Food Glorious Food

I finished all of my shopping today for Christmas day so I thought I would share my menu for the day with you.

(Disclaimer: None of the photos that follow are mine I have shamelessly ripped them off from a simple Google image search of my menu items)

We always start the day with Croissants, coffee and orange juice (and champagne, shhh).
This year we have smoked salmon and avocado, or ham, brie and mustard as a back up if we have extra guests.

Christmas breakfast is a tradition my mother started as all us kids got older,  just one of the many reasons I will always love her.

For Christmas lunch I am cooking a traditional stuffed bird, this year de-boned and rolled turkey stuffed with cranberries and walnuts.

The traditional trimming just don't make sense during an antipodal  summer so this year the bird will be served with a crisp Waldorf salad.

We had Waldorf salad and a glass of champagne for lunch at the Waldorf Hotel in New York a few years ago, it was the smallest and most expensive lunch of the entire trip but so worth it, (sort of like having a Singapore Sling at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, again very x'y) I would do it again in a heartbeat.

For evening grazing I will throw together a very simple antipasti, marinated veges, cured meats, cheese, one of my favourite ways to eat any day of the year.

Dessert again is very simple and something I do every year, piles of fresh cherries and chocolate, this year Lindt Chocolates, which goes on the table after lunch and stays until it is all gone.

Simple yet lush and decadent at the same time, yum.

So season's greetings to you and yours, I wish you the very best for the year to come.

Cheers

AA xx

making a list and checking it twice

Normally I am one of these super  annoying organised Christmas shoppers who by this stage has everything bought and wrapped as either, we would travel for Christmas or else I had to have everything in the post so it would arrive on time.

Not this year, due to several very boring reasons which I won't go into, we are planning to travel post Christmas so I have no shopping done what so ever.

So in order to assist those in a similar predicament I have compiled a list of pressies, some of which I have given with great success in the past others are new inspiration.

First up the previous successes;

One year I gave my brother-in-law a great cocktail book along with a basic bar set, you know the ones with the shaker, strainer and the little knives and garnishing tools. A few evenings experimenting with that won't lose him his father of the year title, but less father and more bachelor than most of his gifts.

Continuing on with the book theme, for work last year we had a Bad Santa gift exchange, our Director unwrapped the Jamie Oliver cook book I had entered, after opening it she said "if anyone takes this from me your fired". Enough said.

For the music lover check out Blender Gallery  for an awesome selection of music photographs, the wonderful Tali helped me pick this out for hubs, now we just need to find the right spot to hang it.

Next a couple of things on the maybe list for this year;

Spotted in Blue Haveli are these super colourful hand woven table cloths and napkins. Now who wouldn't love this gorgeous addition to the table.

Also at Blue Haveli are these totally individual embellished clutches, these are so in right now, I guess everyone is after unique pieces as a counterpoint to the globalisation of mass market fashion.

In a case of everything old is new again, vinyl is having a resurgence, I think this is about being present in the moment, enjoying the music as an experience not just as background as we go about our days, record players not being quite as portable as iPods, plus the sound is just better from an album on a record player. My favourite spot to browse away is Mojo Record Bar, great mix of music and booze, happy times.

Wrapping up the selection of gifts to give, (this one I am planning to giving to my team at work) is office friendly plants, depending on how much you want to spend there as multiple options of, succulents, cacti, the new favourite air plants, (see old is new again), or for a few more $$$, terrariums or earth jars (just google them).

For my family I am thinking of keeping it simple, looking through the Trade Aid online store I spotted gifts for everyone, buying it all online and having it delivered around the time I get there in the new year will make everything so much easier and also making an ethical choice that will benefit those in need of helping hand feels right.

And finally just in case hubs actually reads this in time, a couple of things on my wish list.

 

My obsession with Sass & Bide  is no secret, so on my list list this year is The Grace Tote and the All-Inclusive Necklace.

So happy shopping peeps, but if you have everything sorted, congratulations it's a great feeling isn't it. Otherwise, best of luck out in the maddening crowds.

AA xx

Tis the season…...

When we commenced this building adventure a year ago, the outside estimates had us in the house for Christmas but the 18 weeks in council blew out all time frames, so to still be so far off finishing is a bit of a downer.

So to get us a little more into the holiday mood I have added a few little touches of seasonal sparkle.

I do prefer to keep a slightly mono-chromatic colour palate, white/ silver & green  with just a pop of red with the martini glasses and a layer in the ornament filled jar amongst the candles, subtle. The only thing missing now are the flowers, Christmas Lilies or white roses, I haven't decided yet.

I spotted some great inspiration over on Apartment Therapy, although they indicate that these are ideas for small spaces I think they can work in any space, especially if you don't want to go all out, over the top, but instead prefer a more simple approach as I do.

So how about you? Any seasonal primping going on? If so please share, as I love to see what other people have going on.

AA xx