Christmas Day memories to build upon . . .

"So now is come our joyful feast,
Let every man be jolly;
Each room with ivy leaves is dressed,
And every post with holly.
Though some churls at our mirth repine,
Round your foreheads garlands twine,
Drown sorrow in a cup of wine,
And let us all be merry.

Now all our neighbors' chimneys smoke,
And Christmas blocks are burning;
Their ovens they with baked meats choke,
And all their spits are turning.
Without the door let sorrow lie,
And if for cold it hap to die,
We'll bury it in a Christmas pie,
And evermore be merry."
- George Wither, A Christmas Tale

Oh, what a lovely day we had yesterday! It started off with a lovely telephone conversation with my mom, all the way from Canada. My mom calls me twice a year, once on my Birthday and then again at Christmas. She gets up really early to be able to do that and it is a real treat for me!!! I know that one day there will be no more phone calls and so I cherish each and every minute of it. Oh we did spend a wonderful hour with each other. Almost as good as being able to spend Christmas together . . . well, not quite, but tis the best that we can do right now!



Then it was on to get my Turkey into the oven and begin my preparations for our dinner together. Can you believe that this is the only picture I got of our turkey??? I know!! I had big plans all week to take pictures of it all the way through so that I could share it with you another time, but completely forgot! (I know what am I like!) The little fella next door kept us company most of the morning. He was over in his pajamas and was sharing some of his Christmas morning excitement and joy with us. It was really lovely.



While Todd left to go and pick up our guests, I set the table. I really wanted it to be festive and special. We only use our good china a few times during the year and so that was all washed up and sorted. I found this really cute salt and pepper shaker a few weeks back along with the santa jug and I just thought they were so sweet and perfect for our holiday table!



We did have a really special time together. We had invited the two sister missionaries and Terri and her little dog Pip. What a day we had. We talked and laughed.





The two sisters sang Away in a Manger for us Accapella and it was beautiful. I know Terri really enjoyed it especially and that was what I had hoped. She was singing along as well. Oh, it was so lovely.



Once I had everything ready we sat down to a luxurious feast. Oh, but it was good. There was turkey and ham and stuffing . . . roasted parsnips and potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, swede and sweet potatoes . . . those tasty little chipolata sausages wrapped in bacon . . . and delicious turkey gravy . . . not to mention cranberry sauce, horseradish sauce and a delicious Christmas chutney that I had picked up in Marks and Spencers.



And then . . . there was dessert! (Like we had room for that, but we all managed a bit anyways!) Yummy Christmas pudding, Christmas Cake, eggnog cake and mince pies . . . along with cream served up in my sweet little Santa Jug.



After that we cleared up, and the Missionaries shared a beautiful thought with us about the Saviour's birth. All too soon, it was time to take everyone home. With goodbye hugs and wishes they set off armed with Christmas cake and Eggnog cake and a special dinner for the missionaries to drop off to a friend that has just gotten out of hospital.

As soon as they had gone, our telephone rang and it was my dad calling from Canada! That was a lovely surprise and very unexpected! After we finished talking, I called my children that were all together at my ex's home and I got to speak with each one of them that were there . . . my Special Olympics Athelete, my Soldier boy and my Marathon runner and her husband. Oh, it was so lovely to speak with them, and be able to share Happy Christmas wishes and some love together.

I had called my older son Anthony the day before and had gotten to listen to my wee grandson Gabriel singing Santa Claus is coming. They did not travel to Nova Scotia this year, what with Anne being very pregnant and her mom not being very well and in hospital. What a delightful sound that was to hear my grandsons little voice singing, a gift in and of itself.

I also called my other son, Doug, who was not at his dad's either, and spent some time with him and his wife Kayla, and got to hear the grandsons, Jonathan and Joshua, enjoying their Christmas presents from us, a lovely drum and musical set, and a dancing lala from the teletubbies. What a joyful sound it was!!! Perhaps one day I shall be able to enjoy it in person, but for now, I enjoy the blessing of having been born in a time and age when modern technology affords us the luxury of instant communication, no matter how far away we may be from each other. Tis so very wonderful!



By then Todd had returned from dropping everyone off, and we were ready to spend the rest of the evening relaxing and going back over the lovely day we had had. Oh how blessed I am to have this special man in my life. I do love him so very much and I am so very happy that Heavenly Father drew us to each other. There is nobody on earth I would rather be spending my life with and that is as it should be. I wish everyone had a Todd like I do!



