PJ's were warm and cosy so I just slung my apron on and started on the cucumbers and onions I had left draining overnight. I'm just waiting now for the jars to finish sterilising and that is one job out of the way today.
For the life of me I can't seem to get a good picture of the Christmas tree so I have had to lift a picture from my Pinterest board taken in 2015.
The tree is pretty much the same except that we have added a giant lollipop to the topper and removed the giant poinsettia. We have also added one new decoration of a front door with a wreath.
The garland on the mantelpiece looks lovely although looking at the photo I do spot a little bare space so it needs some tweaking.
The living room looks so cosy at night with all the lights on.
The kitchen dresser will be done in the next couple of days and then I think I am done with decorating and all the boxes can go back upstairs out of the way.
The weather was awful this morning when I got up. Still some of the strong wind from overnight and then we had a short thrashing down of rain. Now it looks to be quite sunny but there are still some grey clouds about so I expect we will get more of the wet stuff before the day is out.
I managed to pick up a ham when I went shopping last night. This will be cooked and used for our traditional Christmas Eve meal of ham, salad and chips. I'm hoping that I still have the A**a Christmas book from last year as I would like to do the rum and blackcurrant ham I did last year which was beautiful.
The festive food is just about sorted apart from fresh stuff and the few bits I want to make in advance to freeze.....pork, chestnut and cranberry sausage rolls, mince pies and some cheese straws to go with Ruby's request for my no vegetable vegetable soup which is packed with veg but whizzed down to remove all the lumps....lol. She would like it for a starter on Christmas Day.
I'm starting to flag a bit now with being up so early so I think a nice cup of coffee to spark me up and then on with the jobs.
*Edited to add that I have just tried to make myself a cup of coffee with a teabag.......maybe I should have just gone back to bed.....lol*
Hope your day is wonderful.
Sheila-x-
Have yourself a litte rest Sheila.
ReplyDeleteThe decorations are looking fab and I chuckled at your comment about the garland. I'm always tweaking the decorations. It doesn't help that a small someone is forever messing with the tree baubles! X
Ha, ha....I am always tweaking Jules. I think it stems from when Christmas displays used to be my job and I was always having to repair displays that customers had messed with.
DeleteHugs-x-
Nothing wrong with that Sheila, on the odd occasion I have pulled jogging bottoms and a hoodie over PJ,s and taken Ben out.
ReplyDeleteIf truth be told Pam I didn't really want to change out of me pj's but we were expecting a parcel and I didn't want to traumatise the delivery man...lol.
DeleteHugs-x-
The decorations are looking great, I love your mantel. xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Marlene.
DeleteHugs-x-
Come the evening I can't wait to get into my PJ's! Hope you sleep better tonight, Sheila.
ReplyDeleteMe too Sooze. I feel like everything is pretty much OK in my little world when I am snuggled in my pj's.
DeleteHugs-x-
Your decorations look stunning :) And thanks so much for the link to bread & butter pickles. They look scrummy and remind me of my mum steeping sliced cucumber and onion in a little dish of vinegar for teatime xx
ReplyDeleteSliced cucumber and onion in vinegar is one of my son's most favourite thing and the bread and butter pickles are great as I can keep them in the fridge and always have some on hand.
DeleteHugs-x-
I have a friend with a chestnut tree and this year has been a good one for the nuts. We have had our fill of roasted ones... do you have any suggestions/recipes for something different??
ReplyDeleteI have to be honest and say Bettina that I don't really use chestnuts an awful lot so I Googled recipes using chestnuts to try and pick a few out for you. There were so many that I didn't know what to pick for your tastes but there was everything from soups to sweet things to savouries so I hope you can find something you like.
DeleteHugs-x-
Werriting at the back door much better than peeing on the parlour floor! Do I spy a cheeky little robin eyeing up the snowmans' hat?! x
ReplyDeleteOh the peeing on the parlour floor came later Jackie....I think he had only heard a cat.
DeleteYes....naughty little robin....he's after nicking the berries from the snow angels little head wreath...lol.
Hugs-x-
The tree and decorations look lovely. I prefer my house in the evening when the lamps are on or candles are lit. I've never heard of rum and blackcurrant ham - sounds interesting. xx
ReplyDeleteAwww thanks Suzanne.
DeleteYes I prefer my house in the evening when everything looks cosy and magical.
I made the rum and blackcurrant ham for the first time last year and I expected it to taste sour but it really didn't. It's cooked in apple and blackcurrant juice with rum and the usual mirepoix of vegetables and then coated in blackcurrant jam and roasted in the oven for a short while. It was stunning.