Christmas just isn't Christmas without all trimmings,
this Christmas Eve morning I decorated
The Christmas Cake
Chopped, mixed, seasoned and prepared
The Stuffings
Stirred, sweetened and sampled
The Cranberry Sauce
and Gooseberry Sauce
(because we're having Goose and have lots of
home grown gooseberries in the freezer)
With preparations well under control -
the goose and vegetables and pudding are in the larder
and giblets ready to go in the stock pot,
I'm now putting my feet up and listening to
Carols from Kings
Here's King's College Chapel yesterday,
viewed from my car as I waited at the pedestrian crossing
along 'The Backs' yesterday morning.
Thank you, I'll find a moment to enjoy re-reading your
kind comments on all the PPP's Winter Mixture posts,
I hope you enjoyed joining my Yuletide celebration
as much as I had fun rummaging in the paper bag
of sweet spicy treats.
A very Merry Christmas from me,
my under-gardeners and Spice Girls
and the studio assistants.
Celia
x
And a very Merry Christmas to you and yours Celia. I always enjoy my visits here to see what you're up to, or what wonderful things you are sharing. And, as you know, your under-gardeners are always a delight for me!
ReplyDeleteYour last few posts make me want to visit the UK. It's like a mythical land to me. Do you live fairly near Andy English?
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, wishing you a very merry Christmas from across the sea.
Merry Christmas to you too, I work for the NHS so had a day at work, wonder how many Christmas babies we will have this year!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Celia-I made my trifle-literally a heart attack in a bowl,with real custard-while we listened to Kings this afternoon too. Now Christmas has really begun ;-)
ReplyDeleteI loved the selection of old carols today, even liked the new commissions(thats a first!).Perfect.
Its been great getting to know you this year.
Do have a lovely Christmas and New Year
with love from
Julie X
Hi Celia (Danny here),
ReplyDeleteA very Happy and Merry Christmas to you and Cliff.
What a sumptuous cake decoration! And we love the notion that goose requires goose berry sauce. There must be a connection in there somewhere, orrrr it could just be a Suffolk thing :-)
We are having Christmas lunch at the Bedford Lodge hotel in Newmarket, thank to the generosity of Fiona’s mum. That will be half of a life-long ambition fulfilled (to have it in a good hotel for a change). The other half is to have Christmas lunch at a hotel in the Bahamas! With not a turkey in sight, hopefully.
Thank you very much for all your support and generous comments throughout the past three years. Looking forward to the Annual Pickled Walnut Challenge at ours in Jan (so great that it’s your turn to drive to us! But that also guarantees that, unlike last year, it will be a summer evening with no snow or ice).
Love to you both,
Fiona and Danny
Merry Christmas Celia - I hope everything is as delicious as it looks!cussem
ReplyDeleteNow my favourite of all your Winter Mix photos is the Christmas chickens. Merry CHristmas girls!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful time over the next few dats Celia and Cliff. Hope to see you very soon in the New Year.
Much love from all the Pebbles xxxxxx
Hi there Celia, I loved seeing pics of your Christmas prep. Now, I have a question about your cake… did you make the marzipan fruits? Very nice if you did ;-D
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to stop by and wish you a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2010 to you and yours :-D
Have a wonderful day! I so enjoy visiting your blog.
ReplyDeleteHappy holidays, Celia
ReplyDeleteMy Christmas preparations always include Carols from King's on the radio. I've really enjoyed your blog - keep on blogging - and a very Merry Christmas to you all.
ReplyDeletesuch a lovely cake! a merry christmas to you & yours, full of warmth & brightness.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas! smashing photos, what a brilliant idea having goose-berry sauce with goose! We had bramley apple sauce with ours!
ReplyDeleteHope you've had a wonderful Christmas Celia.
ReplyDeleteCelia, What a most beautiful post! I have been so bad about making it to blogs, and have missed so many of your beautiful posts! I am truely loving all your amazing holiday photos.
ReplyDeleteThat Christmas cake just looks spectacular! And what a cute Chicken "Christmas Card". Love it! I hope you had the most beautiful Christmas with your family and friends!!
Just a thimbleful....
ReplyDeleteI am full of admiration that you were able to photograph your food mid preparation - it was chaos in my kitchen!
I agree about Kings - didn't Cambridge look magical in the snow!
Now that is a fabulous cake! I need to come and go to your blog more often. I am even wondering about some sort of collaboration and hoping you don't think me too forward.
ReplyDeleteHi Diane - Oh Diane, have we got a treat in 2010!
ReplyDeleteHi Annie - Yes I live near Andy, hope you make it across the pond one day.
Hi Jane - hope you had a lovely Christmas.
Hi Julie - your Christmas Trifle sounds yummy! King's Carols are a perfect cooking accompaniment - I loved the French carol.
Hi Danny and Fiona - our pickles are poised in the larder awaiting the call to arms!
Hi Dottycookie - the cake was slightly less successful than I hoped (but seems to be disappearing fast!). Gooseberry sauce (my Mum's idea) was a revelation - perfect with goose.
Hi Emma - I know you had a very special time ;-) Happy New Year!
Hi Shirl - no I didn't make the marzipan fruit! They were from a well known spermarket, but did the job nicely. Happy New Year!
Hi Toffeeapple - thank you, pop in again soon!
Hi Ed - Happy New Year!
Hi Veg Heaven - Hope you enjoyed King's this year.
Hi Petoskystone - the cake could have been moister - but that's me being picky, it tastes pretty good!
Hi Matron - go for goosebery sauce next year - it's lovely!
Hi Gina - I hope all the appliance glitches get fixed very soon.
Hi Dowhatyoulove - Happy New Year! I'm getting itchy feet seeing the photos of you amazing adventures. Might have to take a trip and explore a bit more of the Pacific NW and West coast.
Hi Mavis - Kings did look amazing in the snow - glad I wasn't queuing for the service!
Hi Elizabethm - that sounds interesting - Happy New Year!
Celia
x