Soon it was time for bed and I, in my lovely new nightdress, (a very thoughtful gift from my eldest son and his family, dreams do come true!) and Todd wandered off to our bed and lala-land, having spent a wonderful day together. . . having built some special Christmas memories to cherish in the future . . . and feeling very blessed and loved and content.



What more could you ask for? Well . . . that little word on the yoke of my nightgown says it all . . . the reward that comes from a life well spent don't you think??? If all of your Christmas's were only half as special as mine was . . . then you were very lucky indeed!

Now we get to the business of using up all the leftovers from our Christmas feasts and beasts! This is a very scrummy way of using some of that turkey. It's also very tasty done with chicken or lamb! I haven't tried it with beef or pork, but I think Pork would also be very good. With beef I'd go with a more traditional roast beef hash or a bubble and squeak!



*Curried Turkey Hash*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Ok, so this is not an authentic curry, but is simply my version of something that closely resembes a curry and is a very tasty way of using up some of the leftovers from your holiday meal. You don't even have to use turkey in it. You can use chicken or lamb. All three are delicious. It's tasty, spicy and delicious and makes a great lunch or supper dish.

1 TBS sunflower oil
1 large onion, peeled, halved and cut into half moons
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 large potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 TBS curry powder or paste (the strength of what you use depends on your palate and how
strong you like your curries. I use a Korma paste as we are not fond of knock your socks off heat)
1 TBS tomato paste
2 TBS apricot jam
hot chicken stock
3 cups leftover turkey, cut into bite sizes pieces
salt and black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet with a lid, over medium high heat. Once hot, add the onions, carrots and potatoes. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften a bit and brown. Add the curry powder or paste according to your tastes and cook, stirring, for a few minutes longer. Stir in the tomato puree and the apricot jam. Add just enough hot stock to just barely cover the vegetables, mixing it in well. Pop a lid on top and reduce the heat. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are really tender.

Add the chopped turkey, mixing it all in well. Cook for a further 10 minutes to allow it to completely through all the way and for the turkey to take on some of the curry flavour. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve hot. You can serve this with some steamed basamati rice if you wish, with some chutney and popadoms on the side if you really want to go all Indian!



There's a delicious Winter Vegetable Gratin over on The English Kitchen this morning!

A prayer at Christmas

A Prayer at Christmas

The shepherds heard the Angel's newsl
The Wise Men travelled far,
And there was wonder, joy and hope
For all who saw the star.

Now, Father, once more help us seek
The joy of Christmas night,
And spread the news across the earth
Of endless life and light.

And, Father, may we share Your love
In heart and soul and mind,
And send Your blessings round the world
With peace for all mankind.
~Iris Hesselden.

This morning my kitchen smells like the ham that I have had baking in a very slow oven overnight. I've checked it, and it is cooked to perfection, and just waiting to be glazed. In another few hours, Todd will be up, and we'll open our gifts, and then my mom will call. I can't wait to hear her voice. I know that I am blessed to be able to speak to my mom every Christmas morning. It has been ever so for the 54 years that I have been alive. I never take it for granted, and cherish each word.

Later this morning, I will be getting the turkey into the oven and finishing my vegetable preparation. Todd will hop into the car and go to pick up Terri to bring her over to spend the day with us. Then the missionaries will arrive . . . and we will all sit down and enjoy a delicious repast of turkey and ham with all the trimmings. (Thankfully my Christmas Veggie box arrived late yesterday afternoon so I didn't have to experience the chaos which is the grocery shop on Christmas Eve. Whew!)

Later on, after everyone has gone, I'll try to telephone my children over in Canada to wish them each a Merry Christmas. I can't always get through, but I'll keep trying until I do.

And that will be my day. Sounds just wonderful to me.

In the meantime I'd like to thank each of your for your faithfulness in visiting my page each day and for your love and comments. I'd also like to wish each of you a very Merry and blessed Christmas day, wherever you are and whomever you are with. May you love and be loved, and feel the peace in your heart that only the Saviour can bring.



*Eggnog Pound Cake*
Makes 1 10-inch bundt cake
Printable Recipe

A deliciously festive cake filled with the lovely flavours of eggnog, cranberries and orange. This smells just fabulous when it is baking! Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

1/2 cup dried cranberries (50g)
2 TBS dark rum or water
1 cup butter, room temperature (8 ounces)
2 cups white sugar (400g)
3 large eggs
3 cups flour (420g)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup storebought eggnog (250ml)
(See note below)
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBS freshly grated orange zest

For the Glaze:
3 TBS orange juice
1 TBS dark rum (or an additional TBS of orange juice)
3/4 cup sugar



Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/325*F. Grease and flour a 10 inch bundt pan really well. Set aside.

