Food, Food, Glorious Food!

Well, we all know about that at this time of year!  Although many of my US friends will have had their big meal on Thanksgiving, we in the UK will have ours at Christmas.

I grew up with the tradition of celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve since my parents where from ‘abroad’ but nowadays, since I settled in UK many years ago, we celebrate on Christmas Day.  We start with the obligatory Buck’s Fizz, plenty of nibbles to keep the hunger at bay whilst we unwrap the pressies from under the tree and catch up on all the family gossip.

Before all the pleasantries comes all that preparation, angst, sorting, tidying to make way for more jumble, sorting or thinking up a new twist to the tradition menu, judging how many family will actually appear etc etc all for a few hours on the Day itself.  We then sit looking at each other stupefied having eaten so much food that we can’t move and vow to ourselves, never again!  So, what happens the next year?  We all do it all over again!

This year I am planning, well I have just about planned my menu.  We were supposed to be going to my daughter’s house but some of the family want to come here so she will be entertaining her in-laws for the first Christmas dinner!  Panic!!!

So, what is on my menu?  Well, we will be five adults with one very pregnant lady who will not be allowed to eat any shellfish.  Her husband is really strict on that, our #son who has firm ideas on the subject.  So, have you ever tried putting together a menu knowing that you should not use a certain food?  Why does fish always appear everywhere?  I have settled on making some homemade potato and leek soup to be served in a demitasse (small teacup!) whilst on the saucer will be placed a couple of small pieces of toasted baguette which has had olive oil and grained mustard spread on it.  This will be rather nice to dip in the soup.

Next, comes la piece de la resistance!  The TURKEY!  This year I was going to  serve just the crown of the bird since most of us like the white meat but for a change I am going to have  a whole turkey.  I noticed a lovely recipe whereby you lifted the breast skin to smear a mixture of mascarpone cheese mixed with friend pancetta, herbs and onions.  Not only will this infuse the bland turkey meat with wonderful flavours but also keep the meat beautifully moist.

I shall make a gratin of Brussels sprouts, since that can be prepared in advance, along with carrots cooked in brandy, butternut squash pureed and roast potatoes in goose fat.  The usual extras such as homemade cranberry sauce made with orange and port, bread sauce (might take a rain check on that one since hardly anyone really likes it!) and turkey gravy.  Since I will have the whole turkey I will have the giblets to make up the gravy.    Oh, did I mention the stuffing?  Yes, that will be homemade with special sausage meat, grated apple, chopped up chestnuts and herbs.

Another tradition that I started years ago and know the kids have continued with their families is to have a small gift placed at their places at the table.  Usually, something inexpensive but fun to open.  This year I decided that I shall do a couple of lottery tickets each…. with the proviso that a commission is paid to us on any winnings … did I just say that?????

The last serving on our groaning dining table will be the desert.  Always, everyone asks for Christmas pudding.  Now, I used to make my own but since we all only want a spoonful I now buy in that commodity.  In addition, I will serve a mango trifle and produce the small cheese board with grapes for those who still have the space to indulge.

After this feast, a quick clean up, chat, and off we all walk around the corner to my daughter’s house to continue the festivities and…. eating!

Did I tell you what she will be serving?  Some of Mum’s soup starter, followed by turkey (cooked by mother in law), a ham and all the usual additions including my cranberry sauce!  For desert she is going to try her hand at a delicious looking Irish Cream cheesecake followed with cheese and biscuits.  And then, the other members of the family from around the corner descend!

Happy Christmas!!!!

A very merry Christmas!

Without further ado, I would like to thank all my readers for joining me in my various escapades during the year, the highs and lows!

The parcels/presents are all wrapped and sitting invitingly under the tree... no feeling them to guess what is inside!  The shopping has been completed apart from the few last minute items.  The food is being prepared and readied for cooking on the big day.  Light up the lights, pull a cracker or two and share a 'not so funny' joke with a funny hat on whilst you try to play with plastic toy from the cracker.  Don't you love tradition?

