My regular readers over the years will know that Christmas Eve is a pretty special time for me.  You could say I celebrate Christmas twice.  Once traditionally, due to my Latvian heritage, on Christmas Eve.  Then again on Christmas Day.

This year has been a bit of a strange one for me.  I have felt a little displaced to be honest.  Mum and Dad have moved up to Sunny Queensland, and it was not on the cards this year to be up there for Christmas Eve.  Plus they decided to go on a cruise.  So we will celebrate together, on their return, on the 29th of December.

Until my Grandmother passed away we celebrated Christmas Eve with relatives.  It was one massive get together, which I loved.  Unfortunately over the years we have all gone our separate ways and celebrate differently.  I will be quite honest, I miss those get togethers.

So this year I was thrown for a major loop.  To speak frankly, it was a case of “what the fuck am I going to do?”.  It was just the three of us, not that there is anything wrong with that, but that isn’t how I have spent Christmas Eve for the past 42 years of my life.

There was one major option that sprang to my mind.  No traditional meal.  Head to the pub and watch a mates band, Spurs for Jesus, at their annual Christmas Eve bash?  Something I have never been able to do in the past.  A new tradition?  Couldn’t do it, as much as I enjoy their music and the antics of Rev K D Twang, just not Christmas Eve to me.

So what do to do , what to do?

As a lot of you would know, we lost an incredible woman this year, my mother in law, Yvonne.   Why not invite my Father in law (FIL) over to have a special meal with us, stay the night and share in tired Christmas morning present giving?  Yes, a plan was born.

As I type this, Mac is watching Ocean’s 13 on the projector while I try to sort out which snore is Sally’s and which is my FIL’s, coming from the lounge.  So all in all it has been a good evening.

How did we chow down for Christmas Eve?  Let me share with you.  Pictures do speak louder than words.

To start we had a good old fashioned prawn cocktail, topped with roe and chives.  Chopped prawns were mixed through a zesty cocktail sauce, with a larger one on the side for pizzazz.  To accompany that we had oysters with gin and lemon dressing, from my oysters three ways recipes.

The main event, was butterflied turkey filled with stuffing of pistachios, cranberries and prosciutto.  I placed a generous amount of  butter which had been mixed with orange zest and thyme under the skin.  Oh wow, so so moist and tasty!

To accompany, potatoes and sweet potatoes, which had been roasted with duck fat.  Yes people, duck fat potatoes! 

Beans with almonds and butter.  Hmm butter and fat seems to be a major theme of this meal.  Oh well, we can diet tomorrow.  Actually we can’t.  Off to my brother and sis in laws for Christmas Day lunch.

Also one of my favourite, and must have, Christmas Eve dishes, red cabbage.

Dessert was a simple affair of freshly baked Portuguese style festive tarts.  Light and flaky puff pastry tart filled custard and a dollop of fruit mince.  Topped with almonds and a dusting of icing sugar.  They were better than I thought they would be, Mac ate three!

Wishing you all a very merry and safe Christmas.  Filled with festive food and the ones you love.

After a massive day it is time for bed.   Just need to put some cookies out for Santa and a Portuguese tart for Rudolph.  I always imagined Rudolph to be a foodie, why, not sure.  With that nose, one would think he would be a wine connoisseur.

Massive hugs, merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Sara xxx

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I always felt spoilt as a kid as I was lucky to have two Christmases. First one was Christmas Eve with my Dad’s family, the Aunts, Uncles, Cousins etc. Then the wake up Christmas morning to see what Santa had planted under the tree at home and a traditional baked turkey dinner. Both were magical to me as a kid.

Christmas Eve was special. You would arrive at my great grandmother’s house and deposit the presents under the tree and as there were quite a few family members, ohhh wow was there a mountain. Nibbles and drinks went around as adults caught up with each other. The children, well we just analysed the pressies from a distance, while playing and helping the adults out where needed for getting the food on the table.

Before the time came to finally see what bounty awaited us, carols had to be sung. Okay, major intimidation time for me. My cousins both did dance and singing lessons so they were the adapted little performers. Moi on the other hand, closest I got to singing in front of an audience was my hair brush in front of my dressing table mirror or hymns at school assembly every morning (I went for many years to ATYP so I was great at smiling and miming). So mycousins would perform as expected and I would be pressured into joining them. Though I will admit when all the family were singing together it was a wonderful thing which I do cherish and if I close my eyes I can still hear the various voices of those departed and those still present.


After carols the kids got to distribute the presents to everyone else, then and only then, were we able to check out our loot. I think there was some enjoyment had by certain adults, watching us being tortured by making us have to wait for the presents for such a length of time.

It wasn’t just the presents that were bountiful, there was food, massive amounts of food. My great grandmother’s dining table would be groaning under the weight of the most glorious array of food. There would be pork schnitzel, dill stuffed eggs, herring, mushrooms (my grandmother’s speciality), chicken, salads, terrines, the list just went on and on. Then there would be a big dessert spread of cheesecakes, almond cakes and more. It was an incredible sight, the food was fantastic and traditional.

With a little sadness things have changed a great deal. My great grandmother and grandmother have both passed away as well as a few other family members. The cousins have grown up and we have gone a separate directions, so Christmas Eve does not exist in the form for me as it use to as a child and young adult.

Christmas Eve is still extremely special to me. These days it is celebrated at my Mum and Dad’s place and is just immediate family. It is funny how things change, on Christmas Eve it is now the traditional meal that we use to have on Christmas day as a family, and Christmas day is usually the big spread at my place or another family members’ on hubby’s side.
Mum prepares a lovely meal, there is an entree, usually Mum tries something new or goes for an old favourite. The Main meal is generally the same, turkey, roast potatoes, some other vege that tickles Mum’s fancy and the coveted red cabbage.

My Mum made a comment to Dad this year before I turned up, “Sara will walk straight to the stove, stir the red cabbage and taste it”. She was right, I did, until she mentioned it I did not realise I had my own little red cabbage tradition going!

Mum’s Red Cabbage

2 rashers of bacon (finely diced)
1 large onion (finely diced)
1/4c brown sugar
1t salt
1/4c white wine vinegar
1/8t powdered cloves
1/4t sugar
2 x 500g cans of red cabbage
1/2 cup red wine
1/4t caraway seeds

In a heavy based pot fry bacon over medium head until the fat runs. Add onions and cook until they have softened (about 5 minutes). Stir in remaining ingredients, except the caraway seeds, and cook covered for 30 minutes, giving it a stir now and then. Season to taste and add caraway seeds if desired – trust me it is desired

For nibbles with drinkies Mum made her bacon and egg tarts, guacamole served with corn chips as well as a red chilli dip.

Entree was a lovely prawn cocktail, served with a very moreish chilli cocktail sauce.


The carving of the turkey, and what an incredibly moist one it was. Orange, butter and other secret herbs and spices were placed under the skin to add to the flavour.

Roasted crispy fluffy centred potatoes and caramelised parsnip, both lovely.

Two, four, six, eight, bog in don’t wait.

For dessert Mum made a white chocolate cheesecake.

Thank you Mum for a wonderful Christmas Eve meal.

Sara
xxx

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