A Thermomix Christmas as it unfolds

[Frozzie]

Cc zhu zhu pets are Roy Guinéa pigs that whiz around all over thé place... Lots of fun... Kids lové them 

We had à very slow morning had planned on alot of cooking but dh said take it easy and i normally go Ott with what i prépare so decided to listen and dh got pâtisserie from thé bakers for breakfast with à chai latte opened présents (that took hours) then did webcam with my parents and kids etc.. Had à basic lunch (spaghetti bol) then got organised for traditional dinner tonight... Turkey roll with cranberry and pistachio stuffing, stuffed mushies and potatoes and carrots cooked in Duck fat (yum) and peas with échalotes and. Butter and dessert choc mousse yule log... Off to bed early for us as so tired but big clean up in the morning... Heart wasnt in it tonight!

Hope everyone had à lovely xmas...

[obbie]

  My kids got zhu zhu pets yesterday aswell.
They love them..

Great day here, we had 16 for lunch, very relaxing though.

Robyn

[judydawn]

Ours was pretty good too.  Arrived at DD2's 11 am, nibbles awaiting us which were very tempting so I kept going back, opened presents (how quickly do kids open presents these days ), quite a large crayfish, prawn, mango & avocada starter.  Mum, DH and I could quite easily have stopped there   but a bit later the full on turkey & pork roast lunch, a bit of a break then the lovely pavlova - always got room for dessert  Home later that afternoon to our quiet house to just veg out - DH had a banana for tea (only because he has tablets he has to have with food and I had a bowl of watermelon and rockmelon.  No way can we eat 2 large meals a day in this house.  Phone call from DD1 in Melbourne after lunch to top off a very nice day.

[Rara1]

Our day.....
Miss 8 woke at 6.00am hoping miss 10 would do the same but she didn't wake until 7am (good girl!)
Opened pressies and made 3 lots of the beetroot and carrot salad with pomegranate molasses.
Headed off to the beach for an hour.  OMG it was packed!!  Kids had so much fun.
Came home got ready and went to in laws to open pressies.
Then went to lunch......this year there was 102 yes 102 at family lunch!!!
What a great turn out!!  My mother in laws family have kept this tradition going for the past 53 years.
Kids had so much fun seeing their cousins and we had a great time too catching up with adults.
Lots of food!!!
Then off we went to my side and it was only a small gathering (compared to in laws) of 55.
Had a very relaxing time. Stayed there for dinner.
Got home at 9pm exhausted.
House looks like a dump
Kids and hubby still in bed and I am getting ready to go to work.......
Absolutely dreading the boxing day hell day.
Rara x

[fundj&e]

rara, what a lovely tradition our in laws have, it must get bigger and bigger ever year, do u all meet up at a park or a restaurant?

by the time you say hello to everybody, it would have been time to go home lol

[courton]

The question is do you exchange pressies with 102 others??

[judydawn]

Not only that but do they wear name tags   I wouldn't remember all their names 

[fundj&e]

  i didnt think of that  .

[cookie1]

Wow, 102 people. Who does all the cooking?

When DH returned from dropping Ma in law and her zhu zhu back we had a drink and started on the leftovers. I'm not used to eating 2 large meals a day and felt really uncomfortable. Serves me right. We had a lovely relaxing dinner and went to bed fairly early for us as we were all exhausted.
I love today (Boxing Day). All the food is cooked, wse rarely have visitors so we all just chill out. DD has been catching up on her book blog, I'm reading some of my cookbooks and DH is of course out with his old cars.
I've loved reading about the varied days everyone had yesterday.


The Italina Food safari was from Santa  , the Dan lepard books from DH and DD bought the other 2 as she new I loved them but hadn't bought them. I am really trying not to buy too many new cookbooks. I'm not really succeeding though.

[Delightful Den]

I agree with you Cookie Boxing Day is usually my favorite as well.  Christmas day has always been just the family, me, DW, and 2 DDs. Then on Boxing day we would have DWs father and Grandmother when they were both still with us.  Eventually it became DWs sister and nieces and nephews plus our friends for a campaign brunch.

DW loves Christmas so there is always a theme for both Christmas day and boxing day. Having a big day on boxing day kind of stretched out the holiday so all the preparation didn't seem like it was for a few hours on Christmas day. We never really drink on Christmas day but seem to make up for it on Boxing day.

This year however it is just the four of us for today and while it is nice and quite it does seem strange. I didn't have to jump out of bed and start preparing food and we had brunch a bit later than usual.

All in all it has been a lovely couple of days with the girls back home. 

[Rara1]

rara, what a lovely tradition our in laws have, it must get bigger and bigger ever year, do u all meet up at a park or a restaurant?

by the time you say hello to everybody, it would have been time to go home lol

The same hall is hired every year as well as cleaners although this year they didn't turn up

The question is do you exchange pressies with 102 others??

No we don't exchange gifts however we bring a present for your own child ($10) so that "Santa" can hand out after lunch has been eaten.

Not only that but do they wear name tags   I wouldn't remember all their names 

It's been 15 years that I have been attending and there's absolutely no way I can remember names!!!  My husband on the other hand remembers everyone!!

We arrive just before 12pm for nibbles and champagne.....seated for lunch no later than 12.15pm......everyone eats, sings carols Santa arrives and dessert is served......all by 3pm!!!!   Madness I say

There is a Christmas lunch committee and each year a different family will host.  Each families are given a dish to make eg this year 2 salads from my MIL side had to bring plus MIL made the leg of ham.  Another family will bring the salmon another 2 families will bring potatoes etc.
It is so well organized and each year it's documented what was eaten, how may drinks were left over etc....

Rara x

[judydawn]

Thanks for all the answers to our questions Rara - it sounds like a well-oiled machine.  Love to see it in action.

[Katya]

it's lovely reading about everyone's Christmas.   We had a quiet day with just the 2 of us.   Went for a walk in the Peak District in the morning - only a very short walk as it was very windy but it did blow the cobwebs away.

Lunch was roast duck, with numerous vegetables including a new recipe of red cabbage cooked with grated beetroot and apple which was a great success.   I gave my TMX a holiday for the day as everything was done in or on the Aga. We were so full that we didn't eat our Christmas pudding but will eat it today (hopefully!)

We ate at about 3:00 pm and didn't manage to do much after that as we felt so stuffed.  I think we may try and eat later if it's just us again next year

It's a beautiful sunny day here today so I think another walk is called if we can face the winds again 

[Cornish Cream]

It sounds as though everyone had a super day,including me.I got thoroughly spoilt,Dan Lepards book Short and Sweet,a Pullman bread tin,a Bannaton,pinking shears,a box of chocolates and a new fleece to wear when walking Chance.

[cookie1]

It sounds lovely CC.