Well that was Christmas...

After what seems like a month or so planning and baking it's all over in a flash. I found the above photo on our camera. Hubby took it on the 23rd, you can see me rushing around and the chaos of the cottage in the run up to Christmas. It also makes it look like our cottage is huge, trust us it isn't.

This year Hubby & I spent Christmas with my parents Oop North. As a pressie for my parents I offered to buy the turkey. 3 days after Christmas and 3kg of turkey later, plus a multitude of variations on a turkey theme it is eventually finished. The same can't be said for the Christmas ham which is going to be reincarnated into a ham & leek pie later this evening.

Christmas started when we arrived on the afternoon of Christmas eve and the men cracked open the smoked porter from Burton Bridge Brewery this was soon followed by a trip to the local to hear my brother busk. Incidentally anyone one in and around Southport during the week run-up to Christmas would have heard my brother and his brass-instrumentalled-mates belting out Christmas tunes. Us women stuck to the good old Baileys. Once the obligatory cuppa was out of the way Christmas day started with a peach schnapps and champagne cocktail made by little sister who in plaster due to a disagreement with the piste while snowboarding a few days before Christmas. Late afternoon we sat down to a traditional turkey roast dinner with all the trimmings plus the Guinness Christmas Pudding I made back in November. It had a stronger taste of cloves this time, but I imagine this is due to me maturing the pudding for a bit longer this time around. The last of the alcohol to be tried was the Haw Brandy and Apple & Blackberry Gin we made after one of Hubby's foraging adventures back in October. It was filtered on Christmas eve and both produced such beautiful, pure drinks. The gin went down particularly well and we'll certainly be making a batch of it again for next Christmas.

Santa certainly came up trumps this year. Along with the Made in England rolling pin I also was lucky enough to receive lots of wine, a Hotel Chocolat discovery box, a set of Homepride flour tins and from Hubby not one but 2 trips to River Cottage. The first being the famous Valentines Feast, the second - a place on their bread making course. I was truly shocked when he announced where he was taking me. We must think very similar as his early Christmas present was Pig in a Day with Hugh and it just so happened we booked each others pressies within a few minutes of each other and spoke to the same events coordinator. I can't wait to visit.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas.

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