Monday 22 December 2008

Update and pre-Christmas treats

Christmas tree decorating platter

Well Christmas is upon us and I'm looking forward to a nearly three week break from work - I'll be staying in Melbourne for most of it, apart from the odd jaunt down to the beach. In between all the boozing and parties I've been popping over to Mum and Dad's a fair bit in the lead-up to Christmas - we're all missing my brother Buster a lot.

My poor Mum had her wisdom teeth out last week and has developed a (temporary) condition called trismus, so she can neither open her mouth wider than an inch nor chew! She's getting pretty sick of soup, I can tell you. But that didn't stop her yesterday from whipping up an amazing couple of plates of bruschette for the rest of us! As well as several with tomatoes and basil, we had some with mushrooms and parsley and a few with crumbled Persian feta and anchovies. Mum's bruschetta tips: be sure to rub the grilled bread with a clove of garlic, and always ALWAYS use top quality EVOO!

Mum's bruschette

Last Friday night we had our annual tree decorating ceremony, and Mum prepared a equally sensational platter of her miniature Christmas puddings, handfuls of über-cherries, berries she and Birdie had picked, a wedge of fancy nougat and slices of Stollen (German Christmas cake), all washed down with glasses of Armagnac and cups of tea.

Christmas tree decorating platter

Feel like watching something Christmassy? If you've never seen it, I suggest you watch the beautiful and bittersweet The Snowman. I first watched it when I was five growing up in a little English village, and we watch it every year. So sad but so so good.

As I mentioned on the blog last year, the other Christmas film I watch every year is It's a Wonderful Life, when it's shown during the Christmas week on the big screen down at the Astor. Looking forward to our curry laksa/Jimmy Stewart double again this year... :)

Christmas tree

Oh, and one other Christmas video - if you've never seen it, check out the surreal but awesome carol duet between David Bowie and Bing Crosby, filmed a month before Bing's death in 1977. Love that counter-melody Bowie sings!

2 comments:

Maria@TheGourmetChallenge said...

Those cherries look so plump and juicy. I think its time i got buy a kilo or two.

Shamima Sultana said...

Nice decoration...
it looks yummy...