Christmas Past and Pleasures Yet to Come

Another Christmas is over but the enjoyment lingers. The food was delicious, the wine was full of fruity notes and warmth and love completed all of it. But there is still time to savour the pleasures of the season.

My lovely husband surprised me with a bouquet on Christmas Eve. He’s not usually one for giving flowers so it was a very welcome treat. I didn’t have the energy this year to fill a vase with holly and berried twigs from the garden so this was an added pleasure.

Christmas Eve was a day of preparation and anticipation. I brought in the vegetables from the garden for my festive flan. They might have looked a sorry sight with their clinging soil but once washed and peeled they were a delight to the eye and tasted wonderful after cooking.

I took a few moments to wander around the garden and find a treasure or two.

Everything went to plan on Christmas Day. My flan cooked to perfection, the potatoes crisped and the parsnips roasted to a golden finish. The ice-cream was topped with my chocolate sauce and toasted pecans. It was delicious. Always good when hard work pays off.

My husband made a box for one of my gifts from my photo of clematis “Freda”. The same beautiful pink clematis that heads my blog. He printed it and also made a label before forming it into a slim box. It is so beautiful I shall never be able to throw it away.

I feel very fortunate and grateful.

Finally on Boxing Day it was time for putting my feet up. Easy food and lots of chocolate.

If you have turkey to use and not sure what to do for a change, try this one-pan meal. It’s easy, tasty and saves on washing pans.

Thinly slice an onion and cook gently in a little oil. Add thinly sliced carrots, a little water and a chicken stock cube. Stir to dissolve the stock cube and bring to the boil. Add frozen peas and cook for a few minutes until the carrots are tender. Add bits of turkey and frozen rice. Bring back to the boil and stir to combine. Add a little more water if necessary but the aim is to have most of the water absorbed by the time it’s cooked. If you have some dried sweetened cranberries add them to the pan. Turn the heat right down and allow to simmer gently until vegs are tender, meat is thoroughly reheated and cranberries are plump. The cranberries are not essential if you haven’t got them in but they do add something special to the dish.

A few scraps of ham left and not sure how to use them? Whiz them in the food processor or finely chop and mix with a spoonful or two of cream, creme fraiche or cream cheese and a dash of pepper. Makes a simple pate to use on toast or crackers. Makes a little go a long way because it uses up odd little bits. You can also add chopped herbs or snipped spring onions if you want to bulk it up a little and add flavour. You could do the same with any cooked meat. Done this way a dry meat like chicken breast or turkey is moist, very tasty and makes a fabulous sandwich..

And after all the eating, drinking and gift giving I composed a little poem to sum it all up.

Christmas Day

The wine flows, chocolate melts on our eager tongues.
The kitchen buzzes and tempting aromas fill the air.
As days go, this one belongs
Among the very best we share.

This is the magic that Christmas brings,
Traditional pleasures, the giving of gifts,
The thrilling sound as a choirboy sings,
The feeling that our soul uplifts.

As once again this special day is dawning
With bright-bowed presents waiting there,
We wake to another Christmas morning
Full of merriment, peace and prayer.

The preparation may be frantic, it brings stress and often sadness but there is nothing to equal the special feeling of Christmas and that’s why we continue to do it. I hope everyone of my readers has had a very happy time and you’re ready to start another year. Bye for now. With you again next week.