If you read my 3rd instalment of my Christmas 1st Timer Diary then you’ll know that I did a trial run last weekend for my best friend, Sarah and her partner, Barry. Not wanting to leave anything to chance, I decided to do the whole Christmas Dinner with all the trimings, but with a chicken rather than the turkey.
Disaster isn’t close to what I’d call the morning half of Sunday. My oven is a standard small Stoves oven and simply won’t house a large 10lb turkey as well as parsnips, potatoes, pigs n’ blankets, stuffing and croquette potatoes.
So like Christmas Day, I cooked my chicken in the morning to be able to carve up, place in my glass Pyrex dish and reheat with a coating of gravy in the oven with the rest of the roast. I might be 29, but I’ve never cooked a whole chicken before. Sunday dinners are always at the in-laws and if we’re just having a mini roast at home, we simply have chicken breasts. On my adventure I cooked the chicken exactly as the instructions on the wrapping stated, to the letter. Needless to say, the juices may have run clear but the majority of the meat was pink. I was gutted. If I had phoned my mum straight away I could have rescued it and put it back in the oven and cooked a little longer… but I waited too long and ended up ruining it and only being able to rescue the chicken breasts for sandwiches the next day.
Off to ASDA for a second chicken… luckily I had enough time to cook it before my guests arrived. After many calls to my mum, and even my nan at times, we decided the oven needed to be on a higher heat and the chicken to be in for 30-40 minutes longer. Should have asked them in the first place as this chicken was perfect! Phew… shame the Yorkshire Puddings looked more like Yorkshire muffins. Before you say it, I didn’t open the oven door and it was on a high heat. I’m blaming the new Yorkshire Pud tray. Needless to say I’ve been practising my Yorkies this week!
I set the table earlier in the day, when the 2nd chicken was roasting. Mainly to save time and also to check I had everything. I had my lovely large white Rossetta Table Cloth from Roman at Home, with the Silver Table Runner down the centre. The Allium Placemats & Coastersmatched perfectly and my silver Christmas crackers were lush. However, I forgot napkins. And not just napkins, but napkin rings. You’d think with working at Roman at Home I’d remember the basics – but nope… rookie error.
My Dressed Christmas Trial Run Table
So on my shopping list when I came into work was 2 sets of white napkins and 1 set of silver napkins from our table linen range. I’m opting for a mixed napkin selection. Some silver which match the silver shimmer table runner and some white to match the table cloth, also giving me 4 plain white ones (although plain in colour, like the tablecloth they have lovely studded silver floral detail in them) so I can use the white ones throughout the year. As half the crackers are white with silver detail and the others the reverse, I’ll co-ordinate them with a matching napkin.
As my entire theme for Christmas dinner is silver, white and blue, very frosty morning sort of look, there is only one real choice for my napkin rings – the Silver Christmas Tree Napkin Rings – pack of 6 at a bargain 10% saving too on buying singularly, brill!
But, alas, I didn’t have the napkins or rings for last Sunday, so I was left rooting around in the cupboard to find any type of festive napkins I had. Luckily a pack left over from a Christmas buffet lunch. Thankfully they were b
lue in theme, and a little Robin in the centre.
However, if you recall in my earlier instalments of my Christmas Diary, I don’t have enough dinner plates for Christmas lunch yet. Needless to say, this is still the case. I’ve not found a design I like yet, or a nice enough ‘best’ set, at a good price on the highstreet… now wishing Roman at Home did dinnerware!
My second last instalment next week will no doubt cover my hunt for Christmas Dinnerware and sharing my Roast Potato Recipe.