Place the cranberries in a small bowl and cover with the rum or water. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar to gether until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add to the creamed mixture, on low speed, alternately with the egg nog, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Fold in the orange zest, cranberries and any liquid in the bowl. Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top over. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until it tests down when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack.

Prepare the glaze by blending together the orange juice, sugar and rum, until the sugar is about melted. Using a pastry brush, brush this glaze all over the surface of the warm cake, brushing it again and again until all the glaze is used and has been absorbed by the cake. Serve at room temperature, cut into slices with your preferred accompaniment.

Note - if you are unable to get eggnog use an equal amount of whipping cream and increase the measure of grated nutmeg to 1/2 tsp.

Nothing special over on The English Kitchen today, just the same recipe in metric.

Christmas Eve This and That . . .

Light looked down and beheld Darkness,
"Thither will I go," said the Light.
Peace looked down and behld War,
"Thither will I go," said Peace
"Love looked down and beheld Hatred.
"Thither will I go," said Love.
So came the Light, and shone;
So came Peace, and gave rest;
So came Love, and brought Life;
And the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us.
~Laurence Housman

I think this is one of the loveliest Christmas poems. Don't you. I love that thought . . .. Light, peace, love, all in the birth of one child. All we need to do is embrace Him.

I expect everyone is quite busy today. I am busier than I thought I would be. I have promised to go and help Todd clean the chapel as it will be his last chance to get it done before Christmas and I can't think of anything I would rather do today than to help him out so that he gets home that little bit earlier. It seems I will also have to go to the shops to pick up all my Christmas veg and essentials as well, which is something that I had thought to not have to do this year, but . . . my Abel and Cole delivery did not show up yesterday and I had ordered the special Christmas Veg box which would have had everything I needed in it. It's a bit of a nuisance and I will be complaining big time. They have really let me down. I absolutely hate going into the shops on Christmas Eve. They are always just heaving and they really do nothing at all to boost the spirit, but one must do what one must do. If it was only going to be Todd and I for Christmas dinner I probably wouldn't bother and just try to make do with what I have in house, but with company coming I really can't do that.



Never mind, it's Christmas and I'll just make the best of it! There is a reason for everything and I am sure that there is a reason that I am to go to the shops today. How exciting a thought! Who knows what will happen! I shall carry my Pass Along cards just in case!

We had dreamt of a White Christmas and almost got one, with the advent of snow just a week ago, but the rain is pouring down as I speak and so I expect by the time tomorrow morning rolls around it will indeed be the "Wet" Christmas that we are so used to over here! And really that is the best thing, as they are just not geared for snow removal over here and having a White Christmas would have made travel very difficult for people, so it's best this way. Better that we be safe and wet. ☺



I came home from work a bit early last night and whipped up a curry for Todd and I. It was pretty cosy. The little fella from next door was here reading his book of silly jokes to us, all knock knock's and what do you get's. It was good for a laugh and we do enjoy him so. I had a few jokes to share with him as well. It kind of gives me the experience of what it would be like had we a grandson that lived closer and that is really a sweet blessing from the Lord. He is getting so big now. He was only 3 when we moved here and now he is 9 going on 10. Anyways, I let him taste the curry paste as did I, and we both decided that it was far too hot to be adding a full teaspoon full!!! We are not blow your socks off curry people and neither is he! This is a very tasty curry though, adapted from the book "Dish Entertains," by Trish Magwood.





*Simple Green Thai Chicken Curry*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

This is very tasty, but does pack some heat. I suggest you toy with the amount of curry paste you use according to the amount of heat you like. We don't like much so I usually only use half this amount.

2 tsp vegetable oil
6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into strips
1 tsp green curry paste (Or less as you prefer)
1 small red onion, peeled and sliced into half moons
1 banana shallot, peeled and minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup coconut milk
2 tsp fish sauce
1 red pepper, seeded and slivered
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and slivered
1/2 cup frozen petit pois
the leaves from a small bunch of basil, cut chiffonade
salt to taste



Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the vegetable, swirling to coat. Brown the chicken strips all over and remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Stir in the curry paste, cooking briefly just to brown. Don't let it burn. Add the onions, shallots and peppers. Cook and stir just until the onion begins to soften. Add the stock and stir up any browned bits on the bottom, then add the coconut milk and fish sauce. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and add the chicken back to the pan. Cook for several minutes to ensure the chicken is cooked all the way through. Stir in the frozen peas and the basil. Cook an additional two minutes. Taste and season with salt as needed. Serve hot with some basamati rice if desired.



