Christmas or holiday food shopping.

No I don’t think it’s too early!

As the year goes by holidays for us start with New Years, to Easter to Christmas, that pretty much sums it up.  Yes there are other holidays in there but these are the main 3 public holiday celebrations.

So for us with Christmas coming up in a couple of months all the food specials start rolling into the stores, Christmas decorations are not up … yet, but there are heaps to buy.

So as I went grocery shopping today I checked out the store catalogues and other specials up and down the aisles so see if what I generally use is going cheap.

I know it’s early and it is months away but I find that there are those certain things that just never get left behind at celebration times, chips/crisps, lollies/sweets, crackers.  If they don’t get taken to parties or catch up with friends they’ll get eaten by us.

Another reason I love my freezer, I’m watching for pork and chickens to come on a good special, I can pop them in the freezer for when needed.  Over the years as each store competes for the $ I’ve had some great bargains.

I know a lot comes down to location our Christmas is in Summer we don’t generally eat a hot meal on the day especially up here in Qld where it can be rather humid, though saying that there are more humid places in Au than us. We tend to have cold meats and salads with some seafood.  If we do decide we are going to cook it’s usually on the BBQ keeping the heat outside.

Our family members rotate our main Christmas lunch or dinner, so I’m not always the one to choose the menu or what I’m making  or whether it’s lunch or dinner, I think we will be at my sister in laws place this year. It can be fun trying to co ordinate family especially if there is distance to travel or two families to see in 1 day.

Another reason I like to look out for specials at the stores as of now is that as our school year is a calendar year we usually have class end of year school parties, sports end of season breakup parties or work celebrations and sometimes all in the one week.  So I like to have at least something on hand that can make my job easier to either make something quick and simple with ingredients I have or grab a packet of crackers, make up and dip and go.

My husband gets the 2 weeks over Christmas and New year off work so any food I’ve bought and not used for Christmas goes to New Years dinner or gets eaten whiles he’s on holidays and shared with visitors.

PS…  Always check use by dates if you are shopping in advance.