Right now I can just imagine the hive of activity in kitchens all over NZ.Pavs, trifles, truffles, hams, chickens, etc, etc.Enjoy all your Christmas goodies tomorrow everyone.Merry Christmas : )
gardie,
Dec 23, 10:07pm
Haha - I've never thought about it till right now - and you are very right.Although... I can relax now, I've done everything that needs doing until tomorrow.Merry Christmas to you too.
seniorbones,
Dec 23, 10:09pm
yes!!..and no house work done yet, vacuuming needs doing, bathrooms need cleaning floors need washing and havent glazed the ham yet which is for dinner tonight! better get a move on.
thelmalouise,
Dec 23, 10:11pm
Having 12 for brekkie so been busy. Just cooked mushrooms and caramelised some red onions. The rest can be done in the morning. Cutlery all out ready.
fifie,
Dec 23, 10:29pm
Just finished big kitchen cleanup been a busy day, it must be wine oclock time... Merry Xmas...
wasala,
Dec 23, 10:52pm
I'm not a natural-born cook so it was very reassuring to know all you foodies would be here - full of good advice!
dwebble,
Dec 23, 10:59pm
Well as much as I don't actually celebrate xmas, I am however, cooking some roasts as we speak so we can relax and lounge around the pool all wknd (assuming the weather lets us lol). There is a trifle in the fridge and a pav to make soon, but no frenzy or chaos thank goodness. My life is chaotic enough as it is without kitchen madness as well lol
vintagekitty,
Dec 23, 11:03pm
lol. Im going to start at midnight ive decided, as santa will be doing his thing then, I may as well be busy as well
toadfish,
Dec 23, 11:20pm
I must admit to not being part of kitchen chaos... we have family meals many times during the year and being an immigrant family (albeit from the 1970's) we only have my parents, hubby and 2 children.
So its very simple and we just enjoy each others company.Breakfast is toasted meusli, greek yoghurt, strawberries, croissants and various spreads at my house.Lunch will more than likely be a ham sandwich... may even put the breadmaker on for fresh bread.Then dinner is at my Mum & Dads, Turkey (This year a stuffed breast from faros, mums special stuffing balls wrapped in bacon and various roast veg and fresh veg.Followed by my great great grandmothers recipe christmas pudding that dad made months ago... with mums leathal brandy butter and vanilla ice cream....So most things done in advance.... no chaos in sight.....
toadfish,
Dec 23, 11:22pm
Waifs and Strays potluckBBQ at our house on Boxing day.... a whole other story
leonie11,
Dec 23, 11:32pm
yep cooking and cleaning here all day too!!! hopefully can rest up tomorrow for xmas and work sunday, have a good one everyone
eastie3,
Dec 24, 12:49am
I worked today and will work tomorrow so have had to be organised. The trifle and truffles were made last night,my son is doing the ham and as one daughter is a vegetarian I have to factor that in.She is having Annabel Langbein's Cous Cous with Roasted Veges,in fact we will all probably have some of that.I am also doing Roasted Stuffed Red Peppers (stuffed with with feta,cherry tomatoes,orange kumara and basil).It's a Julie Biuso recipe.Half the family want boiled Jersey Bennes with mint,the rest want a JB potato salad with a minted green pea dressing.They will get whatever I feel like making lol.
I have made a simple syrup with a good slug of limoncello added to go over a fresh fruit salad-papaya,pineapple,strawbe- rries,mango with banana and passionfruit added at the last minute.The pavlova has been successful and is cooling overnight in the oven.
We are having an evening meal so don't want a big heavy meal to digest.One daughter has just texted to say she has a bottle of Mumm champagne that she was given at work and thought it should be shared with her mum;she is my favourite child at the moment lol.
My menu has actually changed several times over the last couple of weeks,and I am happy with it,it's easier to just go with the flow than to stress out too much.Our grandson is 19mths and will love the presents,the twinkly lights on the tree and the candles,and I'm very much looking forwardto tomorrow. I hope you all have a lovely day.
mindi1,
Dec 24, 12:52am
LOL. Here I am in my 50s, happy, confident, and totally in love. Have cooked for years and have been domestic godessing for years too but ... pressure on. My darling's family is coming here 2moro. And suddenly I am full of angst. What is it about f***ing Christmas that diminishing us of all confidence?
eastie3,
Dec 24, 1:01am
Hi Mindi,poor you !Are you in a new-ish relationship and nervous about his family ?Take it from a fellow Goddess,I have made just about every balls up possible in the kitchen over the years,esp as a young bride desperate to impress my new MIL.As I got to know her better I realised that she not only was a reasonably basiccook herself,but was also anxious to not put any pressure on me as she was a lovely and very kind woman.Anyway I'm probably completely wrong about your situation !
