Holiday Giveaway - Day 6

I’m doing something special this year and we’re going on a family Christmas cruise! If we enjoy it enough I’m sure we’ll think about doing it every year

Day 5 winners were @Rodney18 for this 

and @russell.harris for this 

You win a Webroot + Carbonite Power Bank

Congratulations!

I’m doing something special this year and we’re going on a family Christmas cruise! If we enjoy it enough I’m sure we’ll think about doing it every year

We usually get together with different families and eat lots of food! One tradition we have started is going to my parents house for a sleepover with all my brothers and their familys about 30 of us, so it makes for a very crazy but fun time. We also enjoy going to a Christmas Eve service at our Church that happens every year.

Wow, Thats really cool. Where you going? My sister-in-law and boyfriend actually just got back from a Caribbean cruise and they loved it. 

We have a fairly simple Christmas routine.

Christmas Day morning my daughter opens her presents under the tree and we have a cooked breakfast whilst listening to my Christmas playlist.
Then the rest of the day is spent with my wife’s family at my wife's mother’s house. 
More present opening and Traditional English Christmas dinner. Roast Turkey with all the trimmings, Christmas crackers, we wear the hats etc.
Then we do a home-made ‘pass the parcel’ for my daughter where every year she seems to win the main prize at the end!
The day is finished off with a movie and chocolates and usually card games.

Boxing Day is spent with my family at my mums.
We have a buffet-style food day. The dining table is just laid out with lots of ‘picks’ and you just help yourself all day whenever you want. My mum will usually plate up hot food throughout the day and there’s way too much food for the people there so we all have plenty to take home to last most of the rest of the Christmas week!
We play games and watch another Movie.

Simple but it’s nice to see the families.

Going around the Bahamas. We’re very excited

Everyone talking about their breakfast traditions and I have a little embarrassing/guilty one. Here in America, McDonalds (and a number of fast food) is open on Christmas day so I usually go and buy the whole breakfast menu and bring it back for everyone so we’re only cooking dinner in the kitchen. 

I started the tradition and I’ll never stop

That sounds like a massive family get together!

Everyone talking about their breakfast traditions and I have a little embarrassing/guilty one. Here in America, McDonalds (and a number of fast food) is open on Christmas day so I usually go and buy the whole breakfast menu and bring it back for everyone so we’re only cooking dinner in the kitchen. 

I started the tradition and I’ll never stop

We have a few holiday traditions:

• Homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast
• Holiday Fun Run with my oldest daughter
• We gift our kids money to donate to charity. We then match that donation. This is my favorite one. It takes the focus off presents, if only for a moment. We get to talk about how not everyone has what we have, and that it’s important to help how we can. It also gives them autonomy to give to causes they care about, and we reenforce that by doubling their donation. The are still young enough now that we give them a list to choose from, but we are hoping as they get older they will find causes they are passionate about.

I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a healthy (and prosperous) New Year.

It has been interesting to read the comments above, from a holiday in the Bahamas, fun runs, fast food, you lot do it all.

We will be having a quiet Christmas Day this year, I will go to work briefly, just to check the boiler and the greenhouses then that is it. We will take the dog for a walk and then have an easy lunch.
But on Boxing Day my daughter and grandchildren are coming over but unfortunately her partner is working that day but I am sure we will have a great day.

The one thing I enjoy making which is popular and it takes a while to get through it 😉 is Yorkshire Rarebit, I know some of you will have heard of Welsh Rarebit but this is a bit different.
The ale which is mentioned is a dark one and when it has been all been finished it is not in anyway a strong taste in the meal and it can be substituted for another dark one.

 

Ingredients
150ml of Black Sheep Ale
50ml of whipping cream
15ml of Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of salt & pepper
Half a dessert spoon of Dijon mustard
200g each of Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese, Yorkshire Cheddar and Yorkshire Red Leicester cheese – grated

Method
1. Add the Black Sheep Ale, whipping cream, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning and mustard to a pan, whisk together and bring to the boil.
2. Simmer the ingredients and reduce by about a half, this will take about 10mins.
3. Take off the heat.
4. Mix the grated cheeses together in a bowl.
5. Add the reduced cream and Black Sheep Ale liquid, and mix thoroughly until you have a thick paste.
6. Transfer the mixture into a parchment lined container such as a loaf tin.
7. Press down very firmly to ensure the mixture is tightly packed into the tin.
8. Refrigerate for at least two hours until set firm.
9. When the Yorkshire Rarebit mix is set, it will be firm enough for slicing into 1cm thick pieces.

To serve
1. Place one slice of Yorkshire Rarebit onto a crusty slice of bread – ciabatta works really well, it needs to be crisp rather than a soft bread.
2. Place in the oven on 200c for 10mins and serve.

Perfect with a garden salad and home-made tomato chutney. Yorkshire Rarebit can also be served on jacket potatoes, gammon steak, chicken and fish.

That sounds amazing. Going to have to give that a go!

I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a healthy (and prosperous) New Year.

It has been interesting to read the comments above, from a holiday in the Bahamas, fun runs, fast food, you lot do it all.

We will be having a quiet Christmas Day this year, I will go to work briefly, just to check the boiler and the greenhouses then that is it. We will take the dog for a walk and then have an easy lunch.
But on Boxing Day my daughter and grandchildren are coming over but unfortunately her partner is working that day but I am sure we will have a great day.

The one thing I enjoy making which is popular and it takes a while to get through it 😉 is Yorkshire Rarebit, I know some of you will have heard of Welsh Rarebit but this is a bit different.
The ale which is mentioned is a dark one and when it has been all been finished it is not in anyway a strong taste in the meal and it can be substituted for another dark one.

 

Ingredients
150ml of Black Sheep Ale
50ml of whipping cream
15ml of Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of salt & pepper
Half a dessert spoon of Dijon mustard
200g each of Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese, Yorkshire Cheddar and Yorkshire Red Leicester cheese – grated

Method
1. Add the Black Sheep Ale, whipping cream, Worcestershire sauce, seasoning and mustard to a pan, whisk together and bring to the boil.
2. Simmer the ingredients and reduce by about a half, this will take about 10mins.
3. Take off the heat.
4. Mix the grated cheeses together in a bowl.
5. Add the reduced cream and Black Sheep Ale liquid, and mix thoroughly until you have a thick paste.
6. Transfer the mixture into a parchment lined container such as a loaf tin.
7. Press down very firmly to ensure the mixture is tightly packed into the tin.
8. Refrigerate for at least two hours until set firm.
9. When the Yorkshire Rarebit mix is set, it will be firm enough for slicing into 1cm thick pieces.

To serve
1. Place one slice of Yorkshire Rarebit onto a crusty slice of bread – ciabatta works really well, it needs to be crisp rather than a soft bread.
2. Place in the oven on 200c for 10mins and serve.

Perfect with a garden salad and home-made tomato chutney. Yorkshire Rarebit can also be served on jacket potatoes, gammon steak, chicken and fish.