cinnamon & ginger

ahh, the smell of Christmas! 

Yes, it's nearly here, only 10 more sleeps until Jesus' birthday!  I love cinnamon and ginger, baking cakes, cookies, gingerbread... filling the home with their beautiful warm fragrance... ahhh... yes, I have just baked some mini carrot cakes.  It the church's leaders & volunteers end of year function tonight, bring your own dessert is the "theme" lol.  And although I'm not attending, Big M is, so I've baked some gorgeous carrot cakes, and will ice them with cream cheese frosting, so yummy.

Thinking of food, how crazy can we get this time of year?  Christmas Day ends up becoming one looooooooong feast, eating with this family, eating with that family, over this house to see those friends etc.  And how expensive is it?!  We love our family, and we want to put on the absolute best meal for them, but why does it end up costing so much?  We always over eat, then feel "eaters remorse" afterwards.  Solution?  A budget friendly, tummy blessing meal!  Although I am blessed enough this year to not have to cook for the whole family, I do have a few little recipes up my sleeve which I'm happy to share with you all, if it should help stretch that dollar further this Christmas.

Entrees?  H'ors doeuvres?  Is that even how to spell them?  Honestly, we're not in France, we're Aussies... if we can't spell it, we don't need it!  More often than not, our Christmas day Down Under is hot hot hot!  For pre-dinner/lunch nibblies I usually serve a bowl of nuts, a bowl of soy crisps (or you can get them in the same bag at Coles - their lime ones are so good!) and a bowl of Christmas m&m's (this keeps the kids happy lol).   Ok, I'm not too fancy, sorry, I'd love to have amazingly beautiful foods spread across the table, but in reality we don't need it, and it all costs $$$.  So yes, nuts, soy crisps and a little something sweet to tide us over until the meal is finally cooked.

The main event?  Well a few years ago I had a budget shortage, and in the end, totally loved everything I made on the day... plus I felt good after eating it!  We had: roast lamb (about 1.5kg off the bone - obviously the most expensive part of the meal), chipolatas wrapped in bacon, roasted garlic potatoes, honey mustard roasted parsnips, bacon blessed brussel sprouts, bread rolls and gravy (made from pan juices of course!).  This managed to feed 7 adults and 2 toddlers, all for around $70 (including pre dinner snacks).

Blissful endings... I can't actually remember what we had for dessert that year... sometimes I make Nigella's  Black Forest Trifle, it's absolutely divine, and looks amazing.  Sometimes my mother in law will just serve meringues with fruit & whipped cream and then later on have the steamed pudding with custard... *drools*... lets face it, we all want something super yummy for dessert, but if you just have a little, you'll feel great & still enjoy the decadence of the day.  It's the overloading of the bowl we need to watch out for!

Looking for a special drink idea, something a little fancy, not too much fuss, and non alcoholic?  I love getting two long carafes (1.5L each) and pouring in each 500ml cranberry juice, 630ml sparkling water (cheapo brand of course), 2 Tbs caster sugar and adding sliced lime & ice cubes (crushed would be better, but we don't have one of those fancy schmancy fridges)... it's delish!  So refreshing, the kids think they're having a super treat, and you know what's actually gone in it!

I think the most important thing we need to consider when catering for Christmas is think of our family and what they really need.  Don't go over the top with loads of rich, buttery, oily foods.  Make your meal with love, time and purpose.  They're the most memorable... especially the meals where you've made them with a little too much love & time and they come out a little dry or charcoalled lol, they're the meals that'll be remembered!

Does absence make the heart grow fonder?

Hmm... good question?  Did you miss me while I've been away?  I haven't really been away anywhere in particular, just away from cyberspace really.  While undertaking my challenge to become a far more "better woman" by following the great Proverbs scripture about the woman of great worth, I found I was spending less and less time here... sitting in front of the computer... and rightly so.  It felt so good.  I've been discovering how absent I was in my own home.  My older two children can be quite independent at times, so I was allowing myself to escape online.  Sadly I wasn't being very present for them.  I don't think they realised it, so I'm pretty lucky I did before I became too addicted here :)  Don't get me wrong, I'll still be blogging, and facebooking... but not as much as previous.  I'm loving being more present with the family.

Which has also brought me to a decision.  I'm no longer continuing with my "challenge".  Whilst it's been inspiring, and also quite insightful, it's just not practical in my household.  All I can ask is for God's grace to fill me, for his Spirit to guide me, so I can become a woman of great worth to my family and home.  Toiling all day and night was exhausting, and actually wore me out more than blessed the family!  So, yes, for now it is over :(  But onto happier thoughts...

Today is the first day of December, and Christmas has hit our home!  Mr F and I are constructing the Christmas tree, lights have been strung (well one small string of star shaped felt & led fairy lights)... and I'm hoping to get all the decorations up tonight so I can take some pics of the kids with the tree before they get to it and start playing with all the decorations.  Those bells are just too tempting!

We're very much so looking forward to Christmas.  This year we're having dinner at my husband's side, and for the first time in a long time, ALL of us will be there.  All of my mother in law's children with their children, as well as her own mother, so the table will be full, the house will be full, and while I'm sure it will be exhausting, the kids are going to have an absolute ball with their cousins!

On a slightly less exciting note, now that my sister has moved interstate (with her hubby & kids) my side of the family has no plans for Christmas.  My parents will do their own thing, and we'll just see them some time over the Christmas weekend... I like the informality, but it's sad that the kids can't see their cousins, Aunty, Uncle and grandparents (on this side) on the big day. I must admit, my ideal Christmas day is a big lunch with both sides of the family, then heading to the beach at night with our little family of 5 just to run off the last of our energy before a loooong sleep in on Boxing day!  Maybe next year?

I've very much become a home body the past few months.  Getting very domesticated.  I've been sewing lots, and baking lots... I've even made my daughter a quilt!  That's a surprise, but a very welcome one.  I love it.  I love making & baking and then giving it away.  Gifts from the heart and the home.  When have you been inspired to take time and effort to really give of yourself when giving a gift?  I love the blessing it brings to someone when you drop a box of cookies off, or a tray of lasagne... try it, you'll like it!