Christmas Past...

All was calm, all was bright...mostly! This was our Christmas table at the farm, in one of my favourite rooms (it's also one of the oldest...1600's)...we arrived on Christmas Eve, laden with food & presents and added our parcels to the pile that already threatened to engulf the tree..

In the morning, I crept into the room that my youngest sister & her husband were sharing with my youngest nephew, Will - he's 3 1/2 which is the perfect age for magic! He was also too young to wake up very early...a real bonus as we all got to sleep in until 8am! It was so wonderful to watch him opening his stocking...and sneaking a crafty chocolate coin or two which he insisted were his breakfast!
 The day progressed in a scramble of wrapping paper & odd food eaten at inappropriate times...I was in charge of cooking the dinner and had half an hour of pure peace when everyone went out to walk various dogs and I was left at home with a roaring fire...

& pans of spiced red cabbage and butternut squash barley risotto gently bubbling away. We never have a turkey at Christmas (or, indeed, ever!) so nothing was tied up in the oven for hours. This year it was a rib of beef...just an hour of roasting, alongside the potatoes & parsnips, a few steamed brussels sprouts and all was ready...Mum lit the candles...

and we all sat down to eat (after pulling the crackers and wearing the obligatory paper crowns of course...!) I can't remember my cracker joke, but my favourite joke of the holiday was this one:Q- What cheese can you hide a horse in? A: Mascarpone! You really have to say it out loud. I loved it!
We stayed up far too late eating far too many chocolates, dates & candied fruits while watching the Downton Abbey Christmas special (very lovely & satisfying is all I will say in case you haven't seen it yet) and eventually went to bed very full but very happy.

Boxing Day was another late-ish start...Paul had brough locally smoked kippers for everyone's breakfast (except mine - I had porridge!) which taste delicious but make the house smell of fish for hours. Dad's way around this is to cook them on the barbecue - genius! Luckily it was a mild day...and so, with William's help, the barbecue was lit and the kippers grilled...

and it was the perfect meal.

Paul & Alice and I left in the late afternoon after watching 'The Sound of Music' for the millionth time...and it was all over again. Or almost.

For me, the thing to do at Christmas is nothing out of the ordinary. I love to spend those few days in a loving bubble of family, tradition and comfort. My favourite memories are always very simple things...the endless rounds of tea-making, the frenzied unwrapping and cries of 'oh thanks so much!!' and, above all, the shared tasks...the peeling, the chopping, the tasting, the washing up...

surrounded by some of those that I love most in the world.

Who could ask for more than that?

I hope that you had a magical time too...and the New Year beckons, with all it's excitement and potential...but I'm going to hold on to the last few days of 2011 for as long as I can!

With love xo