I have just sat down, for the first time today.
Mum took on solo dog walking today so that I could catch up with myself. As she set off I rolled up my sleeves. By the time she staggered back, having gone much too far, and taken it at a positive sprint because “the dog was having so much fun”, I had made an industrial quantity of garlic and herb butter for turkey related purposes and the vichyssoise (OK, leek and potato soup, but I did actually purée it properly). This felt dangerously radical because any soup other than lentil is a departure from protocol, permitted only because No. 1 daughter is not coming up till the new year (when I have promised a copious supply, in such quantities that a goodly proportion can be vacuum packed for repatriation to Oxford). Whilst I put the kettle on, and before she had her wellies off, Mum was then despatched to “cut twigs and stuff” from the garden to fill in gaps in my Christmas flowers. To show willing though, I broke into one of my bespoke Christmas teas and the “bouquet bonfire” (the inspiration for which was the image of a furious female immolating a floral gift – let it not be said that I am prosaic..) went down surprisingly well.
I moved on to the stuffing and stuck to the hallowed tradition of having two varieties, the recipes for which I largely make up on the hoof every year but one always has to include lemon, pine nuts and green herbs and be a bit hot with chilli or some such (this year peri peri mix) and the other has walnuts, orange and whatever else takes my fancy (this year it was was ras el hanout and sour cherries). For a brief moment I contemplated stuffing and dressing the turkey – but I couldn’t face it so I’ll get to it tomorrow. I also didn’t get round to herbing and packing my jumbo feta delivery in oil or curing my new year salmon so that’s also in the mañana box – maybe tomorrow if I can find someone willing to dig up beetroot on Christmas Day………I have at least found the vodka for that. And, to my credit, not drunk it.
Onward, ever onward, I moved on to tomorrow’s pudding (which will be a pistachio cheesecake with a blackcurrant sorbet). I had read a sorbet recipe that just involved freezing while fruit (though in the case of the recipe it was oranges) and blitzing them with a mixer. Well I have a freezer of frozen blackcurrants so I thought, well what have I got to lose? Actually, it worked surprisingly well but if anyone else is contemplating this I would recommend hulling the blackcurrants before freezing them, as I had to sieve the frozen slush which was a bit tedious and caused it to melt. I added some of the vodka anent excessive freezing and popped the icy sludge back in the freezer. I shall report back but I’m pretty hopeful actually.
Pudding consigned to the fridge/freezer (as appropriate) I decided to finish the flowers. The assorted twigs and bits were out on the patio table so I stumbled out in the boogly dark to retrieve them and much fiddling about followed. Any gaps were filled with little strings of fairy lights and, for a rushed job, I’m quite pleased. I was just about to go for a bath at that point but then I remembered I still had to fill the stockings for delivery later (I am subcontracted to Santa) so another mad gallop ensued. In the course of this I found that a deer antler gifted to Lyra last Christmas had languished unchewed on a coffee table, still wearing a ribbon, since last Christmas. So I’m ashamed to say that went back in her stocking along with a packet of beautifully wrapped custard creams from Mum and a counterbalancing packet of dentasticks from me.
At this point the lovely Lachlan, prince among sons, decided that I needed a gin and tonic and some crisps. He was exactly right. But my work for the evening is now done and I shall sign off and finally head for the bath. A very merry Christmas to everyone who made it this far (and also anyone who skipped to the end).
Today’s quiz question: Cream, Hot Chocolate, Orange Juice, Porridge – which is the odd one out?
Yesterday’s answer: Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Merry Christmas to one and all