The Festive run up…..

As the weeks counting down to Christmas seem to go by so fast, and so much to do!!! The Christmas cards to buy, write and send…

Trying to discover the perfect presents to delight them all, sourcing it, traipsing endlessly around the shops (Extra Activity and of course no stopping for a coffee and cake!) buying and wrapping them all…

If you are the “lucky one”, then they will all be coming to you for the Big Day…All the food to buy as well as all the extra’s that each guest prefers. Will it be turkey, cockerel, chicken, pheasant or goose??? May be lamb or beef?? What sides to suit them all… carrots, sprouts (with red onion, bacon and chestnuts, of course) peas cauliflower, broccoli (Cousin George has to have cheese sauce with these!) Roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, dauphinoise potatoes, and don’t forget the bread sauce. the cranberry sauce and the mint sauce. Oh, the challenges of pleasing everyone, Aunty Flo hates red meat, Uncle Bill loves goose, and the kids adore pigs in blankets!! A starter??? So many to choose from and not one that will keep everyone happy. Desserts well naturally Christmas pudding…with cream? custard? brandy butter??? Yule log? Gateaux? Mince pies…bought or homemade?? After dinner chocolates? After Eights – but the children don’t like them, so a mixture!!

Then there’s the drinks to consider…Sherry as they arrive, dry or cream? who likes Fizz? Red? White?? Then the after-dinner refreshments Port? Brandy? Crackers (Think I must be!!)?? Do you buy cheap and cheerful? Expensive? Fill your own!!

Goodness me the bill is going to be astronomical!!!!!

Then of course, there will be all the preparing, the sprouts, carrots and potatoes to peel, it’ll feel like the feeding of the 5,000!!

It’s the big day!!! Up early to see exactly what Santa has left for you, and to get the chosen meat in the oven!! Your guests arrive bright and early and laden with gifts, you’ve barely had time to get ready and you’ll have to keep checking on the food that’s cooking, missing some of the ooh’s and aah’s as each gift is unwrapped!

Things are boiling over, there’s not enough room in the oven to fit it all in, the pigs are burning, and the meat is nowhere near ready, and your guests keep popping in to see if they can help whilst you’re getting more and more frustrated. The smell of burning martyr is overwhelming!!!

It’s finally all come together time to savour and enjoy all of your hard work and planning, Smiles pasted on!

In the blink of an eye, that’s if. Everyone is stuffed full, but there’s still food leftover, in fact you DID buy enough to feed the 5,000! Sooo many leftovers they won’t all fit in the fridge, in fact there’s enough to last until next Christmas!

The joys of washing up with help!! Nothing goes back where it came from, you know it’ll be months before you get it back to how it was, but hey let’s not ungrateful!!!

Thank Goodness it only comes once a year….

HO, HO, HO, and a Merry Christmas to you all.

Christmas comes and Christmas goes and every extra mouthful shows

JACKIE AND SONYA