What we done fer Christmas

1) Dinner on Christmas Eve: The Boy brought together Puerto Rican and English influences with pork tenderloin massaged with garlic and oregano, roasted alongside brussels sprouts, carrots, fennel, golden beets and beet greens with garlic, served with a fresh redcurrant sauce, accompanied by a fruity young Australian pinot noir.

Before:



After:



2) Breakfast on Christmas Day: somehow it has become tradition that we always have Stollen (has to be the kind with marzipan in the middle). So we did.



3) Frenzy of wrapping paper destruction.



The cat is indifferent about her new toys. But I love my camcorder. And The Boy loves his parmo t-shirt.



4) Tearful excitement over the discovery that The Boy is taking me to Aruba for my birthday. He kept it a complete surprise, the sly dog. Oh, no--what should I pack??

5) Lunch and dinner: a selection of cheeses (Maitre Seguin, Idiazabal, Wensleydale with cranberries, also a soft goat cheese wrapped in cherry leaves), prosciutto, olives, grapes, cherry tomatoes, pate and a crusty baguette ("Baguette?"). It was nice not to have to do the peeling/chopping/cooking/cleaning thing for once, and instead just nibble at stuff over a glass of Veuve.

6) Oh, also, a smackerel of something around four-ish: real proper Christmas cake with marzipan and icing, and a mince pie. Mr. Kipling's, of course.

7) That was pretty much the limit of our exertion. We read, watched TV, listened to festive music, pulled crackers and made some charitable donations (check out the options at Changing the Present).

8) Oh yeah--and we wore our pajamas all day long. Mostly.