A Christmas Table & Leftovers

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Each year I review my Christmas catering efforts to see what worked, what didn’t and what could be changed.

As I have explained, this year was quite different as I catered for a small family gathering of 4 in an unfamiliar kitchen with limited ingredients.  I shopped with a view to minimal leftovers as well as a very simple menu.  You can see the menu in my previous post.

Entree
This was the entree – grilled asparagus and prosciutto-wrapped haloumi.  There was a roasted capsicum sauce to accompany it.

Main course
Here is the table set for the main course with grilled salmon, chestnut and cranberry stuffed chicken roll and 3 different salads.

It was very enjoyable and there is nothing that I would change.  The menu could easily be used for a bigger group with minimal additional effort.

We visited relatives on Boxing Day so the leftovers had to wait until the following day when I used them to  create a main meal salad.  I do not have a photo but here is the ‘recipe’.

Potato & Salmon Salad

6 tiny potatoes
1 small piece of grilled salmon
1 stick of celery
1/4 red capsicum (bell pepper)
Herb mayonnaise

Boil the potatoes until just tender.  Cool and cut into small pieces.  Flake the salmon and add to potatoes.  Add finely sliced celery and diced capsicum.  Toss ingredients and stir mayonnaise through.  Chill and serve on a bed of salad greens with tomato wedges.

The recipe is based on exactly what I did and it served 3 adults for lunch.

What creations have you made with leftovers during the festive season?

The Christmas Menu

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As you know we are staying in a holiday apartment so Christmas this year is a little different.  I do have access to some basic oils and condiments, however, the full range of pantry ‘essentials’ that I take for granted at home are not all here.

On Sunday evening I finally made some effort to plan our Christmas Day menu but it was still really flexible when we went shopping at the Queen Victoria Markets yesterday.  The plan evolved as I found various items.  Today I went to the local shops to pick up the last few things I would need and I have started the preparation.

Here is the menu.

NIBBLES

Cracker biscuits and vegie sticks with dips – beetroot, pumpkin, carrot & coriander and 1 other which I can’t remember.

ENTREE

Grilled prosciutto-wrapped haloumi and grilled asparagus with roasted capsicum salsa

MAINS

Chicken roll with spinach and pinenut stuffing
Seared Atlantic salmon with lime and cucumberPotato salad with herbed mayonnaise dressing
Roasted balsamic pumpkin, red onion and feta salad
Rocket, avocado, tomato and capsicum salad

DESSERT

Berry meringue smash

It is designed to be a simple yet special meal which I can prepare in an unfamiliar kitchen with minimal extra ingredients.  I have made the pumpkin salad, cooked the potatoes, wrapped the haloumi in prosciutto, roasted the capsicum and made the salsa.

Kitchen
Tomorrow I will assemble the other salads, roast the chicken and make the dessert.  The Duke will cook the asparagus, haloumi and salmon on the BBQ.

BBQ
I am looking forward to sharing a relaxing day with my family.

 

 

A Quiet Christmas

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You may or may not have noticed the lack of posts about getting organised for Christmas.  That was because I really have done very little.  We are going to be travelling interstate so it will be somewhat different to most years.

Things I have done:

Made a cake
Organised gifts for our children and granchildren
Attended the annual Christmas drinks with neighbours from our road
Sent a small number of cards and emails
Had a BBQ with my mother and siblings before we all head in different directions for Christmas

Things I have not done:

Put up a tree
Rushed around buying gifts for lots of people
Attended work Christmas functions
Planned a huge feast

2013-12-17 01This evening we called in to visit our daughter and family and give them their Christmas presents.  The highlight was explaining to Miss O and Izz that we will be going to Sydney on New Year’s Day to see “The Lion KIng” for their Christmas gift from us.

The Duke and I will not be exchanging particular gifts but instead we are saving towards our planned trip to the UK later next year.

We will be spending Christmas Day with my mother and our younger daughter in Melbourne.  We are staying in rented accommodation so I will decide on a menu based on the weather and also availability of kitchen equipment/utensils.  We will have access to an excellent of fresh food from the market and we will enjoy creating a special meal without over-indulging.  A laptop and the internet means that I will be able to use virtually any recipe I could possibly want.

I will spend some time reflecting on the year that was.  2013 has had some challenges which we have survived and I am looking forward to a fresh slate – 2014!

What are your plans?

Organised Kids

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On Friday afternoon The Duke and I picked up Miss O as she was coming to stay for the night and most of Saturday before meeting up with her Mum at a family BBQ late on Saturday afternoon.