So it just leaves me the important job to wish you all the merriest of Christmases.  May your cup be overflowing, as they say!  Some of you will be experiencing a white Christmas (and how!) whilst the rest of us in parts of UK will be enjoying a cool, damp day.  Where ever you are, may your Christmas be peaceful, share with family and friends bringing you fond memories to relish over the years to come.

Minstrels a Christmas Poem by William Wordsworth

The minstrels played their Christmas tune
To-night beneath my cottage-eaves;
While, smitten by a lofty moon,
The encircling laurels, thick with leaves,
Gave back a rich and dazzling sheen,
That overpowered their natural green.

Through hill and valley every breeze
Had sunk to rest with folded wings:
Keen was the air, but could not freeze,
Nor check, the music of the strings;
So stout and hardy were the band
That scraped the chords with strenuous hand.

And who but listened?--till was paid
Respect to every inmate's claim,
The greeting given, the music played
In honour of each household name,
Duly pronounced with lusty call,
And "Merry Christmas" wished to all.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Christmas lights

One of the things we love to do just before Christmas is to take a walk in our neighbourhood to 'inspect' all the Christmas lights that folk have put up on their houses, in the garden etc. We did notice that this year, possibly due to families with small children moving on or a change in circumstances, was that there appeared to be less lights around. A shame really as it always evokes some of the magical feeling of Christmas, doesn't it?

We have always been pretty conservative with our decorations, even when the kids were young. Here is a picture I took the other evening from across the street of our abode. The light on the side of the house is actually a street light and not part of the decorations!

The window to the left is my workroom.

We have a couple of small windows at the side of the house and always place a flickering light in them to make it more cosy looking.

I think you can just make out the Christmas tree in our front room which we placed in the bay of the window.

In case I don't have a chance again, I just want to wish you all a wonderful Christmas! Don't forget it will be a time to make that ultimate sacrifice of helping to eating all the food, including the chocolates! You know your assistance will be rewarded, somehow, somewhere!!!!!!

What a busy time this is!

I haven't actually been creating or making anything for any of my shops because this is the time of year to be busy with preparations for the BIG day!!! Someone told me that this time next week it would be just a distant memory...but think of all the giving and eating to be done in the mean time!!!!

Just today trying out a new recipe for little mince cakes, that's right cakes, not mince pies. Sounded like fun!

Here is a picture of them just out of the oven.....
A sponge type mixture of which one spoonful was placed in first, then a spoonful of mincemeat (the sweet stuff!) followed by another spoonful of the cake mixture. 18 minutes later... Voila!!!

Christmas, a time to remember!

Christmastime is a time to cast your mind back to childhood memories that make Christmas for you today.

Some of my earlier childhood was spent in the Far East. Java, to be precise. My most vivid memories are of an enormous real Christmas tree that reached right up to the ceiling. Bearing in mind that houses were built with high ceilings for coolness in the heat of the day. As was the usual custom, we had servants. My poor mother did not know quite what hit her when we arrived in the western hemisphere and she had to do her own housework! We used to have a maid for the laundry and general cleaning, one acted as cook and there was a gardener along with a driver who took my Dad to his office and back every day. Life was good!

Anyway, my parents used to entertain a lot but I do remember that we used to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. This gave a magical sense to the whole event with all the candles and lights shining brightly. Loads of presents were placed under the tree including presents for each of the servants and their families. It was always the custom for them to come in and be given their presents before we sat down to our Christmas evening meal. And, guess what? I was allowed a little taste of red wine with lots of water added. Oh, how the colour would sparkle as I showed my wine glass to the candle light!

Christmas in Guernsey, Channel Islands which is where I spent the rest of my childhood, was very different. Here my parents decided latterly to celebrate on Christmas Day with lunch. The magical atmosphere did not seem to be prevalent then unless my earlier childhood memories were becoming clouded.

