Christmas dinners.
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I don't like Christmas food, and my BF if left to his own devices would only get kebab from a takeaway, so I'll be making our menu. I just found some recipes I wanna try, too. Like I happened to buy walnuts the other day, so... I'll start with a cranberry, walnut & pear salad, then the main dish will be tofu scalloped potatoes with walnut chickpea patties.
My BF's only vegetarian food ideas were some horrible abominations drenched in full fat milk, heavy cream and mountains of cheese, which don't go very well together with my calorie goals. If we were to make something he suggested, I could only have a tablespoonful and be over my calories pretty much instantly.
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This December I have been very successful not to get into the trap of eating just because it is Christmas and I have actually lost 3lb so far (my goal is 1lb a week).
I have 3 big family social days of the entire month.
1. An early Christmas Dinner with my sister who will be away in Lapland. (This was on the 13th)
2. Christmas Day
3. Boxing Day
As of my last weigh in I am actually (so far) 5lb lighter than my original Christmas Day target and I have no social events planned for the rest of December (No NYE celebrations for me this year, hazards of having an other half who is on call). I have decided I am eating exactly what I want for those 2 days.
I am still going to log as best I can (I am cooking Christmas Day so I can do that with ease but Boxing Day will be a lot of guesstimating) but not really worry until the 27th.
I am weighing myself on the 25th and then again on January 1st. I figure that I have 5 days to undo any damaged caused and I am aiming to maintain at worse.0 -
PinkPixiexox wrote: »My plan? Eat ALLLLLL the food
I'll get right back on track once all the fun and games are over!
PREACHHH!
Yeah basically the weight loss is being put on hold for a day or two. Christmas is my favourite time of year, and I don't want to be miserable worrying about calories and depriving myself. I'm being a little more sensible in the days leading up to and after it, but Christmas day is pretty much going to be a free for all haha.
One thing I wont be doing though, is eating until I feel ill. It's so easy to overeat on Christmas, but I'm going to be sensible this year and stop when I'm not hungry anymore 0 -
Omg I can totally sympathise! This will be my second year. If you like I would be happy to share my SO's amazing Christams nut roast recipe. A hunk of that on my plate surrounded by roast vege and onion gravy, and folks at the dinner table were jealous of me lol. I was worried last Xmas would be hard, but in the end it was amazing. I even have a fab recipe for homemade low calorie vegan Yorkshire puddings, if you like those. Very easy to do (wish I could post a picture on here). Add me as a friend if you're interested and I'd be happy to shareThis is my first vegan Christmas. We are going to our grandmothers for Christmas and she won't even try cooking vegan food (not that hard to do mashed potatoes). So I will be bringing my own meal and it will likely be under my calorie goal.
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Oh god they're huge! Sorry everyone, this isn't the most user friendly forum...
From the top the pictures are...
1. Full plate of Vegan Xmas fare
2. Reduced mushroom & onion gravy
3. Homemade low cal vegan Yorkshire puddings
4. Vegan cherry chocolate pudding
5. Vegan Christmas Nut Roast
6. Sesame roasted Brussel Sprouts
Feel free to ask if ya'll want any recipes. The lack of meat does make it very low calorie compared to regular Xmas food, so I expect it would suit some non Vegans for Xmas anyway. It's all homemade, right down to the last drop of vegetable stock. It may sound like a lot of work but he bakes the nut roast the day before to save on work. Come to think of it, I think he also made the cranberry port sauce the day before... so there are things you can do. I may sound like a backseat cook here, but I taught the man to cook so I know a thing or two
PS: I know a lot of people buy their gravy and sauces, but we've found time and again that premade sauces have so much added salt, sugar or fats. For the time it takes to whip up your own sauce, it could well mean the ability to have an extra guilt free roast spud with your dinner. It's well worth the 10-15 minutes to make a fresh one, trust me!0 -
I'm planning to eat whatever I want on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. After that I'll be back on track. Depending on what our NYE plans are, I might let dinner that night be a bit of a "treat" meal, but honestly I'd rather feel like I am kicking *kitten* and taking names on January 1st, not like an overstuffed turkey. (New Year's isn't really a big thing in my family, food- or celebration-wise... maybe it's a big deal for others?)
I'm so looking forward to Christmas food with my family and I won't give a second thought to how many calories I'm consuming. It's just 2 days!
I will say I am still planning to work out hard 6 out of 7 days this week, as I normally do. But that has less to do with burning calories and more to do with my fitness goals.0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »luvsubrooke wrote: »What's everyone's plan for Christmas dinner? Are you planning to eat in moderation and stay within your calorie goal, or are you using it as a cheat day?