My attitude has always been to laugh off any disasters and pour another round of drinks.Mind you some of those arose because I'd already been at the sauv,but just try and take whatever happens in your stride and just enjoy the day. Cin Cin
fifie,
Dec 24, 3:00am
Ha Ha vintagekitty that brings back memories, working late starting in the kitchen making pudds and goodies, doing the santa stint, falling into bed snatching few hrs sleep up again early.. Don't ya love it....
mindi1,
Dec 24, 4:16am
Thanx Eastie for your lovely message. We have been together for four years but this is the first that is our full on ours. His sons, daughters, in-laws and grandchildren are, I'm sure, thrilled he is in love with and cared for my me. This will be the first full-on Christmas at mine/ours ... after which they will all go to his ex's. 'Nuf said?
juliewn,
Dec 24, 6:38am
Have a fab day Mindi - your efforts have already made it very special...
Yes.. busy here too.. after being organised and having most things done, we went to get some berries at one of our lovely local berry farms here later this afternoon.. had coffee at their cafe, then decided to pick some berries ourselves.. a lovely evening to do so, and there were plenty of delicious boysenberries..
Got home, made 5 jars of boysenberry jam.. while the berries were heating, we made two batches of shortbread and baked them to place in the freezer for guests in a few days, then as the last lot was in the oven, made a double pavlova mix, and spread that into 9 individual pavlova's.. into the oven, baked for a while, then turned off.. Christmas dessert organised..
An easy dinner, then our traditional drive to see the Christmas lights.. a fabulous sunset over the harbour and town, a McD's icecream each, and a drive through town looking at the lights..
Home to a piece of shortbread while we watched some of the Christmas Concert on TV1.. then, even though she's Miss 20, the reading of 'T'was the night before Christmas, all through the house.. not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.....' - her 20th time of having it read to her.. and more years than that before for our Son.. a precious Christmas Eve shared tradition here..
Merry Christmas Everyone.. have the best day, with many smiles, and with people you care about.. x
gerry64,
Dec 24, 6:43am
Merry xmas to you all from Bathurst Oz - waiting for the pav then off to bed
juliewn,
Dec 24, 6:44am
Merry Christmas Gerry.. :-) hope it goes well.. have a lovely day..
twinsforus,
Dec 25, 1:49am
No chaos in my kitchen today......Lamb leg in the crock pot for dinner, simple potato, spinach and bacon salad, and cucumber, tomato, red onion & avocado salad with lime dressing to go with it.....beautiful and so easy!!!
fruitluva2,
Dec 25, 3:05pm
Finally peace reigns after all the kitchen chaos
uli,
Dec 25, 3:32pm
Haha - cannot see much chaos in a fruity kitchen :) Just peel and chop ...
lizab,
Dec 25, 8:01pm
juliewn - your post made me nearly cry!! On Xmas eve during the day I'd thought that I must get my book out (must be 35+ yrs old and the photo of Santa on the cover had torn off yrs ago and as a kid I'd drawn a pic of Santa on it in its place!!) I forgot to read it on Xmas Eve!!!! Feel a bit sad now, as I always read it to the kids (more for myself really! lol)
juliewn,
Dec 26, 7:05am
Oh Liza.. sorry! .. how lovely to have your treasured book.. you could read it to them anytime and it would be special.. something they'd remember, part of you sharing the poem with them..
Isn't a lovely poem to read.. I start with a slight whisper, building up as I go.. reading it that way must have impressed Miss 20 over the years - she said she told a friend in Hamilton recently about the tradition we have.. he hadn't heard of the poem.. she went online to find the words to read to him, and told me later 'I read it how you do Mum, starting with a whisper and building up, with emphasis on the main words as I read it'.. awww...
gardie,
Dec 23, 10:07pm
Haha - I've never thought about it till right now - and you are very right.Although. I can relax now, I've done everything that needs doing until tomorrow.Merry Christmas to you too.
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