Whenever either of the grandchildren come to stay something invariably gets forgotten and it is often a toothbrush so we reminded Miss O when we arrived.  This time it was spare underwear that was left behind and then when it was bedtime she announced, “Mum forgot to pack any toys”.  I pointed out to her that it was not actually her mother’s responsibility to pack toys – after all Miss O is nearly 6.

I decided to help Miss O to try to overcome things being forgotten so we made a packing list.

Packing list
This is what we created.  Miss O decided what needed to be on the list and with the aid of Google we found images to go with each item.  Naturally, there will be seasonal variations and not everything will be required each time she packs to go somewhere but I am hoping it will be a useful prompt.

We did not get it quite finished on Saturday but it is all done now, laminated and posted to Miss O as promised.

The picture prompts will also encourage her reading skills.

Habits

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This morning as we were standing on the platform at the railway station, The Duke realised that not only had he forgotten to put a handkerchief in his pocket but he had forgotten his belt.  Luckily the belt is not essential for his trousers to stay up but it certainly gives a finished look to his work attire.

Billy-Getting-Dressed

I thought that it was great that he forgot these things because to me it meant that the 2 weeks away from the office had been a real holiday for him.

How long do you need to be away from something to lose a routine or habit?

Project 333 – Holiday Shopping

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We have been on holidays for a week so I have actually had time to browse in a couple of shops.  I found a couple of tops that will add a bit of interest to my wardrobe for the upcoming summer.

Shirt
I bought this one  at Penola in the south-east of South Australia.  It is a lightweight cotton and will be perfect for our hot summer.  It is a small black and white check with a touch of red stitching on the collar and the frilled front.  I will be able to wear it with both shorts and 3/4 pants in black and white.  A plain red skirt is on my wishlist which would match perfectly.

Top
Today I bought another top – this time I was at Victor Harbor.  The colour is badly distorted – it is actually mauve, not blue.  Once again, I will be able to wear it with both the black and white 3/4 pants and shorts.

When I get home, I will take a closer look at my existing tops with a view to moving some along.

Do you refresh your wardrobe on a seasonal basis?

Holiday Fun

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No organising happening here today as we are too busy having fun.  Miss O and Izz are staying for a couple of nights as it is school holidays here.

It has been a full day which included picking strawberries at a local farm as well as buying some fruit and vegetables and getting hair cut.  That was just this morning!

Then it was time for lunch.

Lunch
A platter which included freshly picked carrots and avocadoes plus some cracker biscuits.  A cup of water and some strawberries rounded off a healthy lunch.

The weather has been really quite hot the past few days but even though it was much cooler today it was still warm enough to play in the pool.

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Climbing ‘mountains’, hide and seek and racing around the yard used up some excess energy.

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And taking a moment to smell the roses AKA cannas.

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Short Notice

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We used AirBnB for accommodation in both the USA last year and here in Australia earlier this year.  Our experiences were very positive so I decided that we could perhaps try hosting guests via this site.

Our guest room is generally available on most weekends (Fridays and Saturdays plus Sundays if required).  This week I decided to extend the availability to Thursday evening as well and sure enough, we had an enquiry yesterday afternoon.   It looks as though we will be hosting our first international guests tonight.

It seems a little odd because we planned our overseas trip (including the accommodation) several months in advance.  We did not want to leave anything to chance since we on a fairly tight schedule.  Obviously, not everyone plans in advance.  I must say that I actually look forward to being able to travel more freely and make decisions on the spur of the minute.  However, I do not expect that our travel will be like that while we are still working full-time and have a limited time due to our leave entitlements.

Do you plan your travel and accommodation in advance or are you a free-wheeling spirit?  What about hosting guests in your home in other habitable space that your own?

No Place Like Home

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We have been away for a few days in Melbourne.  It was a lovely break and we stayed with our daughter.  Our activities can be summed up in a few words – shopping (clothes and shoes), eating and sightseeing.

Both The Duke and I bought clothes and shoes that we needed.  Some of it is to replace existing items in our wardrobes that have seen better days.  I will do a separate post soon about the clothes and how they will fit in with my existing clothes.

Missy took us out to dinner last night at the Woodlands Hotel which was really lovely and today we caught up for lunch with other family and friends.

Yesterday we went to the Immigration Museum and saw the most interesting exhibition, “Leaving Dublin” which is a photographic essay of the current wave of people leaving Dublin as a result of the economic downturn.

As the saying goes, ‘there really is no place like home’ and now I need to unpack and put a load of washing in the machine, make our lunches and plan what I am going to wear tomorrow.