Have a phenomenal Christmas!

In case I don't get a chance later this week, I hope you all have a phenomenal Christmas!



Video not playing? Try here!

The countdown begins...

It's Christmas week, so I've only just started getting into the spirit of things (unlike the shops, who seem to think it begins in August). I'm hosting Christmas this year, so I've been away from my blog lately, as my spare time has been taken up by painting, decorating and clearing out the house in time for the festive lunches and dinners as well as getting the necessary things in place - new furniture, Christmas tree, ordering food, etc. In case you're interested, here's the menu:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Salmon patê on Melba Toast
Champagne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bruschetta (with tomato/garlic/basil)
Crostini (with wild boar ragû)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gnocchi with wild boar ragû and fresh parmesan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Roast pork loin with prune and cognac stuffing
Roast potatoes with rosemary
Green beans & carrots
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Panettone with Marsala-infused custard
Accompanied with a glass of Marsala wine
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mince pies with a shot of Amaretto
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coffee / grappa / whisky to digest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hungry yet? Sounds complicated but it's all planned out and I can prepare a lot of it on Christmas Eve for minimal effort on the day itself - the hardest part will be toasting the bread for the bruschetta and crostini!