It happened over 10 Christmases ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.
I had just started dating a fellow university student, and he invited me over for Christmas dinner. As we had only been dating for three months, it was *slightly* awkward to spend the holidays with him, but it was even more awkward to turn down the invitation. So, I accepted.
At the dinner? Just his mom and brother, an uncle and “two ladies from church”. Okay, I got this. Asking what I should bring, the then 21-year old said, “Whatever, they like everything.” Hmm… everything? Well that certainly narrowed it down. I asked if there was anything I should know, to which my ex replied, “Nope, you’re good!”
WHY did I trust the word of a 21-year old?
So, I brought a bottle of wine for the uncle… who was a recovering alcoholic. I baked an eggnog cheesecake to present to his mom… who was lactose intolerant. And the handmade truffles I made for his brother? Turns out I added *a little* too much rum to them, and he proceeded to get sloshed. Problem is, the ex never mentioned his brother was only 11 years old.
At least the church ladies liked their candles.
Do you have a holiday gaffe? It’s okay – we’ve all had them! And while we’d normally never admit to a faux pas in the kitchen… like the time I added two tablespoons of dried sage instead of fresh sage to my stuffing (NOT the same thing!!)… Campbell’s Canada wants you to celebrate them! It’s our #HolidaySecretsExposed!
From burning the turkey to dropping the dessert, nearly everyone has a holiday gaffe to confess. Campbell’s is encouraging Canadians to spill the beans (or the wine, as the case may be!) at www.campbellsholidaysecrets.ca. In return for sharing your holiday flub(s), you’ll have a chance to win one of 100 pre-paid credit cards valued at $100 each. They’re sure to come in handy for last-minute purchases to help you survive the chaos of the season!
Visit Campbell’s Holiday Secrets Exposed now and click “Confess Here” to get started. And if you’re looking to feel a bit better about your own disaster, browse the other confessions – trust me, some are downright hilarious!
(As for that sage incident? Let’s just say I now have “Sage Advice” for others – yup, I confessed here!)
Campbell’s has a sleigh full of helpful hacks to get you through any sticky situation, including:
Pepperidge Farm® Cracker Chips – Fill a bowl with these and no one will notice that dinner’s late! The bold flavour and crunch of a chip, baked into a wholesome cracker, will leave guests satisfied with these yummy snacks while you scramble to get dinner on the table. Five whole grains, delicious ingredients like savoury real garlic and 60% less fat than 20g of the leading potato chip, your guests can indulge without the guilt!
Campbell’s® Ready to Use Broth – Brings flavour to dishes and helps prevent dry conversation. While there’s no guarantee that all of Uncle Wayne’s jokes will be winners, your classic Holiday Stuffing will be! Campbell’s Ready to Use Chicken Broth adds a mouth full of flavour to your holiday meals, with a simple pour straight from the box.
Campbell’s® Condensed Soup – The perfect foundation for classic recipes (that even your mother-in-law will love). So you burned the turkey last year – who didn’t!? It’s time to redeem yourself. Campbell’s Condensed Soup is “Step 1” in a variety of great recipes, including fan (and in-law) favourite Ultra Creamy Mashed Potatoes. Start with great flavours, plus a glass of wine for the chef, and you’ll be sure to satisfy even the fussiest guests.
Pepperidge Farm® Cookies – Put your foot in your mouth? Your guests would prefer these. Whip up a batch of festive Reindeer Cupcakes decorated with Pepperidge Farm® Monaco® Double Chocolate Cookies. A little something sweet to save you when something you said wasn’t.
Goldfish® Chocolate Grahams – Not a master baker? Throw some of these in a bowl! Skip the stress, and leave Santa Goldfish Grahams instead! Rumour has it, chocolate is his favourite.
So, if you’ve got a holiday gaffe you just have to confess, visit Campbell’s Holiday Secrets Exposed today! (Hurry! Contest closes December 30, 2014.)
I’ve got a sweet little giveaway to share from my friends at Campbell’s! One lucky reader is going to win a Holiday Hack Campbell’s Gift Basket filled with all these goodies to help get you through the New Year. YUM! To enter, simply fill the form below with your qualifying entries.
