandwich fillings. Bake 30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
Meantime make the bbq sauce.
BBQ SAUCE
1/2 cup water,
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon instant coffee
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon margarine.
Bring to the boil in a saucepan and then simmer for 5 minutes. Pour this over the meatloaves, and cook for a further 40-45 minutes. Baste frequently.
For savouries I make up 1 carton of sour cream with 1/2 packet generic French onion soup. This is best left to set in the fridge.
I also make a dip from spreadable cream cheese, mixed with generic corn relish.
Mock chicken also makes a great dip or can be used to fill bread cases.
BREADCASES
Remove crust from a loaf of bread, and brush one side with melted margarine. Press gently into muffin pan, buttered side out. Place in 180 degree Celsius oven and cook until brown and crisp. Can be stored in tin inside your freezer beforehand.
MOCK CHICKEN
1 large tomato (drop into hot water until the skin starts to split, then cold water, and remove skin)
1 small chopped onion
1 tablespoon margarine
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
salt to taste
1 tablespoon grated cheese
1 beaten egg.
Fry the onion in the margarine, then add other ingredients except egg. Cook until tender. Add beaten egg, but DO NOT boil.
Cheap savouries can be made by buying a packet of generic puff pastry sheets. You cut 3 sheets into 4 x 4 rectangles, when partially thawed. Allow to finish thawing, then press gently into a shallow patty cake baking tray. Drop 1/2-teaspoon generic salsa dip into each pastry. Sprinkle over with a small amount of grated tasty cheese. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes.
A nice punch can be made by using a large bowl and combining 2 tins fruit salad in natural juice, 1 litre pure fruit juice, 1.25 litre bottle generic lemonade, 1.25 litre bottle generic dry ginger ale. I make it up 1/2 at a time so it doesn't go flat. Alternatively, you can buy generic soda water and add to cordial to make your own soft drinks.
Dessert can be made using a double unfilled sponge to make trifle. You cut up the sponge into squares, dribble over about 1/2 cup sherry (use fruit juice if you are teetotaller). One sponge will make 3 bowls of trifle. Mix up 3 different jellies, using only 1 cup hot water each. Dribble over the cake using the back of a tablespoon to spread the jelly so that it doesn't break up the cake. When set, cover with tinned fruit. Pour 1 litre of custard over the three bowls. Top with whipped cream.
The table can be made festive if you set it with a white tablecloth and then put a coloured tablecloth on top cornerwise. Coloured serviettes look good too, and need not be expensive. If you save the empty toilet rolls or empty hand towel tubes, you can make up popcorn the old fashioned way (in a covered saucepan), fill the tubes, wrap in red or green crepe paper, and tie the ends with a bow. Much cheaper than bonbons and much better than those party hats which fall apart! Dinner at night at our house is usually salads, with the second meatloaf, cold chicken, and a seafood salad.
SEAFOOD SALAD
1 kg seafood extender (from the Coles or Woolies deli)
3 stalks celery, finely sliced
1 red capsicum, finely sliced into pieces about 2 cm long
1/2 cup mayonnaise mixed with 2-3 tablespoons tomato sauce and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Adjust to suit taste.
For salads we make up a pasta salad using 1/2 cooked pasta and 1/2 cooked mixed vegetables.
Curried rice salad, using 3 cups cooked rice, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 finely chopped onion, 2 diced red apples (leave skin on), 2 stalks diced celery, 3 tablespoon sultanas, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 diced capsicum and add 1/2 cup Italian dressing. Best made the day before.
A mixed green salad with quartered tomatoes and sliced cucumber.
A second dessert can be made if necessary using a jelly made up with one-cup boiling water, and let cool but not set. Beat up a tin of carnation milk in a large bowl until it forms peaks. Fold through the jelly (gently), and add 1/2-cup coconut. Put in fridge to set. I hope this helps.
Contributed by Lesley, Rooty Hill
A Planned Potluck Christmas Dinner
Getting together with family is a lovely Christmas tradition. Unfortunately if you are hosting the dinner the cost can break your budget. Ask each family to participate in creating the dinner by providing one dish, large enough for the entire group. This way no undue burden falls on any one person. Plan menus now for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Let everyone know well ahead so they can be prepared and there are no surprises. Plan strategically and include specific recipes with instructions so your meal is as you planned it and runs smoothly. It will be as if you'd prepared all of it yourself.