Hello @Steve the Gardening Vet, I remember you, I hope you had a good day yesterday. I hope all the Forkers enjoyed their Christmas Day.
I had a lovely day with Son 2. They all liked their presents. Present opening lasted some time as they had lots of small presents rather than one or two big ones. There is always a lot of excitement with little ones. Some of us went for a walk in the afternoon, not DIL as she was looking after the 2 smallest who were having their nap.
We had scallops in a creamy sauce then roast beef and various veg then a delicious Christmas log made of pineapple sorbet, meringue and passion fruit sauce that DIL had made.
Got home at 10pm and had a chat with OH on the phone before bed.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Good morning all 😊 ☕️ 🤫 OH is still asleep 😴 … I had to tiptoe down and make my own coffee ☕️ 😲. He’s still not stirring (see what I did there 😆).
Glad you had a lovely day @Busy-Lizzie 😊 We had a lovely day too … son was able to get to us by 2 … lovely presents were exchanged … He played his guitar while OH and I set the table and finished off the cooking … we forgot to watch the Queen but I expect she’ll forgive us … we can catch up with her later on iPlayer. The Red Poll beef from a local farm was perfect, with roasted Maris Pipers, carrots, sprouts, peas, spiced red cabbage, Yorkshire puds, gravy and horseradish sauce, with a very good Haut Médoc and a Sparkling Ginger and Lime drink for my son.
A brief pause and then that was followed by a simple French-style chocolate mousse (eggs, no cream). No one had room for any cheese after that but a couple of Medjool dates were nibbled later on. Son was excused washing up duty … he left early as it’s over an hours drive home and he had to feed the cat and get to bed … he has to work today … in fact he’ll be setting up a mobile testing centre in Framlingham right now …
It was a lovely day albeit a quiet one … we saw several young families go past, test-driving new bikes, folk gave a cheery wave and stopped to chat with neighbours, and we chatted with family and special friends on the phone… a good day 😊
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
We had a nice quiet Xmas, well up until we got the old vinyl out and fired up the record deck!
Started with OH making fresh ravioli for lunch. Couldn't find our pasta machine but found her mum's old one which had somehow been put away uncleaned several years ago. It took me an hour of Repair Shop type work to make it useable again but it was worth it. Washed the ravioli down with some vintage champagne (2002 Lanson Gold Label) then opened pressies.
I hadn't cooked rib of beef before so wasn't sure how it would turn out. Internet instructions mainly followed but the quoted resting period was nonsense. I was worried that it was too rare for OH but by the time I got all the roast veg sorted it was near perfect. The '94 Ornellaia was the perfect accompaniment, I am always nervous opening old bottles but it was sublime.
We finished off with a Heston Golden Xmas pud which we must have bought in 2017. That was helped down by another treasure from the garage, an English dessert wine - 2007 Chapel Down Nectar. Sadly it was the last bottle we had of it but we still have a cache of other "stickies" maturing.
Didn't watch any TV at all and finished up having a bit of an archeological dig through the record collection including gems like The Goons "I'm Walking Backwards For Xmas".
Friend's Covid test came back positive so we have all been testing again, so far all clear including her partner. She is symptomless which is a relief as she has quite bad asthma so has always got her jabs ASAP.
Afternoon all. I hope you are all well and still have some goodies left to enjoy.
We did a double amount of food yesterday so it’s leftover mash-up/fry-up later and I’m just taking a plate to Dad so he can have as a dinner or fry it up.
Happy Boxing Day to all Forkers. Quiet here and very mild with some showers overnight. The only leftovers from yesterday are a spoonful or so of gratin dauphinois, half of OH's small Xmas pudding and half of the self saucing choc pud Possum made for us. However, tonight's capon will leave us plenty for butties and salads and so on for the week and I'm using the crab and prawn shells from yesterday to make a stock for a fish soup.
I have just seen a blue tit scoffing cotoneaster berries on my wreath! And there are 5 chooks fossicking in the bed near the gate and about 40 sparrows on the ground feeders' slab of seeds.
Was going to do some gardening but Singing in the Rain is on and I love that film.
I hope all are well and have manged to see loved ones or re-schedule plans to see them when tests are negative.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
We are having a quiet day today. Been round the garden which is saturated after all the rain yesterday and in the night. Had to bail out the patio pond a bit as it was on the brink of overflowing. Cooking at SD's yesterday was "fun" her new kitchen is great but you need a tech degree to work it all.😄 Her turn tomorrow as SIL's family had to bow out, one of their girls is pos now, so we are going tomorrow to help them make a dent in the Lamb and trimmings she planned for them today. Oh the joy of changing plans.
