Jen Daiker at Unedited and Melissa at Through the Looking Glass are hosting the Be Jolly by Golly Blogfest! Thanks to this idea I have the opportunity to share a little flavour of my Christmas.
The Smith family Christmas-at-home is eccentric, eclectic - and loud. A Christmas-toon-time celebration: the Christmas karaoke out-malling the shopping centre smaltz; six versions of A Christmas Carol topped off with A Wonderful Life; board games; books and being together.
TO TOAST A MERRY CHRISTMAS:
My favourite Christmas drink is a glass of chilled, slightly-sweet, sparkling Cava served with cranberry ice cubes. To make the ice cubes fill an ice cube tray with cranberry juice and a cranberry or two, and then freeze. Serve the sparkling champagne with a couple of cranberry ice cubes for the look, smell and taste of a Christmas celebration.TO ROAST A MERRY CHRISTMAS
When it comes to turkey, I follow Jamie Oliver’s advice with biblical ferocity: I "stuff between the turkey’s skin and breast to increase the thickness so they take the same time to cook as the legs!" Using sage leaves, pancetta strips, garlic cloves, onion, celery, lemon zest, nutmeg, lots of salt and pepper, ending off with an orange in the cavity: Jamie does everything except throw the Christmas tree at the turkey to ensure it tastes the very essence of Christmas .Watching England take on the Aussies, at Cricket, has gone from thrilling to terrifying. As we all support Man Utd - and Watford FC too - the holidays should produce a mixed bag of excitement and a variety of results!
Happy Holidays!
I hope everyone experiences peace and joy this Christmas. I wish everyone more successes than challenges in the New Year.
I like the idea of the orange stuffed into the turkey.
ReplyDeleteMe too.
ReplyDeleteI love the tree! It's so pretty. And the drink sounds super yummy. And you can never go wrong with any kind of turkey. I hope you have a Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteHi Chris
ReplyDeleteJamie says to microwave the orange so it starts infusing the odour into the turkey from the off - great idea?!
Hi Ivy
Me and cooking - I can do it; I can do it; I can do it - when I try ;)
Hi Kimberly
Thank you - my tree takes an age to decorate. We have the world's biggest box of decorations and a whole lot of patience. :)
OMG! I know I'm supposed to look at the tree, but I love your floors!!! :D
ReplyDeleteAnd ooo... cranberry ice cubes w/cava... Me likey!
(and your tree is beautiful, too!)
Merry Christmas! <3
Eccentric and eclectic...two of my favorite words!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Leigh...you floors are awesome! I can really feel the festivity in your decorating. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and Happy New Year! :)
Beautiful tree, lovely floors and a cranberry drink -- I'll be right over.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
lovely tree :)
ReplyDeleteGreat way to stuff your turkey - I need all the help I can get with them, so I'm so going to try that. The tree looks amazing on those floors! And Cava w/cranberries sounds great! Thanks for sharing! :D
ReplyDeleteLOVE Jamie Oliver! Going to have to try that one!
ReplyDeleteHi Leigh and DL
ReplyDeleteThe floors are a source of mixed pleasure - waxed rather than varnished, they take work to keep that colour ;)
Hi Jennifer
It is quite the Christmas when we are balancing our Christmas needs. ;)
Mary
I'll put the kettle on -- and then ignore it in favour of champagne and all the crushed ice and vodka I've been reading about. :)
Hi Melissa
Thanks - it takes a long time to get that many decorations on that size tree ;)
Hi Brenda
You can't go wrong with the Jamie Oliver recipe - he has been the master - if invisible - chef in our kitchen, for years.
I love the idea for the cava with cranberry ice cubes. Not just great for Christmas but for Valentine's day as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Jolene
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the unofficial Jamie Oliver fan club ;)
This way, the turkey is amazing.
Stuffed turkey makes an excellent Christmas treat for a cat :-)
ReplyDeleteI just love your decorations! Sounds like you all have a great time during the holidays! Be safe! merry christmas
ReplyDeleteJust lovely all around! I'm going to have to try those cranberry ice cubes! :)
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas! :)
That’s a beautiful tree and the drink looks elegant AND nothing’s better than a nice roasted turkey.
ReplyDeleteThe Smith family Christmas sounds perfect.
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays.
Your house sounds like so much fun around Christmas! I love the idea of the cranberry ice cubes (and the Christmas karaoke!)! Will have to try that. Have a wonderful Christmas!
ReplyDeleteYour tree is loud and it is fantastic! I love loud trees, they demand attention and are always so pretty because they have meaning!
ReplyDeleteYour place sounds like the place to be at christmas time!
Thank you so much for participating in our blog fest!
Great tree. I might be crazy for saying this, but it looks really happy there. xD
ReplyDeleteThank you for your lovely comment as well~
xoxo
Your tree/living room looks so cozy and welcoming. Love the hardwood flooring. Cranberry ice cubes is new to me--I will have to try that! Thanks for stopping by my blog :)
ReplyDeleteLove your pretty, Christmas-y room. It looks so festive and inviting. Have a wonderful holiday season!
