merry.christmas

you amazed at yourself that you can still whisk up a Christmas lunch under such condition.

 he helped to do all the other stuff, except cooking.  so the table is set and ready for the feast.  still awaiting for guests to arrive...

 a simple english style Christmas lunch with your SIL and family, just the five of you, so it's easy and nothing too complicated....

 the wine is toasted, white sparking resling wine.... good to accompany the meal.... ribena in sparkling water and lime. something that you grew up with but yet so unfamiliar for the dutch food culture. you nephew distaste the drink that you have to serve him cola instead...

a store bought porky pie from borough market.  it's an English Christmas lunch. something that your SIL and BIL are not accustom to.

beef wellington wrapped in Italian prosciutto, minced mushroom in sherry sauce and a generous layer of french foie gras. 

 there's serious complexity of taste going on there... and the beef is just rightly pink, phew!!

sprouts and pumpkin as vegetables but you're either too carried away or busy with eating that you thought you took a photo of your colorful pumpkin and sprout dish, but you obviously forgotten about taking a photo.

you roast a turkey too, a small one just around 2+kg enough for 4 adults and a kid.  this is the photo of the left over...

the stuffing with quinoa, walnut and other basic stuffing ingredients and some photos that you roast in the bed of turkey...

you didn't serve your dessert as the sponge cake for buche de noel were broken. You shouldn't try new recipe and should have use your tried and true genoise cake. you have time to bake another one but the oven is occupied the whole morning.  so you serve a store bought spotty dick with brandy sauce. it's a very tiny portion since every one is full from the meal.

Christmas isn't Christmas without a celebration at church with your brothers and sisters in Christ. you're suppose to translate tonight but have to call it off because of your cough, husky voice and sneezing nose... you bless the brother who took over the translation without any hesitation and complaint.

you're glad you made it to church tonight, so that your Christmas is complete not just with the worldly joyous eating, drinking and gifting but yours is complete because you embrace Jesus in your heart and you took time to care for others albeit your health.
let's hope the flu and cold will leave you soon....

have a blessed Christmas everyone!