Christmas seems to have passed peacefully and happily for most of us with some great food enjoyed, so despite changing plans and last minute disappointments all seems well. Fingers crossed next year gets to be more 'normal'.
I enjoyed cooking myself yesterday, just for 'us' and it was fun to play board games with Charlie, I buy a new one every year to challenge us. Bizarrely, two Christmases ago I got 'Pandemic' and we never quite mastered it, it just seemed to get out of control..... and then in the January Covid struck and we have never since felt inclined to play it...
I opened the Tearooms today, just from 11 am until 4 pm with a set Brunch menu. Extremely popular, and very easy as we knew who was coming and what they were having. Came home to a turkey sandwich and two warm mince pes with lashings of cream and enjoyed the peace and quiet as Charlie is plugged into his computer game. I am also taking the day off tomorrow, my other chef has had 3 days off all over Christmas, so Charlie and I are going bowling with one of his friends. definitely feels like a Christmas break, and now only 6 weeks until we go skiing.
Enjoy your evening all, we are going to be doing Round Two of Cantan...
“Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon
Hello Forkers, a long time lurker here. I hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas time, the one you wanted and needed, perhaps. There's just me and partner, living in the cold North. I love pottering in the garden, and am learning all the time by reading this wonderful forum. Good wishes, hoping you don't mind me posting, at last!
Posts
Hello @Steve the Gardening Vet, I remember you, I hope you had a good day yesterday.
I hope all the Forkers enjoyed their Christmas Day.
I had a lovely day with Son 2. They all liked their presents. Present opening lasted some time as they had lots of small presents rather than one or two big ones. There is always a lot of excitement with little ones. Some of us went for a walk in the afternoon, not DIL as she was looking after the 2 smallest who were having their nap.
We had scallops in a creamy sauce then roast beef and various veg then a delicious Christmas log made of pineapple sorbet, meringue and passion fruit sauce that DIL had made.
Got home at 10pm and had a chat with OH on the phone before bed.
Glad you had a lovely day @Busy-Lizzie 😊 We had a lovely day too … son was able to get to us by 2 … lovely presents were exchanged … He played his guitar while OH and I set the table and finished off the cooking … we forgot to watch the Queen
A brief pause and then that was followed by a simple French-style chocolate mousse (eggs, no cream). No one had room for any cheese after that but a couple of Medjool dates were nibbled later on. Son was excused washing up duty … he left early as it’s over an hours drive home and he had to feed the cat and get to bed … he has to work today … in fact he’ll be setting up a mobile testing centre in Framlingham right now …
It was a lovely day albeit a quiet one … we saw several young families go past, test-driving new bikes, folk gave a cheery wave and stopped to chat with neighbours, and we chatted with family and special friends on the phone… a good day 😊
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
An enjoyable but quiet day here too.
For some reason I got very excited when it started to snow late last night and went out to play.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I have just seen a blue tit scoffing cotoneaster berries on my wreath! And there are 5 chooks fossicking in the bed near the gate and about 40 sparrows on the ground feeders' slab of seeds.
Was going to do some gardening but Singing in the Rain is on and I love that film.
I hope all are well and have manged to see loved ones or re-schedule plans to see them when tests are negative.
Cooking at SD's yesterday was "fun" her new kitchen is great but you need a tech degree to work it all.😄
Her turn tomorrow as SIL's family had to bow out, one of their girls is pos now, so we are going tomorrow to help them make a dent in the Lamb and trimmings she planned for them today. Oh the joy of changing plans.
Christmas seems to have passed peacefully and happily for most of us with some great food enjoyed, so despite changing plans and last minute disappointments all seems well. Fingers crossed next year gets to be more 'normal'.
I enjoyed cooking myself yesterday, just for 'us' and it was fun to play board games with Charlie, I buy a new one every year to challenge us. Bizarrely, two Christmases ago I got 'Pandemic' and we never quite mastered it, it just seemed to get out of control..... and then in the January Covid struck and we have never since felt inclined to play it...
I opened the Tearooms today, just from 11 am until 4 pm with a set Brunch menu. Extremely popular, and very easy as we knew who was coming and what they were having. Came home to a turkey sandwich and two warm mince pes with lashings of cream and enjoyed the peace and quiet as Charlie is plugged into his computer game. I am also taking the day off tomorrow, my other chef has had 3 days off all over Christmas, so Charlie and I are going bowling with one of his friends. definitely feels like a Christmas break, and now only 6 weeks until we go skiing.
Enjoy your evening all, we are going to be doing Round Two of Cantan...
There's just me and partner, living in the cold North. I love pottering in the garden, and am learning all the time by reading this wonderful forum.
Good wishes, hoping you don't mind me posting, at last!
Janet's Foss.