Christmas on the farm

 Compliments of the season to all my Blogger friends!

As usual, Christmas was celebrated on the farm; Christmas Eve is BIG here. We have a seated dinner for 23 guests.  We ladies prepare the starters (a cheese and crackers board),  meats, veg and dessert. 

My contribution is pictured here below.

I cooked and glazed two gammons

I roasted a shoulder of mutton

I made a cranberry, celery and apple stuffing; cooked separately from the meat (so I could eat it!)

I made green beans and also cooked up baby carrots which I sautéed in syrup.

I steamed a store-bought Christmas pudding

I made a trifle

My neighbor, Janine, loves Christmas. Every year she creates beautiful table settings. This year, however, she excelled herself. She ran with an unusual color scheme in pastel pink linen and silver place mats paired soft turquoise dinnerware. 

The table linen, place settings and festive Christmas center pieces, were exquisite

The Christmas crackers (bon-bons) beside each plate, were also upmarket. The gifts which emerged once we'd made the crackers bang, were useful and interesting

The guest list always consists of an eclectic mix of old and young. Ron and John live on the farm and always attend this dinner. Janine's 80-year-old widowed dad lives in the city and Janine brings him up for Christmas. The oldest daughter is married and she and her new husband are always at this dinner. The younger daughter is engaged and her fiancé's two sisters with their boyfriends, his parents AND his maternal grandmother join us for this annual dinner. 

Of this whole group, I am the only lady (and a vintage one at that!) who is not a mother or grandmother to the youngsters connected to the farm family. When I phoned Gavin last night to thank him for another wonderful Christmas celebration, I also thanked him for making me feel part of their family, he replied: It's a pleasure, Jo, you are family! Isn't that sweet...

This year was my sixth Christmas on the farm! 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL!