Christmas food?

[MonkeyJuice 3]

Ok I was planning on a lovely Christmas dinner & I was aware that I might have difficulty in finding certain Christmas foods like mince pies, christmas cake, christmas pudding & trifle.

I've looked at recipies & for mince pies I need suet & for mince pies & I need the sponges to make a trifle!!! urgh, I give up. No store sells this kinda stuff & my local supermarket has removed the British section where I was planning on buying a jar of mincemeat... Gutted!!

Looks like if I want to get this stufff I'll have to get it online at daft prices!

They don't have christmas crackers here either. How can you have Christmas dinner without pulling a cracker & wearing silly hats & telling ####### jokes?!

[Mary Lou 681]

Pier One sells Christmas Crackers, as does Marshalls.

[Marilyn. 340]

I think I have seen them at Bed Bath and Beyond too...

[Marilyn. 340]

for the trifle you could use pound cake too...

[Amanda and Tony 0]

T K Max also has crackers. Do you have a Whole Foods or a World Market near you? Both carry some Brit food at not too crazy prices, you can also buy online from World Market.

I hope you find some mince pies. Today I spent $7 on a box and last week my mum bought 1 box and got 2 free from morrisons back home..it's crazy!

[MonkeyJuice 3]

This is the trouble, we're pretty much out in the sticks so not a great selection big stores unfortunately! There's a Bed Bath & Beyond though, so I'll look there for some crackers.

I'll try the pound cake for the trifle. Cheers

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

We found crackers at Target.

[CaMic 0]

I keep forgetting that some of he foods we take for granted in the UK aren't available over there, of course I knew I wouldn't be able to get things like haggis, but no mince pies and christmas cake?? I've made trifle with over there with store-bought cake, just a 'white' cake we'd been given from Harps bakery that was on the verge of going stale and it worked out ok - not that anyone else liked the idea of jello and custard and cream all together, lol, so I ate it all myself anyway.

So crakers from: TK Max, Pier One, Bed Bath & Beyond and Marshalls, that is good to know!!! I shall request a trip to one of those places next Monday, lol.

Does anyone know of a store that sells red lentils??? I couldn't find them in the IGAs, Walmart, Aldi or Harps and the kind I did buy just didnt work for lentil soup.

[Carlawarla 1]

What about making some Christmas pudding and hard sauce? I have a good recipe my Mom always makes. With potato and carrots. If you can't get to Pier 1, or Bed Bath and Beyond, could you use their on-line services? Perhaps it could still get to you by Christmas. Minced meat could be obtained as well from a grocer that's willing to send it to you via mail? I hope you can find some things! What State and/or city are you closest to?

PM me for the recipe if you're interested!

Edited as I just noted after replying to the post that you're from Michigan. I'm really surprised you can't find more British food items in that State. I know in Ontario there are LOTS, and you're right next door. How far from the border are you? Perhaps you could take a trip to Canada!

Edited December 17, 2009 by Carlawarla

[Lisa and Ian 7]

Ok I was planning on a lovely Christmas dinner & I was aware that I might have difficulty in finding certain Christmas foods like mince pies, christmas cake, christmas pudding & trifle.

I've looked at recipies & for mince pies I need suet & for mince pies & I need the sponges to make a trifle!!! urgh, I give up. No store sells this kinda stuff & my local supermarket has removed the British section where I was planning on buying a jar of mincemeat... Gutted!!

Looks like if I want to get this stufff I'll have to get it online at daft prices!

They don't have christmas crackers here either. How can you have Christmas dinner without pulling a cracker & wearing silly hats & telling ####### jokes?!

You should be able to get suet from a butcher (maybe a grocery store butcher, but definitely from a store dedicated to selling meat). My mom has been making suet pudding in the US for ages.

Sponges are called Ladyfingers here. You should be able to find them in the cookie/snack aisle of any grocery, or at the Whole Foods Market.

We have mincemeat all over (not in the British section, but in the pie filling section). What grocery stores do you have where you are?

Edited December 18, 2009 by Snowbunnies

[Nik+Heather 121]

I'm sorry, but you really miss Christmas Cake?

[Marilyn. 340]

is Christmas cake like fruit cake?? yeah the store bought stuff is gross but my grandma made her own and it was so yummy!!

oh and I just wanted to mention that I am sure I have seen mincemeat in a lot of the grocery stores around here...

[marie09 5]

World Market have a lot of stuff. Christmas Crackers, foxes biscuit selections, cadbury's biscuit selections, flake cakes, etc... A lot of other British stuff too. On sale too at the moment

[paulinespens 3]

I got some Mr Kipling mince pies today from World Market sadly no puddings left.

[MonkeyJuice 3]

Cheers for all the replies.

You are all very lucky but unfortunately we live in the Upper Peninsula of Northern Michigan where there aren't any world food stores, in fact the only supermarkets we have are Walmart & Glens!! We are currently in Traverse City (a bit further south) which has bigger stores & even a mall so we're gonna go on a mission tomorrow. Here there are supermarkets such as Meijers, Toms & a bigger Glens so I'll check those out. It's gonna be a busy day coz I'm not leavin without mincemeat or mince pies & crackers!

Snowbunnies: Thanks for the tip on Ladyfingers...my hubby knows what I'm talkin about now! cheers.

Nich-Nick: I looked in Bed Bath & Beyond but no Christmas Crackers!!

Nick&Heather Yeh I lurve Christmas cake