There was one custom which I remember from Java and Guernsey. This was the custom my canny Scots father instigated! That of saving Christmas wrapping paper! Since my parents were strong believers that the festival was a close family one only (and so, there were three of us since I was an only child!) it was easier to continue with the habit of saving the wrapping paper. We had an old brown beaten up leather suitcase which had seen far better days. Inside were carefully folded pieces of Christmas wrapping paper of all sizes and styles. Many tags as well which had all been written years before, Mummy, Daddy, Patricia. Since we always had a real tree the pine needles would find their way into the case and therefore the contents always had a wonderful pine smell about them. To this day, Christmas means pine trees in my mind's eye!

The first time I spent any time outside of the home and watched as people we had given presents opening up theirs was to be a hard lesson to be learnt. They all would rip off the paper! Didn't they think to carefully remove the sticky tape and then fold the paper in the creases that had been created so long ago? This is what we always did!!! To this day, I still feel guilty if I rip or tear the paper as I try to open the present carefully whether I save the paper or not!

Now it is my turn to recreate a family Christmas. We ,too, decided that Christmas dinner should be just for our family. However, with 4 children it was a lot noisier and more fun! For many years we had our routine of trying to sleep through the noise of the children waking early, excitedly opening up the presents in their sacks. My husband sometimes worked shift work during these years and so often he would not be home until early afternoon. I would allow a couple of the smaller presents to be opened with the main ones waiting for when we were all together before dishing up the meal. Evenings were always spent playing with the new found presents.

Today, the children and their respective partners have their own commitments in that they spend alternate Christmases with their various 'in laws'. Bucks Fizz (champagne and orange) is always the starting signal of Christmas morning whether my husband and I are on our own or not. Later others arrive and we go through the ritual opening of presents, the meal, the playing with presents before we all go home to our various homes.

One day, they will all have families and want to spend Christmas in their homes. I wonder what their childhood memories will be of their Christmases?

Whilst I was shopping in France!

The other day Hubby and I went on a day trip to France.  Nothing unusual there since we tend to go every 8-10 weeks to stock up on wine/beer and some of that lovely French produce.  The vegetables really are fresher than those we have the opportunity to buy in our supermarkets.  You can tell, because not only do they smell fresh, they are not all the uniform size or colour and they only last a few days so you know they have not been pumped full of chemicals to preserve them.  The taste is so good too!

The main aim of the journey was to stock up further supplies for our daughter's wedding in August next year.  It is cheaper to provide our own wine and pay corkage than to purchase the wine on offer from the venue.  Corkage, I hear you say?  Screw 'toppage' more like.  Most bottles these days seem to come with a screw top which is much better.  How often did the cork spoil the wine or when you were trying to extract the cork, did it split?  Personally, I prefer the screw top since when I have had a couple of glasses I can just screw the top right back on and prevent the wine spoiling overnight!

One point, and the real reason for telling you all about our French trip is that whilst we were going around the hypermarket in Calais, called Auchan, a group of youngsters entered the store with their teachers.  The kids were about 11 to 12 years in age.  Their mission was to engage with customers in the store and ask them a few questions, if people were willing.

Two girls approached me tentatively asking in a very good form of English if I would answer a few of their questions?  One of them had a clip board and held the questions under which she was to write my responses whilst the other asked the questions.  Of course, I complied!!

There were the usual questions, did we celebrate Christmas, where did we celebrate it and how?  I was asked what our Poppy Day was all about?  I was able to answer that we commemorated Poppy Day to remember all our fallen heroes in previous wars.  Did I celebrate Halloween?  If so, what manner of celebrations took place.  I explained that in UK it was not as prevalent as in USA but that I always had a bucket of sweets ready for trick or treaters.  After a few more questions, I was asked......  did I follow American politics?  What did I think of Obama?  I explained that I did follow the politics and that I thought Obama was a good choice, anyone would be better after Bush (apologies to anyone who does not believe this)!!  To which they smiled a wry smile!

Last but not least I was asked if I believed in Father Christmas?  Of course I do, I replied!!!

The girls were charming, well spoken and intent on creating the right image.  Their English was exceptional.  After complimenting them on their achievements we parted, each wishing us a very happy Christmas and New Year.

There must have been about 20 or so kids doing this in the store and they were a pleasure to speak with and to watch.  If only they would all grow up to be the same in adulthood!