Ya…I’ve had holiday gaffes for sure..many times! One year I thought I was being so clever saving on clean up time after the big dinner. I used one of those tin aluminum pans instead of a solid roasting pan. Well as I was removing the turkey to baste it, it fell into my oven..what a greasy mess that was! Moral of the story for me…use a solid roasting pan..Lena great giveaway!! Thank you for the opportunity :)
Yes, a few of them! Left a shrimp ring out to thaw one year & when I came downstairs the cats had had a feast. Shrimp tails everywhere & 2 happy cats. One less appetizer for the guests who were about to arrive : (
I do! I was hoping my gnocchi was the star of the night and it turned out not looking great. When I dropped the fresh made gnocchi into the water, it was all getting mushy. What a disaster!
Never had a holiday gaffe in the kitchen, if I did it wouldn’t make a difference overall.
Thankfully no, the only thing was once we cooked our turkey and when it was time to take it out for some reason it wasn’t even cooked in the middle!!
Without a doubt there have been many gaffe’s while learning, but I can’t remember them now!
I try and avoid them at all costs!!! With a father allergic to soy and lactose, BIL allergic to gluten and a SIL with a nut allergy I am always making different dishes to suit all!! But sometimes mistakes just happen :(
I don’t really do the cooking in my house, so I’ll say no! Lol
yes for my daughters wedding dinner on the 12th. it was at our house and I was so busy and running on fumes I forgot a huge tray of appetizers in the oven. they fused together and I could have used them for a cutting board.
one year, the big glass dish we had in the oven cooking dessert shattered.
I did cook my first turkey upside down. How, why? I have no idea.
I don’t drink very often, but I like a glass of Bailey’s on ice over the holidays. My husband, being the sweetie he is, bought me a rather large bottle to have for Christmas, but left it on top of the fridge. When I opened the door to make Christmas morning breakfast, the bottle dropped and exploded everywhere. At least the house smelled nice!
Yes the dog ate the turkey one year and a roast another year
one time i used salt instead of sugar :(
One year I did not have any flour to make the gravy and I had to get my sister to bring some to me when she came for dinner!
Sure have. The oven stopped working and the turkey did not cook.
No ..not yet lol
The first turkey I ever cooked was for my ex inlaws. I had no idea how to carve it and not one of them would help me (ya they were jerks!). What a mess I made of it. Still tasted good though
Yes I have, luckily no one else noticed ;)
I mess up in the kitchen so often that I’m not even ALLOWED to cook the holiday dinner! I’m the “buns & butter” girl when we go to the in-laws for dinner. Ouch!
One year everything was ready except the Turkey at our family Christmas Dinner, we improved by microwaving part of it.
Yes I have. I dropped the turkey when I tried to gt it out of the pan. But it was ok :)
I dropped a serving plate once, my gran quickly cleaned it up, I started over. We didn’t tell anyone.
All the time! I’m not very good in the kitchen. too much spice or bland as heck. I need a cook!!
I’ve gaffed many times…I think the worst was when the whole turkey went sliding into the kitchen sink as I was trying to carve it…it shot off the carving board, hit the first sink and flipped over into the second one…full of soaking dishes!!!!
I dried it off and kept carving. ;-)
I was so busy making the food perfect & the table setting wonderful that I neglected to properly latch one of the table leaves—–my husband sat at that end. As more & more food got passed to him, the leaf collapsed & he was covered in turkey & gravy
I have had a flub in the kitchen – it involved stirring paprika INTO the deviled eggs rather than just sprinkling on top – they were bright orange and spicy! :P Whoops
Yupper, put 1/2 cup of cinnamon in an Apple crisp one time…
I’ve had to microwave scalloped potatoes so they wouldn’t be “crunchy”
I’ve never cooked a holiday meal before. But I have had a few gaffes at the in-laws eating food wrong!! I never knew that some food must be mixed certain ways and some food you should never use utensils with!
One year we had all of my in-laws over and I was nervous about cooking for them, so I had a couple of glasses of wine with our appetizers to relax. I’m only a social drinker and get tipsy with 2 drinks, so I was feeling no pain when it was time to put the food on the dinner table. I bringing out the food and accidentally dropped the plate of potatoes making a mess all over the floor before it hit the table. We couldn’t stop laughing, but I was very embarrassed.
We do potluck so no big flop really yet. I did make a brie with a caramel sauce over it that hardened…kind of a flop!