ReplyDeleteSounds like such a fun Christmas! I love your tree, and I have to make cranberry ice cubes now!
ReplyDeleteI love your tree and what an excellent idea about the Cava! I really enjoy sparkling wine as well as cranberry juice so that just sound perfect. Merry Christmas Elaine!
ReplyDeleteThe turkey sounds amazingly good!
ReplyDeleteCranberry ice cubes, way cool! And that turkey...when's dinner? Much writing success to you in 2011! Happy Christmas/holidays!
ReplyDeleteoooh... cranberry ice cubes! I'm so gonna copy that idea.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
I'm going to join in the crowd lovin' the idea of cranberry ice cubes in the bubbly! What a great idea. And thanks for stopping by my blog.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Christmas, and I hope you didn't have any travel plans this week over there in chilly England.
Your tree is gorgeous! I like the Sparkling Cava with cranberry ice cubes. Sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
Love your room! It's gorgeous. =D
ReplyDeleteGreat tree - in fact, I just love that whole room! And that turkey looks delicious! I've stuffed with citrus before, but all the rest of it sounds really good , too. Something I'll definitely have to try. Thanks for sharing! Happy Holidays to you and yours ~ :)
ReplyDeleteI love my bubbly...that is a drink I can work with joyfully. :) Cranberry ice cubes FTW.
ReplyDeleteLove the tree and room, too.
Merry Holidays!
Love,
Lola
Ohhhh that champagne looks DELICIOUS! Enjoy the holiday!
ReplyDeleteThat drink sounds amazing!!! And your decorations are wonderful...I have to agree with the floors, beautiful!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Christmas!
That cranberry drink looks amazing! Have a very merry Christmas!!!
ReplyDeleteOoh, love the cranberry drink and the turkey! We're doing a standing rib roast for Christmas but I'm thinking of making a turkey for New Year's Day... I want more turkey!
ReplyDeleteWow - that's a cool way to stuff a turkey - thanks! :)
ReplyDeleteThat drink sounds great! Beautiful tree, too!
ReplyDeleteI love the cranberry ice cubes! Very pretty! What do you have in your hearth? cards? books? Lovely tree and great turkey tips...
ReplyDeleteTo host, toast and roast - how CLEVER! Love it!! Have a Merry Christmas!!
ReplyDeleteHi Elaine, I LOVE the way your tree and mantle are all decorated up. It always looks like Christmas cartoons (most especially Rudolph & Charlie Brown) threw up all over the house for Christmas. It's the best.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours!
WOW! Thank you to everyone for their comments.
ReplyDeleteI wish everyone taking part in the Be Jolly Blogfest has a wonderful Christmas and a very happy holiday season.
As for my choices cranberries set loose in the Cava - or vodka - is delicious. I'm glad you all enjoyed the idea, too.
Jamie Oliver is the master chef for Christmas and most other events. I'm a huge fan of his 30 minute meals.
Our front room has two strong accent colours with cream walls and white above the picture rail. You could play the game - WHAT COLOUR IS OUR SOFA AND ARMCHAIR? ;) In the hearth we have a piece of art we found - lots of small images a real take on Home Sweet Home. If you click on the picture it enlarges - I hope.
Three seasons of the year I love our waxed floor boards, just not this one.
Yum yum yum! I like the look of that turkey! :)
ReplyDeleteElaine, that turkey looks positively scruptuous! And I love the peek into your front room. Have a very Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteHi Talli and Jonene
ReplyDeleteOur Jamie Oliver turkey is totally delicious.I hope you both have a very Merry Christmas.
I stuff my turkey with apples and oranges too! Love the idea of cranberry ice for the Cava. Looks very festive. Have a wonderful Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI love your tree! That turkey looks so good. :) Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteLove your mantle!
ReplyDeleteLike the Christmas decorations. Interesting way to cook a turkey. Have to say I've never tried it that way before.
ReplyDeleteThe tree is beautiful and I'm with everyone else- your floors are great! The drink looks marvelous too! Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteBe jolly by golly!
Hi Anne, Nicole and Suzanne
ReplyDeleteIt is a very tasty turkey done that way :)
Hi Elizabeth
Thank you. I think the mantle is pretty too. It is only missing the greenary - we don't bring that in until Christmas Eve.
Hi Danette
Thank you. Our tree groans under the ornaments; we collect a few more every year :)
Your tree is beautiful and the turkey recipe sound like a winner!
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas to you and your family.
Michael
Hi Michael
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words and wishes.
Merry Christmas to you and yours too. :)
Hi Elaine, thanks so much for your comment on my non-existent blogfest post :-) ... after some effort, I made it to England! (yay!) I was surprised by the lack of snow in central London, but now I'm out in Oxfordshire and can see what all the fuss is about. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDelete