Anyone Game? It’s my Sep 2013 Blog! Normal Routine around Town #783, 05/18

[skier_pete]

The best part about those pictures of town hall ....I've been there now!

Yummy looking food, but I really couldn't eat another bite thanks.

And hey, we got a foot (30 cm) of snow overnight (4 PM to a little after midnight). The great thing about Buffalo, roads were plowed by morning, I'm back at work. (OK, maybe that's not so great.)

Pete

[LadyBeBop]

Thanks for the links. They're something I could do next year.

However, with the reindeer, looks like I have to convert everything from metric to American standards. Plus find a suitable substitute for Butternut Snap Cookies and Jaffas. I don't think we have those items up here.

And what kind of cream are we talking about? Regular whipped cream? Heavy cream? Half and Half?

[PrincessInOz]

Originally Posted by LadyBeBop

Thanks for the links. They're something I could do next year.

However, with the reindeer, looks like I have to convert everything from metric to American standards. Plus find a suitable substitute for Butternut Snap Cookies and Jaffas. I don't think we have those items up here.

And what kind of cream are we talking about? Regular whipped cream? Heavy cream? Half and Half?

I used heavy cream.

I didn't end up using Jaffas for the nose. I did get them but I used raspberry jubes/jellies instead. I would imagine anything round'ish and red would work.....even M&Ms.

[PrincessInOz]

Originally Posted by franandaj

I can't even imagine the mayhem with 22 adults and 12 kids! The most we have nowadays is the four of us. If my sister ever could come down with her husband and kids, they would more than double our numbers. We have less than 10 in our whole family. 12 if you include my father's sister, husband and kid.

If we went back east there would be six more (my mother's brother and his kids/spouses/grandkid).

That's still a relatively large number to have for Christmas lunch!

Originally Posted by ACDSNY

I grew up with large extended family gatherings for Christmas and really miss them these days. Your feast looks amazing and it's nice to see we're not the only ones rolling out the door after dinner. We were a fairly small group this year with 12 adults and 5 kids.

I love the encore of the X-mas lights!

I wouldn't consider that small either.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by zanzibar138

Hey I made these! With gluten free cookies for FIL

Sounds like you had a great Christmas eve!

Hope you had a great Christmas yourself. Won't they easy to make?

Originally Posted by skier_pete

The best part about those pictures of town hall ....I've been there now!

Yummy looking food, but I really couldn't eat another bite thanks.

And hey, we got a foot (30 cm) of snow overnight (4 PM to a little after midnight). The great thing about Buffalo, roads were plowed by morning, I'm back at work. (OK, maybe that's not so great.)

Pete

Snow? Hope you're keeping warm. You're back at work? Already?

[PrincessInOz]

Christmas Day Lunch



With my family Christmas face time over and done with on Christmas Eve, and as DH’s family don’t celebrate this festival, Christmas day has become a celebration day for DH, DS and myself. Over the years, my parents have determined that they like my style of celebration best and it has become tradition that they come have Christmas lunch with us.

We’ve been doing this for quite a few years now and my menu has settled into a yearly routine. I’ve taken to preparing a more traditional roast lunch with summer fixins’. It is a nice contrast to the dinner the night before Christmas.


My table.






I’ve pared the traditional turkey down to a rolled turkey breast. My chicken pantry prepares the breast for me and after I sear it on all sides, I slather the breast with herb butter before roasting. It is easier to cook and much more economical where leftover management is concerned.






I did make gravy to go with it; but I seemed to have missed taking the picture.

For my pesky vegetarian DH, I put salmon cutlets on. The cutlets are stuffed with bread, pine nuts and dill. It is so easy and simple to prepare, looks Christmas-y and the cooking timing works well with the roast resting time and oven temperatures.






Roast potatoes are a must.






I’m still experimenting with the stuffing; but this one is nearly there.






And because it is summer in Australia, I tend to throw a couple of salads together. As I’ve got a golden theme happening with this year’s table, I’ve added golden touches to the salad this year.











I always serve a plum pudding for dessert.






The brandy snap basket filled with mango sorbet and diced mango was also in keeping with the golden touches this year.






And with coffee, we had rum balls.







I always enjoy hosting Christmas for my parents. And the mango sorbet was a hit with them. Seems like it might be a keeper for next year!

[ACDSNY]

The whole meal looks so yummy, I'd say it's a keeper too!

[franandaj]

That looks like a nice relaxing Christmas meal! I would love to be invited!

[skier_pete]

Originally Posted by PrincessInOz

Snow? Hope you're keeping warm. You're back at work? Already?

