The day after

Oh yes, shopping, the day after.... later, I've to work on this post first. I cooked for 2 days, didn't eat anything, just licked a lot of bowls. There's so much food but nothing for me to eat, everything was for Christmas dinner. Finally it came and we gorged. I must say it was an incredible success. Compliments to the cook, if I may say so. Everybody had a good time, the Lord has blessed us so richly in spiritual gifts, joy, goodwill, diligence, integrity and faith. With these gifts we go into the new year with great expectations of being further blessed more abundantly.

The day before saw me making the desserts, English Trifle, Panna Cotta and the Cranberry relish. I shopped at more markets than I can count, trying to gather all the ingredients I needed to make everything plus shopping for presents, finally I said, no more.

Here we are getting ready, everybody crowded into the smallish kitchen, it was where the action was and where it was warmer. The oven was working overtime, I had to time everything, when this comes out, that goes in, when the guests come, this will go in, when we sit down for dinner, the popovers goes into the oven so while we are eating, they come out, nice and piping hot.....

The desserts....

Is it time to open the presents?

A look around the house....

A few years ago I hung these baubles on the chandelier in the dining room, I've never taken them down, so they become relevant every Christmas.

I bought an incredible salad mix from the Santa Monica farmers' market. Here we are sampling it, it's got 12 different things in it and with each bite, you're tasting something different. It's an incredible experience.

Father and daughter, my brother and my niece.

Just before we ate...

Mum and dad. They enjoyed the meal. They are so gung ho, so can do kind of people. I guess that's what we became, real can do kind of people, very gung ho about life.

They went for seconds, my dad even ate seconds of the popovers.

It's amazing, we can squeeze 10 people into this dining table, an old pine table I bought 13 years ago from Crate and Barrel.

The niece and nephews, amusing themselves.

Pulling at a Christmas cracker.

Phew! Now for New year, how am I going to top that? I'm working ion the New Year's menu.

I hope your Christmas was good. Needless to say, mine was excellent.