Yes, sometimes when I am baking for my cookie exchange at work my oven may brown the bottoms a little darker, so I have to keep an eye on my treats. I also need to make sure I bake enough for everyone when I try a new recipe.
I have been lucky so far and not had any holiday gaffes.
Oh yeah there has been a few…A nice one was when making a cake for dessert I was rushing around & doing too many things at once and neglected to grease the cake pan. Hmmm….good luck getting that out, it was cake chunks. Instead of dessert it ended up in the garbage.
Yes! One time I set the burner much higher than needed and burnt the gravy. Such a waste!
no.. not that i can recall
I totally burnt the turkey. It was terrible.
Burnt all the pumpkin seeds on halloween. Put the oven on broil cuz i couldn’t wait then forgot about it till we smelled the burning scent.
There was the chicken fat in the eye once, my eyebrows being singed off by the bbq, oh and the worse was many years ago serving a nice dinner for friends when she went to eat the salad she thought she lost her tooth but it was a piece of the plastic serving tongs (lesson learned no more plastic serving tongs) :)
I’ve had many, but I always learn from them :) My first from scratch chocolate cake was not edible so I picked up a store bought one and frosted it haha.
Yes, I left the bag in the turkey thinking it was stuffed.
I have yet to be the host for the holidays so I would have to say no.
I had my Turkey ready to go in the oven and it stopped working. My son had just come home from the his training in the Military and was really looking forward to a Turkey Dinner.
yes ….i had my Family over for a big Christmas and forgot to serve the stuffing , how embarrassing lol , no one thought to mention it either , i spent and hour making it from scratch
:)
Yes, spend time making 2 pie’s for desert and was having such a good time that I forgot to serve them.
No never a holiday one .
Yes! One time on Christmas Eve, my dad had to many cheerful holiday drinks and while dancing, he fell into the Christmas tree squishing 2 gifts underneath. We all laughed it off.
Yes, once I didn’t make enough food and luckily I let my guests serve themselves and I ended up with a tiny plate of food.
oh yes have burnt many a holiday treat
Yes I’m doing my own turkey this year first time ever… I just know me and the kitchen are destiny to mess something up…
Our biggest and most memorable holiday gaffe was when my grandmother baked pumpkin pie – without putting any sugar in it. Everyone immediately dug then their forks froze in midair as we all realized what was missing. My solution? I grabbed the whipped cream, swirled it on as high as a mini xmas tree and gave her a thumbs up.
My only gaffe would be trying to help in the kitchen, and just getting in the way.
Yes….many gaffes unfortunately….I once spent the day making shortbreads as part of the family tradition and hid them in the oven from the kids….turned the oven on to preheat the next day and not only destroyed my cookies but melted my lovely xmas plate as well!!
Yes! One year I was in charge of cleaning and stuffing the turkey. All was going fine until my sister went to remove the stuffing from the turkey when it was done and along with the stuffing pulled out paper towels that I had put in the cavity to dry it out but obviously forgot to remove! Still living that one down!
I had, like forgetting appetizers in the oven for the evening or not buying enough wine, but that is nothing in comparison with what you described – I laughed so hard :)
I’ve never had one personally, but I know lots of people who have.
Followed directions in making a special chiffon type cake and instead of lightly stirring the ingredients I put it in a blender & whipped it on high. End result was a flat pancake type cake…so hard to frost & what a failure.
I don’t save my gaffes for holidays, I serve them year round! :-) But I did once go to add a little salt in my soup and instead the entire BIG container of sea salt dumped right in (the lid wasn’t tight). OOPS!
i sure did we ate at 12.00 midnight i forgot to turn the stove on it was awful
No not that i can remember
I baked a dessert with all salt instead of sugar, sad day
Yes, it involved burnt cabbage rolls.
Yes! I have burnt my scallop potatoes and I try to cover it up by adding more cheese on top.
Who hasn’t? lol
I had one time used backing SODA instead of backing POWDER YUCKYY
Yes I keep burning my cookies
I once made some sweet marie bars that turned out rock hard and were taken to a potluck. There was only one square taken and I feel for the poor soul that took it!
Many but forgetting to turn the oven on for the holiday turkey stands out as the worst.
The first time I ever made cookies, I left out the baking powder! They were the flattest, ugliest cookies ever, but they tasted great!
We usually visit my in-laws for the holidays so I don’t have any gaffes but I am sure I will someday. Love reading the comments from the others.