My problem is my gram. She cooks with a lot of butter. Lmao. A scoop of her mashed potatoes is probably 600 calories alone.
I'm just now really trimming down. My abs are coming through. Will one day of eating bad stuff ruin this?
First, I don't consider delicious food to be bad stuff...
Second, one day won't undo your progress. Even if you add up all the other "special" days in a year it's probably less than 10 events. It's your choices the other 355 days that count. Plus it's leap year, so you have 356 to make up for the 10 days of indulgence!
Third, see if you can get that recipe from your gram, they sound amazing!
Haha @ leap year!!0 -
I'm gonna save my cals for everything that I really want, minus carbs, so will maybe have some ham and a bite of cheesecake, but I'm definitely having a glass or 2 of wine, and eating clean and light that whole day until dinner. Then back to cranking next day. It's just a day ^_^ what matters most is that you surround yourself with positive ppl and energy, and to be grateful to yourself for allowing that time. ^_^
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Wondering if I should make a new thread for this, but.. because folks asked:
Vegan Christmas Onion & Chestnut Gravy
This recipe originally came from the Vegan Recipe Club, but my other half can't find the link...
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
175g/6oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp Madeira or sweet sherry
300ml vegetable stock (homemade is best)
1 tbsp soya sauce, preferably tamari or shoyu type
175g/6oz cooked chestnuts, chunky chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small handful of porcini dried mushrooms
Method:
1. If your porcini mushrooms aren't already chopped up small, soak them in hot water for 10-15 minutes then chop up small.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onion and fry for 5 minutes, until beginning to soften and brown.
3. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook for further 2-3 minutes.
4. Sprinkle in flour and stir continuously over the heat for a couple of minutes, letting it brown a little.
5. Add Madeira/sherry and let it bubble up, then pour in the stock, stirring until thickened.
6. Add soya sauce and chestnuts, then leave to simmer gently, uncovered.
7. Season before serving - enjoy!
Luxury Vegan Christmas Nut Roast
My other half still has the link handy for this one, so I'll just share the whole thing:
http://www.veganrecipeclub.org.uk/recipes/luxury-festive-roast
Enjoy!0 -
Wondering if I should make a new thread for this, but.. because folks asked:
Vegan Christmas Onion & Chestnut Gravy
This recipe originally came from the Vegan Recipe Club, but my other half can't find the link...
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
175g/6oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp Madeira or sweet sherry
300ml vegetable stock (homemade is best)
1 tbsp soya sauce, preferably tamari or shoyu type
175g/6oz cooked chestnuts, chunky chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small handful of porcini dried mushrooms
Method:
1. If your porcini mushrooms aren't already chopped up small, soak them in hot water for 10-15 minutes then chop up small.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onion and fry for 5 minutes, until beginning to soften and brown.
3. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook for further 2-3 minutes.
4. Sprinkle in flour and stir continuously over the heat for a couple of minutes, letting it brown a little.
5. Add Madeira/sherry and let it bubble up, then pour in the stock, stirring until thickened.
6. Add soya sauce and chestnuts, then leave to simmer gently, uncovered.
7. Season before serving - enjoy!
Luxury Vegan Christmas Nut Roast
My other half still has the link handy for this one, so I'll just share the whole thing:
http://www.veganrecipeclub.org.uk/recipes/luxury-festive-roast
Enjoy!
Thank you very much!0 -
Oh god they're huge! Sorry everyone, this isn't the most user friendly forum...
From the top the pictures are...
1. Full plate of Vegan Xmas fare
2. Reduced mushroom & onion gravy
3. Homemade low cal vegan Yorkshire puddings
4. Vegan cherry chocolate pudding
5. Vegan Christmas Nut Roast
6. Sesame roasted Brussel Sprouts
Feel free to ask if ya'll want any recipes. The lack of meat does make it very low calorie compared to regular Xmas food, so I expect it would suit some non Vegans for Xmas anyway. It's all homemade, right down to the last drop of vegetable stock. It may sound like a lot of work but he bakes the nut roast the day before to save on work. Come to think of it, I think he also made the cranberry port sauce the day before... so there are things you can do. I may sound like a backseat cook here, but I taught the man to cook so I know a thing or two
PS: I know a lot of people buy their gravy and sauces, but we've found time and again that premade sauces have so much added salt, sugar or fats. For the time it takes to whip up your own sauce, it could well mean the ability to have an extra guilt free roast spud with your dinner. It's well worth the 10-15 minutes to make a fresh one, trust me!
youve done an amazing job this will be my 4th vegan christmas and i cant wait soo much good vegan holiday food
luckily for me my mom cooks an entirely vegan christmas dinner/desserts/everything soo wooooo i know many vegans are not so lucky0 -
I'm doing the cooking. Brining a Turkey and roasting it. Ham. Stuffing. Green Bean Casserole. Potatoes and gravy. Wife is making Jack Daniels Chocolate Pecan Pie and a Cheesecake. Daughters are bringing salad, brussel sprouts w/bacon and patio potatoes. Looking forward having all my girls around at the same time.0
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I'm so jealous of folks who can have a "day off" their diet... [warning - incoming pity party]...
