Are we ready yet?
The garden centre were literally down to just one tree of a decent size when Darren went to fetch one. This time last year when we got our tree I had my big fall and smashed my face in on the pavement and broke my arm so thought maybe I’d let him fly solo this year and trust we’d get a decent one, I am nothing if not a control freak so you can imagine how hard that was! We were lucky, it is a little lopsided and is a bit sparse up top so I keep adding things, I’m rummaging for tinsel this afternoon and I know I have some big red and gold bows somewhere. I might also replace the star on top with a big angel Gabriel I have tucked away. Best thing is this is a living tree and is in a huge pot so it can be dragged outside and brought in next year if it survives the long hot summer. This year I’ve gone for red, gold, silver and white for a really festive feel.
My oak dresser filled to bursting with my best china, vintage glassware and granny’s little teacups is adorned with fairy lights and a swag up top but this year I added these milk bottles i made with silver candles and frosted greenery.
I’ve had these lovely golden christmas trees for donkeys years they sit either end of the sideboard with a few favourite Christmas bits including the last card my mum wrote to me before she lost the ability to handwrite her own cards. She passed away earlier this year so I felt her card needed to be on show as a reminder that she will never be forgotten and will always be part of my Christmas. the lovely wood veneer card is one my son Ben made for us with a woodburnt christmas tree. Both the boys are really creative and artistic and you will see lots of bits I’ve been gifted from them around my house.
The christmas cake is chilling in a tin in the cupboard while I prepare the the toppings. This year I’m going for a rustic decor with candied orange and lemon, frosted rosemary and olive and bundles of tied cinnamon sticks. Somewhere I have an oak single cake stand which I think will be just the ticket. The house smells very citrusy.
Whilst they are simmering away we made lunch as a joint effort, Darren on pizza duty, mine defrosting and heating up the soup. Yes. To purists I am a philistine and have pineapple and ham on my four cheese pizza slices. I like it I don’t care. The soup has been a triumph I have to say. I had some served by The Sassy Kitchen in Empuriabrava and although I wasn’t cheeky enough to ask for the recipe I was fairly confident I could get a very close version using the same ingredients and a twist of my own. I’m not stealing anything away from them they don’t deliver in my area. Their’s was a butternut squash chorizo soup with a curry kick. Mine is a butternut squash, sweet potato, chorizo with a curry and chilli kick. It was super easy to make, if you’d like my recipe, comment below or on the blog link on my Facebook page. If I were to serve it as a dinner party starter I would add crispy dried onions and a sprinkle of chopped chives with a swirl of cream, maybe a scrunch of black pepper for a bit of glamour.
Righty hoo am off to have a quick cuppa before I fish the orange and lemon out of the syrup and put them out to cool. Will be posting a blog about the Christmas Fair with lots of examples of mine and my compadres work if I can squeeze it in before Christmas if not it will be in that quiet time betwixt and between one celebration and another.
Hasta luego folks. x
