Food is definitely centre stage at Christmas. Since we moved to Canada almost 20 years ago we haven’t had a large family gathering but we are connected to our family through our traditional Christmas.
Mum always cooked a gammon before Christmas and we would have this with leftover turkey. She just boiled hers in water but I do mine in Cola… (get the recipe here - How to cook a Christmas Ham plus 2 of my favourite glazes)
On Christmas morning we try to call the relatives back home before they are too drunk then Carl feeds the animals, usually giving them extra feed.
I get started on dinner with my Christmas play list blaring some of my favourites are
Fairy tale of New York by the pogues - the best Christmas song ever IMO!
The lost Christmas Eve - the Trans Siberian Orchestra
It’s Christmas- Slade
Stay another day - East 17
Our oversized turkey goes in the oven before we open presents. I have to say there is no shame in having an 18lb turkey for 2 people, it’s the only day I cook one and I need leftovers. One year I bought a 7lb anorexic, free-range turkey that I think walked here from BC.
It was very disappointing because we didnt have enough leftovers for Boxing Day turkey curry!
We always do a toast before we eat with Asti Spumante and pull party crackers, read the silly joke and wear the silly hats.
When I took over cooking Christmas dinner I changed our starter from Prawn cocktail to celery and stilton soup, which was such a hit that every year someone would call me for the recipe.
Nowadays I don’t cook 27 (Ok slight exaggeration) different vegetables I stick with potatoes - boiled and roast, mashed carrot and Swede and of course the mandatory Brussels sprouts.
I used to have mashed potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower cheese, roasted parsnips, roasted carrots and peas on top of that. Carl doesn’t do peas - he says they are too hard to load onto your fork and he has no time for that lol!
Our main meal is a lot smaller now and to make it easier I cook what I can the day before.
Along side the turkey we always have:
Chipolatas wrapped in streaky bacon,
Roast and boiled potatoes,
Mashed carrot and swede,
Brussel sprouts.
If we are lucky enough to get giblets we have giblet gravy.
There is no room for dessert, we prefer cheese and crackers if we can force feed ourselves anything else! We also don’t do Christmas cake, even though I have a great recipe from my Aunty Pat - it’s just too much cake!
After all that overindulging we have no option other than to plonk down in front of TV with a glass of port and some of our favourite chocolates.
Terrys chocolate oranges
After eight mints - I am that person who takes the chocolates out and leaves the wrappers in the box lol, this really annoys Carl lol.
Quality street - (is it just me or are the tins really small now?)
Then we binge watch some of our favourite Christmas TV
The Vicar of Dibley Christmas specials
Only Fools and Horses Christmas specials
Mrs Browns Boys - well I love it - Carl is not so keen!
That’s about the end of a traditional Christmas for us, Carl checks the animals again then we usually fall asleep on the couch!
Want to support our farm but can’t buy our pork
A coffee would be greatly appreciated 😊!
This blog post was written in participation in a Blogging Bee-an online gathering reminiscent of the quilting bees and sewing bees of days past when women would bring their work together to create art. If you enjoyed this post about “Traditions,” take a look at these posts from other farmers, small business owners, homesteaders, and creatives.
Three Sweet Traditions to Simplify the Holidays by Jessica Haberman