Christmas 2009

It started the week before when the kids asked if they could enter a float in the pageant. With only a day to build it, we decided to go for something that wouldn’t require me to make costumes. So – Santa’s Surfing Safari was born. I even managed to find the right music – The Ventures Christmas Album – all those lovely Christmas songs that start off sounding suspiciously like Tequila or Walk Don’t Run. I give you Santa on a surf board with his 3 beach bunny helpers, a palm tree and 2 very flat seagulls:

The kids were pretty disappointed that they didn’t get a prize, but they had a heap of fun anyway.

After the pageant all the kids get free pressies. H11 just managed to slip under the upper age limit, so this will be her last year of getting presents from Santa, while C7 still has a while to go.

 

On Christmas eve we traditionally make gingerbread angels for Father Christmas (he likes his gingerbread fresh): This year we made moons and stars so that I could make a gingerbread Christmas tree for our table. I also made a few rocky road trees (complete with coloured cachous).

 

As well as baking on Christmas Eve, we also watch Santa being tracked on his flight by NORAD. The kids seemed more excited about it this year, Squealing as he took off from the north pole at around 4pm our time. We left out some of the gingerbread for Santa, a wee drink and a carrot for Rudolph. In the morning, there was evidence that the jolly fat man had been:

(note to Santa: you are only meant to take a 1/2 measure of Bundy – you have a busy night ahead!). Other evidence included pressies under the tree

These were unwrapped with due haste (BEFORE 7am!!!)

Then the kids got to play with their toys …..

While mummy did this:

and this:

and this:

 

This pudding is really easy. 2 litres of good quality ice cream (the cheap stuff separates). A 200g block of Cadburys Fruit and Nut, 2 x Cherry Ripes and a handful of pink marshmallows. Soften the ice cream for a few minutes. Chop up the chocolates really small (the pieces here are way too big – you can’t bite into frozen chocolate pieces that big). Cut the marshmallows up into quarters (or smaller). Mix it all together. Put it all into a 9 cup pudding basin that has been lined with freezer plastic or several layers of cling film. I would have served this with Ice Magic on the top, but it had mysteriously disappeared.

Everyone was sufficiently fed and exercised enough to have an early night – only to do it all over again the next day with ACW’s family. Merry Christmas everyone.

Lucky Shearers

For lunch tomorrow they are getting one of my favourite dishes, Mustard Chilli Chicken. I’ve banned myself from eating it for a while because it’s deliciously naughty seriously full of calories. The shearers, on the other hand, will burn this off pretty quickly.

 There isn’t a recipe as such –  just a set of instructions. I precook 1 chicken breast per person, then let then cool. Into a frypan, put a blob of Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce, a blob of Wholegrain Mustard and enough cream to make it into a sauce. Rip the cooked chicken breasts into bite sized bits and cook them into the sauce until everything is hot. Serve with a green salad using the sauce as a dressing.