Christmas Eve

The day started out rather blearily, thanks to staying up way too late fiddling with florentines, shortbread, caramels etc (I do not have enough airtight containers! Every year, no matter how many I have, it is never enough) but after some revivifying tea, I sat down to my first task of the day - halving and pitting, then poaching 600g of cherries (reduced the sugar a bit, only one cinnamon quill. And oh wow. The smell is amazing!)

I survived this encounter with minimal redecoration of the house and my own self. Disposable gloves and my apron were a great help, although I still managed to smear cherry juice up my forearms and drip on the apron (which went into the wash immediately afterwards, although if I hadn't been checking for stains I might not have noticed them for awhile. The juice dried to the same shade as the flowers in the fabric, it was quite remarkable.)

Then there was wrapping presents and making the vanilla bean bundt cake (1 teaspoon Cointreau instead of lemon extract, since that's what I had) which I have yet to taste but the batter tasted fabulous! Glazing will happen tomorrow.

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We had our usual Christmas Eve dinner with Dee, which was really nice. She gave me a lovely glazed pottery bowl that she bought in 1947, at a pottery on Friday Hut Road in the Forgotten Valley. She saw it being made and they went back a few days later to collect it. It's a deep gumleaf green with an unusual wavy rim. Dee said no one else in the family particularly cares for it and when she saw the pottery I bought at the Artist's Trail last month, she thought I might like it. And she'd like to think it will continue to be loved.

That was lovely.

We also discovered that we are not only connected through Mum's father's family but there's a connection on her mother's side as well. Mum started to mention her grandfather's name and Dee chipped in with his address! Connections within connections.

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We took a few detours on the way home to check out the Christmas lights in the neighbourhood (with some of those blinking lights, I wonder that everyone in the neighbourhood doesn't wind up with migraines.) Now, having tidied up, washed the dishes, finished wrapping presents, read half of 101 Dalmatians, I just need to take Mum's stocking into her room and I'm done!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all!

I just finished a rewatch of Disney's animated 101 Dalmatians which was a lovely end to the day! It's a delightful film and an excellent adaptation. I love the animation style - and I wonder at the amount of work it took in 1961!

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Started today with a bleary wake-up call (again with the falling asleep too late!) and discovering that rather than a long narrow woollen stocking filled with little presents, Mum had given up on trying to fit things in and put them all in a gift box - with the empty stocking on top. *g* We've had those stocking for years and I bet Mum curses the day she bought them. I rather enjoy the challenge of finding things small enough to fit. But I received some flavoured vinegars and dessert sauces and eyeshadows and sweets and a pair of gorgeous silver earrings which look rather like naked winter branches. They went very well with my outfit! (Yesterday, in my white dress and pale green wrap I was declared to look like Alice in Wonderland. Today, in my turquoise dress and white overshirt, with glittery green and silver eyeshadow, I was declared to look like a fairy princess. I think I'm rather pleased.)

Then we had a breakfast (brunch for Mum) of croissants with jam. And then we had presents! I have .. . lots of new things? Including DVDs (Red Dog, X-Men: First Class, Criminal Minds), a The Academy Is ... cd, a new rubbish bin for my bathroom (don't laugh, I wanted it! It looks like a pint-sized version of an Oscar the Grouch-type trash can) and a psychedelic zebra.

Mum was very happy with her silver rhino and camel and her cherry red toaster and kettle, among other things (we always say we won't go overboard with presents but we like spoiling each other! And other people, too.)

Then we headed over to see Roz and co. Roz was thrilled with her Alice in Wonderland: We're All Mad Here print, plus shortbread and caramels. We stayed there and chatted for a bit then headed home so I could start cooking.

It was supposed to be a late lunch but it turned into an early dinner due to tussles with the turkey and our neighbour from across the road arriving just as I was almost finished. But in the end, success!

Deboned, butterflied turkey rolled with cranberry, fig, almond, rosemary, brandy and sausage stuffing. I would like to note what the recipe said about rolling the turkey. Spread the stuffing over the turkey, leaving a 1cm edge, then roll the turkey and tie with string. HAH. It took both of us, a tea towel, several skewers, toothpicks and stuffing everywhere to get the turkey rolled and holding together.

But it turned out beautifully! So tender and the flavour was fantastic. And the gravy, with cranberry sauce, port, mustard and stock was excellent. We also had green beans with bacon and almonds, plus roasted kipfler potatoes and sweet potato with garlic and thyme.

It was all so good but I couldn't even finish a whole plate! The dogs had a little Christmas treat. *g*

We were way too full for dessert but we were planning to visit the neighbours across the road so we did that. They're really nice people (except for the father who is ... hard to take.) Then it was home again for vanilla bean bundt cake with poached cherries and caramel and butterscotch brickle ice cream (I made my own ice cream last year but I decided I could skip that this year.)

Cake? Mmmmmm. Cherries? More, please! Ice cream? Oh yeah.

Followed by 101 Dalmatians and wow, I need to go to bed. We're seeing brother and family tomorrow. Hopefully it will go well.

*sighs* Good day. I hope you all had (or are having) good days as well.

Merry Christmas!