There are not too many memories I have from our years in England which is quite sad, but I guess being fairly young then may be the reason for that. Looking back to the years after we moved to South Africa and before I was married the two things I remember most are...our pillowcases filled with presents, as I mentioned once before and the feast of food my late dad used to make every year that we ate on for days. My dad loved to cook and he enjoyed browzing through recipe books looking for new recipes...sadly he wasn't a pudding man, more the cheese and biscuit type, but he did love to experiment with oriental foods and recipes on Saturdays and Sundays were the time for a special roast or something else delicious. Christmas day he went all out and from the time he arrived home from work on Christmas Eve, he would be cooking up a storm in the kitchen, most times working late into the night so that Christmas day everything was done and all we had to do was put it all together and serve. From breakfast to supper time it was just food, food, food...
I have tried over the years to master my dad's menu, but I just am not in the same league that he was I'm afraid. I have also cooked the gammon and the tongue and the beef roast to slice up and serve for breakfast with croissants....and the turkey and chipolata sausages with roast potatoes for dinner time and as much as my family ooh and aah and tell me how delicious it all is, I know that it could be better. Some years ago I decided that for a change we were going to have a purely South African Christmas meal which meant none of the 'staples' that we were used to eating, so imagine my surprize when my brother and his family arrived with a turkey!!!!!!!!!!!!! My South African Christmas meal was once again turned into traditional festive fare...
This year Matthew and Jess are in the Cape for Christmas and my mum is with my sister, so it was just going to be Johan, NiQi and I....until we heard my sister-in-law and hubby were also going to be spending most of Christmas day on their own...and our threesome became a 'fivesome' which then turned into a 'sixsome' when they heard this week that their son has been given Christmas day off this year. Suddenly my low key, nothing special, Christmas is being plotted in my mind...hehe...I asked Johan last evening what we are going to cook this year and he settled on the idea of a leg of lamb which he will do in the weber, flavoured with garlic, rosemary and mint....mmmm yummy. I think I will make a stuffed chicken and whole roasted potatoes, together with glazed carrots and brussel sprouts, my personal favourite - if I can find some - AND for those not keen on brussel sprouts, I will do boring old peas...lol
Pudding...mmm pudding...we can go traditional with Christmas pud, but I think not....it has to be trifle, trifle with a twist, delicious, smooth and creamy, yes that's a good idea - together with ice cream... Hmmmm I better make my shopping list ready to hit the shops tomorrow morning, just for the bits and pieces mind you...
VARIOUS CHRISTMAS BREAKFASTS AND LUNCHES WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS............
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