I know some of you have done Christmas puddings… but what else will be on the menu??
Our traditional breakfast is scrambled eggs on toast, with smoked salmon strips…
It’s the rest of the day that sometimes leaves me floundering…
We shall be on our own… but that’s no excuse for not making an effort…
A day like any other for us 2 irreligious pair, and how would we celebrate anyway? Give Fran 2 Fortimels instead of one? I might make myself a porridge for lunch as I make hers for breakfast. But perhaps not.
Christmas Day
Breakfast : Buck’s Fizz then bacon, egg and tomatoes with drop scones and maple syrup plus strong milky coffee.
Lunch : Foie gras, capon, bûche léger trois chocolats. Then a little nap……
Supper : nothing… or maybe a banana.
I havn’t really celebrated xmas or new year much since OH died and then the kids not being able to visit so as both sides of my son’s family are now all living down here we are spreading it out between the three homes. I don’t eat breakfast so the 25th is no problem after the long and huge blowout on the eve of the 24th so those coming to me on the 25th have said they only really want finger and pick type bits, nothing huge and heavy. Therefore I shall make my french chocolate/marron bûche as a desert we can have in the evening with some fizzy stuff. The 31st will be quiet for me as usual as the others are already going out but I don’t mind, some nice drink a few treats and Netflix suit me. As I get older I find I can’t eat the same foods as I did a few years back,they just don’t lay right afterwards! As for anything english traditional foods, nothing here that I have found and the french family cannot bear all that dried fruit plus it is far too expensive now to make a christmas cake like I used to with only me to eat it. I do miss the pudding but seeing the prices quoted on amazon, decided I could use that money for some really good wine instead.
For the first time in many years I’m doing a traditional Christmas turkey roast dinner. I’ve only ever cooked turkey once before…eek! Planning on using Saint Delia’s method with butter and bacon etc.
I’ve already bought a free range frozen turkey from Sainsbury’s which was £30 for a 4 kilo bird so hoping it’s not an expensive mistake!!!
Will be cooking for 6 people so there will be leftovers for sandwiches and curry.
Pudding already made and maturing under the bed in the spare room.
Planning to eat at 1.30pm and then listen to the King’s speech.
Lovely!!!
Izzy x
Temperatures vary from the north to the Algarve, in the south it will be around 18C in the day with sun, ok for a swim, night temperatures go down to 10C . I have been caught out in the north and central Spain temperatures drop to below freezing and we need propane to heat and cook the fresh /waste /central heating, water tanks dump automatically to prevent damage. It can be difficult finding sources as outside taps will be frozen or disconnected it is all part of the camper fun
No, it was a recipe in either Living France or France magazine back in the early 90’s and I have used it ever since, tweeked sometimes where the alcohol is concerned for another taste but it is easy and quick to do.
You got away lucky. Last year muggins here had to cough up €60 for a bio, free range local village bird that my DIL had reserved. I shrugged it off for my contribution towards the meal etc but I was cross at having to spend so much when we could have got one a lot cheaper and still a decent elevage etc. To be honest I did not notice any difference in taste etc to a supermarket one previously purchased.
For the bacon strips across the bird to help it keep juicy, the thick cut pieces of bacon are best, rashers just turn to hard,crisp offerings otherwise. I shove an onion cut in half into the stomach cavity before stuffing that part and the neck cavity with sausage meat (char) and lot s of garlic.
My (no-rolling-pin) Orlando Murrin recipe for Mincepies from BBC GoodFood Christmas magazine 2002:
I zapp all the pastry ingredients in the magimix (with the sharp blade)… comes out like breadcrumbs without any faffle…
and then just tip into a large bowl and nead by hand until all comes together into a solidish bundle… the more one grapples with it, the better the pastry (in my opinion)
I found pressing the balls of pastry into the tins didn’t work for me…
but flattening a small ball of pastry between ones palms works very well indeed, then the “discs” carefully lining the patty tin. My palm-pressed discs are much more uniform that the ones in the video within the link… makes me feel quite good to think I can do something better…
Spending Christmas in England for the first time since 2002 at step sons (the sensible, not the idiot one) so have no idea what to expect. But I won’t be cooking, apparently
Sounds lovely. Not going to stuff it though, too stressful. As you say thick strips of bacon (free range only) and an onion and a lemon up it’s bum.
Izzy