Over on The English Kitchen today, a delicious skillet beef and pasta dish, quick, hearty, and guaranteed to please a hungry family.

A Christmas wish . . .

"At Christmas, I no more desire a rose
Than wish a snow in May's newfangled mirth;
But like each thing that in season grows."
~William Shakespeare

The snow is still with us, and it is so lovely to behold, as horrible as it has been to traverse and get about it. Now it has melted and froze, and melted and froze, it's become quite icy and more than a bit dangerous to get about in. For years over here I have wished for a White Christmas, and although it did come a week too soon, at least it came and my wish came true. I know that is has created a lot of difficulties for lots of people though . . . this country is just not equipped to deal with lots of snow. It creates havoc and chaos everywhere, as pretty as it is to look at.

I had a lovely day yesterday. I slip slod up the lane to work on the icy path and got a lot done really. I was cleaning out kitchen drawers and sorting. There is a kind of grace that comes with the solitude of menial chores . . . it gives you pause to think and dwell on softer kinder things . . . with no interruption . . . a type of repose as it were . . .



In the last few months I have become acquainted with a lovely lady from California on here. Her name is Julie and she has the most beautiful page. Her blog is called A Vintage Chic, and I just love to go and visit her there to see what she is up to. She creates the most beautiful handmade cards and bakes and does all sorts. She has the sweetest disposition and each time I visit her page I am touched with the grace of her spirit. Yesterday I received a package in the post from her and I was thrilled to have received one of her beautiful cards.



Oh, how lovely it is . . . with it's glitter, and button, ribbons and lace. It's just fabulous . . . but not only that. It is very clear that Julie fell from a very creative tree for also tucked inside the package was these two lovely little hedgehog dolls . . .



Aren't they just adorable and the sweetest thing you have ever seen??? Julie's mom made these! Can you imagine? They are only 4 inches tall and so beautifully made and intricate. I am so in love with them. They are magical and make me think of wooded fairie lands and tales . . . and they go just perfect with my little toadstool!!




Thank you so much Julie. You really shouldn't have, but I'm glad you did. I'm so happy that I met you, and not just because of the dolls either, but because of the way you have touched my life and added light to it.



I managed to finish my Christmas Cake yesterday and get it all decorated, so that was another wonderful thing in my day. I really had left it to the last minute hadn't I!!

I also got the kitchen tidied up and ready for Christmas. That might not seem like much, but to this clutterbug . . . it was a great accomplishment and Todd's quite happy about that! tee hee

Then, last evening I was checking my e-mails and, wonder of all wonders, there was one from my mother's Cousin Polly, who lives in Vermont. Oh, how happy I was to see it. Family is very important to me and I had been so hoping to be able to get back in touch with that branch of the family. When I was a child, my family spent a few days at Polly's home in Vermont and I have some very fond memories of that time. It was so very good to hear from her, and I am looking forward to sharing more in the coming year. I was also pleased this morning to have received an e-mail from her daughter, my cousin Martha. Just in time for Christmas, it was like a Christmas Gift come early for me.

Christmas is family, isn't it, both the ones you are born with and the ones you make for yourselves. I have been blessed in so very many ways with family. Oh, I know . . . I have some family that really doesn't want to have much to do with me, but the others more than make up for it. I feel their love and caring each and every day. Then there is my family of friends, both real and invisible. They are all so very precious to me. They have been a gift from the Lord and an ever present joy in my life. When I think of all these people that I care about and that care about me . . . both near and far away, I clearly see that I am blessed beyond belief and I am grateful for them and for you, each and every one.

On this, the day before Christmas Eve, I want to wish each and every one of you a very blessed and Merry Christmas. May you receive blessings and joys beyond what you could wish for and above all . . . may you be loved and know it.



I baked these lovely buttermilk biscuits to have with our dinner last night. Oh, but they are some good. I make them in my food processor so they go together lickety split. Just perfect for these busy last days before the holiday. Best of all they freeze like a dream, so you can always have fresh biscuits at your beck and call. That can't be bad can it!!