As usual, I'm looking forward to smelling all the lovely Christmas food, but I'll be sticking to no meat & no dairy, even on this day of days. It's that or suffer a full blown arthritis flare up for 1-2 weeks afterwards. Intolerances are a b**ch to live with!
This will be my second Xmas since being diagnosed. Thank god for my partner. He is cooking the most lovely nut roast with reduced onion gravy, roast parsnips, vege dripping yorkshires, roast spud, cranberry & port sauce, sesame roasted sprouts and carrot / squash mash. He cooks every single thing from scratch! Nothing is out of a box... unless you count the pure Olive spread and the Port
I'll be far from hungry but I can't say I won't miss just a teeny bit of turkey from the old days, but I admit... Vegan Xmas doesn't suck
I hope you do thank god for him! he sounds pretty damn amazing!!
I will be cooking this year, our families first Christmas in this new home Won't have anything amazing but I do hope they like my peach cobbler and apple pie! 0 -
Thanks, I'll pass your compliments on to the chefsalembambi wrote: »youve done an amazing job this will be my 4th vegan christmas and i cant wait soo much good vegan holiday food
luckily for me my mom cooks an entirely vegan christmas dinner/desserts/everything soo wooooo i know many vegans are not so lucky wow yes that does sound lucky! It's wonderful to have a family who support you.
I certainly do! He baked two kinds of homemade Christmas fruit mince pies (some call them tarts) today. All totally vegan and low calorie, it's looooovely. My fav one is 183 calories per pie (yay!).chelsy0587 wrote: »I hope you do thank god for him! he sounds pretty damn amazing!!
I will be cooking this year, our families first Christmas in this new home Won't have anything amazing but I do hope they like my peach cobbler and apple pie!
Your deserts sound lovely too, I'm sure people will love them
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Hold the phone! I've discovered that Mr Chef has a sneaky trick that he does to make the Nut Roast recipe I quoted above nicer. The little sneak!! Pfffft typical... I got it out of him this morning, so here goes:Luxury Vegan Christmas Nut Roast
My other half still has the link handy for this one, so I'll just share the whole thing:
http://www.veganrecipeclub.org.uk/recipes/luxury-festive-roast
Enjoy!
In the nut roast recipe above, it apparently asks you to add a "pesto layer" or something, using an instant packet of pesto. Now my Mr Chef won't stand for anything out of a packet, so he uses another devious trick to make a moistening layer of his own design. If you prefer to use the pesto, then go ahead, but if you're interested then below is the sneaky replacement he makes:
Moistening Filling Layer substitute:
2 tsp olive oil
450g mushrooms (combination of mini portobello, button, and chestnut mushrooms)
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp soya sauce - tamari
1. Crush the garlic cloves and add to a saucepan with olive oil. Lightly brown on medium heat.
2. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until the juice starts to come out.
3. Add soya sauce then reduce heat to cook gently (little bubbles only).
4. When the liquid has halved, drain the extra liquid away and set aside for gravy (he uses it in his onion gravy as part of the stock! pffft, sneaky tricks...haha)
5. Set the mushroom mixture aside to use in the nut loaf as the filling layer.0 -
the nut loaf sound ssoooo damn good ugh
thanks for the recipe0 -
Planning a 10km hike tomorrow so I can not worry about Christmas dinner and - very likely - a bit of chocolate
The good thing about Christmas day for us is that our kids are older and so we don't get up at the crack of dawn anymore - so brunch, good hike and a great dinner should do it. Hoping to stay close to my 1200 +exercise cal limit. Fingers crossed!
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I have to come back here just for the recipes. Ukrainian-Norwegian Family so the best/worst of both cultures.
Eat-Drink and be Merry with your Family. No seconds - especially on the desert table and it will all be okay. 1 Day won't destroy the habits that I have built over the last 2 years.
5 days of Christmas Challenge - Get out everyday for 30 minutes of activity. Take advantage of the Full Moon so go for a Walk, Run, Ski, Skate, Swim etc. A chance for a quiet moment with a friend or family member.0 -
salembambi wrote: »the nut loaf sound ssoooo damn good ugh
thanks for the recipe
Seriously!! It seems to combine so many of my favorite things!0
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