Would you believe me if I said I've only just wrapped up this years festive fun?
I know, it's ridiculous! Christmas day feels like a million years ago and just this week I wriggled into my favourite holiday jumper to pull the final cracker of 2014.
I have something of an unconventional Christmas, you see.
I split the holidays between London, Hampshire and Edinburgh.
On paper I guess it all sounds very jet-set and exciting, but in reality, it's very much the opposite. I spend most of my time stuck in traffic, repacking suitcases and pacing around airport lounges.
It's a little exhausting to be honest, but 100% worth it.
I bloody love the holidays and my family sure knows how to do it in style. Starting with the boy's troops, we kicked off Quad Christmas the only way we know how.
I stupidly forgot to take any camera snaps on Christmas day itself but uploaded a few foodie ones to my Instagram for you to take a peek at. Naughty, I know.
On Boxing Day we crawled down the M3 to the countryside where we stayed with family for the next few days. We opened presents, watched films and caught up over a bird in a bird in a bird (possibly in another bird, a pig, an elephant & a rhino.)
Caroline made the most incredible soft summer fruit merengue with date-less sticky toffee puddings for desert which I still find myself drooling over today.
And after a relatively early night we awoke to the arrival of even more family and the sound of corks popping! Most definitely my favourite kind of wake up call.
We sat down for dinner, starting with rare venison & walnut salads.
And then I got to try roast goose for the very first time ever!
We washed it all down with a tispy singalong to Frozen's finest.
And as we waved goodbye to the grandparents, the party really got started!
We stayed up dancing and chatting until the early hours before exhausting both the iPod playlist and ourselves.
We spent the next day glued to the sofa before setting off for London the following morning for Christmas number three.
I got to catch up with my sister and pops and find out all about their Christmases.
And over some of the best roast potatoes in the land, that's exactly what we did.
After a quick pit-stop home to wish the cats a merry Christmas, the next day brought with it my fourth and final Christmas. That, and one hell of a stinking cold.
Snotty and a little miffed, I grabbed my suitcase, piled it high with presents and landed in Edinburgh before breakfast.
We were greeted by an ever-excitable mother and this remarkable lump of lard.
The sheer size of her is alarming, don't be deceived!
The girls gravitated towards the kitchen whilst the men snuck off to the pub to talk all things rugby, whiskey and women.
Meanwhile, we giggled, carved, seasoned and stirred until finally, dinner was ready!
Mum made enough food to feed the five thousand and I whipped up my salted caramel and banana trifle with candied walnuts for pudding.
With our tummies painfully satisfied, we made a bee-line for the tree where a rather glamorous Mrs Claus dished out the presents!
After hours of Articulate and various port themed drinking games, we eventually headed to bed and woke late to the most gorgeous day.
Hoping the sea air would do us some good, we hopped into wellies and drove over to North Berwick.
After a fish and chip lunch, we grabbed a slab of peanut butter fudge from the local sweet shop and headed back home, snoozing all the way.
Mum served up her traditional Boxing Day lamb curry (which you can find the recipe for right here, you lucky little devil) and we rounded off the night with a family game of charades.
As you can imagine, it all got preeeetty intense.
When we woke up the next morning, achey and sore from impersonating ostriches and candlesticks, it dawned on me that Christmas was over for another whole year.
I hit the snooze button, rolled over and fell into a deep, long sleep, only to be interrupted by dreams of pigs in blankets, cinnamon candles and the occasional 'ching' of toasting wine glasses.
I hope you had a great Christmas and are settling back to reality with just as much difficulty I am. Happy New Year everybody - roll on 2015!
No comments:
Post a Comment