Outlaw Christmas

Our families take Christmas in turns and last year my parents were the outlaws so we organised to do an early Christmas on our way up north. I finished work on the Saturday night, came home, finished packing and then we left quite early the next morning (this is practically unheard of here). We arrived early afternoon and prepared for the feasting because where my family is involved there is always feasting (and of a high standard too).

Mum and Dad had ordered a whole salmon,

visited DJ's for salads and Mum had made Garn's special dessert which is a tapioca pudding with whisked egg whites on top. Garn always made this in a special cut glass bowl for people's birthdays and Christmas and Craig and I always tried to outdo each other with the number of helpings we had - the results were not always pretty. Lou and Chelsea arrived but Craig and Scarlett had to go back home to pick up a very special Haberfield Ricotta Torta that I had requested and they'd left at home (and thankfully not on the roof of the car).

When they returned and Jack and S were awake we exchanged presents (towels! tagine! cookbooks!) and there was much excitement and ripping of paper. Craig and Lou got Jack a fireman's outfit which was a huge hit, as were the Thomas engines and Crane that my parents bought. Scarlett didn't seem too fussed about the book I bought her (Yummy by Lucy Cousins - lots of garishly illustrated gruesome fairy tales but it's become a big hit.)
And then we sat down for lunch and ate and ate and ate. Well we did.

Jack and Scarlett decided to have a swim in the paddling pool before the main meal of the day - dessert.


And then Nonno performed a little magic trick, making these coloured lanterns appear. Actually the real trick was getting Jack to stop switching them off.