Yeah, we had 8 hours to plow, so the roads were clear by morning. If it snowed midnight to 8AM that much, might have been delays. One foot isn't really a big storm for Buffalonians. Now two might make us blink.

[PrincessInOz]

Originally Posted by ACDSNY

The whole meal looks so yummy, I'd say it's a keeper too!

Except for the stuffing, I agree. I've served a similar menu for the last 2 years now. I need to tweak the stuffing a little. I think it needs something else...maybe a little natural sweetener. So I'm going to add some sultanas to it next year.

Originally Posted by franandaj

That looks like a nice relaxing Christmas meal! I would love to be invited!

Alison - Would you and Fran like to come to Christmas lunch at my place? Just let me know which year....standing open invitation!

Originally Posted by skier_pete

Yeah, we had 8 hours to plow, so the roads were clear by morning. If it snowed midnight to 8AM that much, might have been delays. One foot isn't really a big storm for Buffalonians. Now two might make us blink.

Sounds like you guys take it all in your stride. Enjoy the fluffly white stuff.

[PrincessInOz]

About Christmas Catch-Ups and yet more Food Porn


It may come as no surprise to some of you that I call this time of year the Silly Season. Afterall, for 48 weeks of the year, we will carry on with our daily lives with no more than a casual thought of our extended friends wishing we could find time to see them. And then November rolls round and we set about feverishly contacting them all with promises of catching up with them before Christmas.

I don't know about you......but every year, I set out determined to do better on the friendship stakes........and with all good intentions of catching up with everyone more DURING the rest of the 48 weeks.

As Christmas 2012 has passed, I think I have every right to claim a start on my good intentions for Christmas 2013. Either that.....or Silly Season 2012 has a very long tail!

So, I've started Christmas 2013 with a bang!


We have some rather dear friends that live in Sydney. These friends are actually DH's friends and we've known them for quite a few years now. Sydney is roughly about 900 km from Melbourne; roughly the distance of LA to San Francisco, so face time with these friends has been somewhat difficult over the last 7 years.

They came down to Melbourne to spend Christmas with their loved ones. And we managed to fit in a catch-up in amongst all the family get-togethers.

Naturally, we caught up over food.

Here's some of what we had to eat.


It was an Italian restaurant and we got bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table. What was surprising was that the balsamic vinegar was of a 'fine-aged' quality. It had that sweetly treacle taste and texture to it that was a dead give-away that it was at least 10 years old!






We all opted not to have any starters and the main courses came out reasonably quickly.

Although DH did order off the starter menu - decided he wanted the salmon salad plate, which they upsized to a main.






By contrast, our friend had the proper salmon main. The difference is really that creamy potato mash.






His wife went with the veal and mushroom sauce. She asked for roast potato instead of the mash. It was line-ball as to which was better.






DS decided on gnocchi with napoli sauce to go with his parmesan chesse. I was actually surprised at how restrained he was with the cheese!






No order envy for me tonight! I decided on the rib eye.







Done medium rare! And it was perfectly done to my satisfaction.







The reason no one wanted any starters was because we all checked out the dessert menu first. Afterall, if there are great desserts on the menu, we need to make space for it, right?

Our friend went with the Tira Misu option.






His wife settled on the creme brulee.







DS choose the crepes with ice cream.







DH and I were in perfect agreement. Never pass up on Chocolate Souffle if it is on the menu. The 20 minute wait seemed much less and this souffle was delicious!






It had been a great catch-up with our friends; and a perfect start to the 2013 Silly Season!

[ACDSNY]

I'll take one of each of the desserts I'm so drooling over. All of the main course look awesome too.

[zanzibar138]

That restaurant looks awesome PIO - so much yummyness! Where is it?

[dgbg100106]

Yummy

[franandaj]

You've got me very hungry! I think I'll go make some pasta, steak and Tiramisu!

[PrincessInOz]

Originally Posted by ACDSNY

I'll take one of each of the desserts I'm so drooling over. All of the main course look awesome too.

I thought the entire meal was great. We'll definitely be heading back here.

Originally Posted by zanzibar138

That restaurant looks awesome PIO - so much yummyness! Where is it?

Fiorelli's in Camberwell. There are a couple of restaurants opposite the Rivoli cinema. We haven't been to Fiorelli's until this night. But most of the others are good as well.

Originally Posted by dgbg100106

Yummy

Originally Posted by franandaj

You've got me very hungry! I think I'll go make some pasta, steak and Tiramisu!

Did you enjoy it?