A Christmas Stuffed

 

Hello Summer Sunshine!!
The season did begin almost a month ago, but better late than never right?

How was your Christmas? I hope you all had wonderful big lunches or dinners, family gatherings, friends around, present swapping, hugs, smiles and laughter. I had all that that's for sure! Christmas is my favourite time of year and I always get very much into the decorating and present buying and kitchen creations and this year was no different - except much more exhausting! Did anyone else find that or was it just me? Actually I know it wasn't only me as I've heard similar things from others around me. I was working more hours leading up until Christmas as my boss was on maternity leave (and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl at 11.50pm Boxing Day - yay), making Christmas cake orders for the shop and more for the markets, present shopping, and all whilst we had more people living in our place and my grandmother just passed away. So it's been full on, busy busy, hectic, stressful, and wonderful all at once, but I am in desperate need of solo time, quiet time, and reflection on what has been...

But before I get there I'm here to show you what my Christmas was - and say thank you again to everyone that ordered and bought my cakes. Big success :)
PS. Serious food porn ahead!

Deliciously Christmassy

Pre-orders lining up

So my Christmas morning began early as my dearly beloved and I wanted to get to the beach and in the surf. And WOW was it deliciously refreshing, with a gentle breeze, warm sunshine, and a few other people eager to catch what had been the only sunshine of Summer so far. No guesses as to how AMAZING we felt afterwards, as we were ready to face the day of eating to come!

Sydney's North Curl Curl - the best beach on the east coast :)

So back to mums' place by 830am, and surprised to see most of the house already up and about (I'm always the one waking everyone else at 6am to open pressies and make brekkie). Big hugs for mum and then upstairs to jump on my older sister still in bed who funnily enough said she was waiting for me - Christmas wasn't the same without me jumping and waking her!! Haha! Mum had set the table, and was cooking coconut pancakes while I made my banana-nog and sandwiched (pre-done) raw banana pancakes with fresh fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup. With Michael Buble playing in the background, a perfect Christmas morning :)

Raw banana pancakes with fresh fruit and maple drizzle

Banana-nog

Then it was opening presents time!! Santa still comes to mums place so we all get spoilt! And boy oh boy this year was no different!! New books, dvds, music, clothing, candles, bags, a turkish bowl I adore, a massage voucher (yum), choccies, the list never ends!! But what I love most is actually sitting down to share a meal with my whole family, and dancing around the house with mum and my sisters. And furthermore having and spending time with all my extended family in the space of a few days, as it's one of the only times we all get together these days.

All the cousins!!

The rest of the day was as follows:
Lunch with my man's family out near Dural - big salads and fruit and I took over a raw xmas cake to share as well. More presents given and received, big hugs and we were off again. Driving south to Bowral for dinner at Dad's - a huge spread of food and the table looked like something out of a DJ's catalogue (haha sorry Dad) !!

Garden Salad

Hot Spicy Tomato Salad

Fatoush Salad

Avo halves (eaten predominantly to counteract the copious amounts of chilli I ate in the tomato salad)

Raw Fruit Mince Tarts (made especially by my wonderful step-sister)

After mains, pre-dessert, pressie time

The best nectarines I've ever had!

The best blueberries I've ever had - hand picked by my step sister and step mum

My little plate of goodies

We crashed at Dad's and got up early to drive back home to get organised for the Big Relo's Boxing Day Bash happening at mum's place. Sleeves up, carrot juice had, then onto making salads! Once again, a huge spread of food with 20 people there; there were fresh prawns, roast beef, ham, smoked mussels and oysters for everyone else, then a whole table of salads (a few other organic ones for my man and I), later followed by French cheeses and breads, then desserts, then teas and coffee. Phew! Time to digest!

Green salad, potato salad, grilled vegie salad, avo mango salad, noodle coleslaw salad, and my zucchini pasta!

Voila! Raw pasta a big hit!

My cousins amazing mango-avo-macadamia-rocket salad!

Mango salsa, organic greens, other salads and raw carrot falafels

Carrot falafels with sweet tahini smoosh

Ever had passionfruit on your green salad? So good!

And once done on salads (cheeses and breads if you wish) it was dessert time! Always a highlight on Boxing Day. And this year was no different -

Mums mango amaretto ice cream cake, and a big pavlova

The Bouche de Noel - traditional French Christmas Cake we have every year

But for the raw foodies... none of the above as delicious as it all looked - I had made a special version of my Christmas cake. A raw chocolate-choc-chip Christmas cake (dare I say I think it's better than the origianl!). Mmm so good! With a choc-mammey ice cream I had made (after altering my good friend Omid Jaffaris' recipe here), one of my girl Kristina's beautiful luvbites (new flavour - omg) and the best blueberries ever, I don't think I could have had much better!!

Herbal tea after digestion took place, then crashing on the floor, another Christmas done and dusted!
"We did it" said mum and I. And now I totally deserve some R&!

Peace love and mung beans dudes and dudettes. Happy New Year if we don't speak before, be safe, and I'll see you all next year!