Food + Gifts

For many, the two most important elements of Christmas are food and gifts (sure, there are those who would argue for religion and family...).

At any rate, they are my favourite elements.  I have a love/hate relationship with gifts and wrapping.  On the one hand, I find it frustrating buying for people who I don't know all that well - I want to choose something that they will love, but know that I will inevitably fall short.  On the other hand, finding the perfect gift for someone gives me such a high, and I remain excited until I can present the gift.  On the one hand, I despise hours spent bending over the coffee table cutting and sticking and folding paper and ribbons.  On the other hand, I am always so thrilled to see the beautifully presented gifts laid out under the tree.

This year, I used paper in tones of a very pleasing deep red and a soft taupe, as well as a gold and taupe.  I used simple kitchen string on the red paper (then got grumpy this morning when I realised I was out of kitchen string for the pudding!).  I also found these very cute little wooden angels which clip onto the string:

These are large cardboard flowers which I think are very cute:

Here is Tabitha's stocking, with a little woolen lamb peeking out the top!

This is always a nice thing to find hanging in a Christmas tree:

I sourced these incredibly cute glitter- trimmed postcards to use as Christmas cards:

This is my favourite - I bought a few of this one!

Here are some of the gifts spread beneath the tree:

Such a nice scene!

When it comes to food, it is much more about the love than the hate!  Sure, it is tiresome peeling 16 potatoes, making several litres of custard.  But the rewards are payment tenfold!  The reason I like hosting Christmas (or in this years' case, Christmas Eve) is because I am (admittedly) a little fussy.  I don't see the point of roasting potatoes if they aren't going to be waxy (Desiree or Patrone for preference) and ideally, generously coated in goose or duck fat.  A roasted floury spud like a Kennebec makes me a little sad.  At any rate, it is SO very easy to do these simple, Christmas foods brilliantly, so there is really no excuse for bad Christmas Dinner!  Eek.  Now I think I see why my mother and sister call me The Boss of Christmas.

Only purchased a 3.5kg half ham this year (nice free range Australian pork of course).  I reasoned that I was only hosting eight guests for lunch, two of whom do not eat pork.  However it doesn't look nearly as nice as a full ham, so next year I will certainly be ordering a full ham.  Also did turkey with two stuffings - cranberry and chestnut, and sage and apple.  Turkey gravy.  Cranberry sauce.

Here is the ham with its bone protected by foil, its skin peeled back, and the fat scored and studded with cloves.

Here is the money shot:

My glaze includes redcurrant conserve, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, brown sugar and fresh orange juice.

Here is my large ramekin of rejected, misshapen cloves:

Here is the glazed ham.  I cannot describe how good it smells:

Here are the potatoes - cut into boats, my favourite roasting cut (in half lengthways, and in half lengthways again) covered in pink salt and rosemary from the garden, ready to be doused with melted duck fat:

I cut the butternut pumpkin into pieces with the skin left on one side - this side rests against the bottom of the tin, preventing the bottoms of the pieces from burning.

Golden shallots and Australian garlic.  I also did parsnips.

Slices of ham.  Lots of leftovers, thankfully!

Creme Anglaise, speckled with delicious Madagascan vanilla bean seeds:

The drink of choice for the males today:

The pudding - this one is around 3.5kg.  Served 10 with ample leftovers.

These are some of my favourite decorations from the tree this year:

Tomorrow morning, my parents and sister are coming over to open presents (Santa will be delivering all the gifts to our house, apparently).  They are bringing fresh croissants, which we will eat with leftover glazed ham and some nice Gruyere.