*Buttermilk Biscuits*
Makes about 10
Printable Recipe

If you like biscuits with a tender crumb and great flavour, you'll love these. Perfect for breakfast or with soups and stews, or even for a light lunch stuffed with some ham and cheese. These are just plain tasty all the time!

2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 TBS baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 TBS cold butter, cut into bits
3/4 cup of buttermilk



Pre-heat your oven to 205*C/425*F. Get out the baking sheet.

Place the dry ingredients in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a couple of times to blend. Drop in the cold butter. Pulse a couple of times until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add the buttermilk and pulse just until combined and forms a dough around the blade. Turn out onto a well floured board and knead a couple of times, then pat out the dough until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into rounds with a sharp cutter. (Be careful to use a sharp tap down and up with the cutter. Don't twist if you can help it or you'll end up with lopsided biscuits!) Try to get as many biscuits out of the first cut as possible. You can knead the scraps together to make a few more, but the first cut will be the best in texture and looks.

Place the biscuits onto the baking sheet. Place into the heated oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown on the tops and on the bottoms. Delicious!

Note: These biscuits freeze very well, both baked or unbaked. To freeze unbaked, place on the baking sheet and pop into the freezer until frozen. Once frozen, remove from the sheet and place in an airtight freezer bag. If you freeze them unbaked, to cook, simply place frozen onto the baking sheet and bake as above for about 20 minutes, or til done.



No recipe in The English Kitchen today, just my finished Christmas Cake!

Tuesday Ponderings . . .

There is something so very special about this time of year that defies all definition. For those of us who worship Heavenly Father and the Saviour, the meaning of it all is very clear to us and we know where that special feeling comes from . . . there is no question. Other's who have no faith in a higher power feel that same spirit also . . . the spirit of love and of giving and of joy . . . it is present at this time of year like at no other, and it is tangible and real and life pervading . . .

Christmas is such a mixture of emotion and feeling that we could be hard pressed to explain to someone who had never experienced it, just exactly what it was, and to do it justice.



The writer Agnes M Pharo makes a very good attempt.

"What is Christmas?" she pondered. "It is a tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal and that every path may lead to peace."

That special feeling and spirit that we feel at Christmas doesn't need to be a once a year kind of thing. It is a feeling that we can have in our hearts every day throughout the year. Charles Dickens, that famous Victorian novelist, wanted people to celebrate Christmas all year round, not just in December. The heartwarming days on both sides of the 25th of December meant a great deal to this man who had created Ebenezer Scrooge, that selfish, Christmas-hating miser.



Although he lived in an age in Great Britain where there were the extreme opposites of great wealth and abject poverty lived side by side, Dickens was a passionate advocate of optimism in the face of despair.

"There is always something in life to be thankful for," he said. "I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all year round. It transforms us. This is the season of Merry Christmas's, friendships, cheerful recollections and affection. God bless every Christmas."

May each one of us feel that spirit today and always. On each day throughout this Christmas season and on into the coming year, may we be able to avail ourselves of our cups of blessings with the thoughts and recognition that, despite whatever hardships we may be experiencing, they can and do overflow . . . it is we who hold the tap . . .



The truth and joy of the real meaning of Christmas is not in the shiny tree decorations, or the wrapping paper and ribbons, but in the love . . . the love of Christ which is shed abroad in the hearts of mankind . . . this truth and joy can live with us each and every day of the year, if we so choose to allow it to do so.

I know we are all busy, especially over these next few days. Here's a simple and quick side dish that your family will enjoy. It goes together very quickly and is big on flavour. We often have it with sausages or cold sliced ham or beef. It's one of those scrummy little dishes that goes with just about anything.



*Potatoes Parmesan*
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

Four tasty ingredients, and half an hour in the oven, and you will have a potato dish so creamy and delicious your family will think you have been slaving in the kitchen all day over it. You want to make sure you use a really good quality, well flavoured chicken stock, as this is your only seasoning for this.

2 each, red skinned potatoes, peeled and sliced very thinly, about 1/8 of an inch thick.
2 cups good quality chicken stock, heated
4 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 TBS melted butter

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly butter a shallow casserole dish. Place the prepared potatoes into the casserole dish. Pour the chicken stock over top and then sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly over top. Drizzle with the melted butter. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the stock is absorbed and the potatoes are meltingly tender. Delicious!



There's another quick and easy dish over on The English Kitchen today, Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Basil Cream. It's really scrummy and goes together in a snap! Just perfect for these last few busy days before the big day arrives!