Wednesday 27 December 2017

CHRISTMAS DAY with greeks

Christmas Day in our cross-cultural house. 

Food  -
Turkey - roasted the traditional English way with bread and sage stuffing
Brussel sprouts - boiled, but not to death
Potatoes 1 - smashed the Jamie Oliver way.  Alongside pumpkin and sweet potato
Potatoes  2- the greek way with oil and lemon juice
Lamb - roasted the traditional greek way.  With oil, oregano and lemon juice.  Not a mint leaf in sight
Gravy - made the Jamie Oliver way.  Never again.  I placed the turkey on a bed of carrots, onions and garlic and pureed the vegetables along with the juices to make the gravy.  It tasted like vegetable soup.  Fortunately we had wine and bisto and managed to shock it back to a form of recognisable brown sauce.

No tzatziki.  No greek salad.  But we did have a lettuce salad, with rocket, spring onions, dill, lemon juice and olive oil

Good French Sauv Blanc, the usual greek wine out of a barrel



The table set oh so nicely.  Matching plates, proper wine glasses and real Christmas crackers


The 'Christ-bread'.  Soon to be blessed with the sign of the cross and cut by the traditional man of the house



In mid-feast.

Only eight of us, family and friends, sat down to eat but the rest of the family arrived soon after.  Presents were opened and the children sent outside to play in the wintery winter sun.



                                        

The boys, denied their electronic toys, used their imaginations and skills, pulled Grandads shed to pieces and made a cart out of a trolley and I'm not sure what else.  It had a number plate, a control panel, a spare tyre and a couple of jaw bones to add to its wonder
                               



We live on a slight hill so it was perfect for a thrilling 'high speed' sprint, wearing a crash helmet of course, but no seat belts on this horseless carriage.  Any spills were into the olive groves and the long grass


Tall people and short people all had a go





And the men partied on


A new face in the kitchen.  She looks happy to be there.  This was a 'before'  photo!

We all had another chaotic, tiring and extremely enjoyable day.  There was no sweet/pudding to have with our coffee but fortunately one of our friends brought a big box of traditional sweet, sticky baklava, something everyone loves. I should have made a trifle darn it. Next year.

It's all over, till next year.  Hope all your Christmases were just as pleasurable.


10 comments:

  1. Looks like a happy day. We just blobbed here and relaxed.

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    1. It was a happy day. Nice to have had only a few at the table. Civilised. But wonderful to have everyone else later to have noise and laughter

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  2. A happy blend of cultures. Good food no matter where it comes from is always pleasant
    The boys look like they had fun!

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    1. More English this year. I hadn't realised till I came to write it all down. I should have made a trifle. Completely forgot the sweet but we had a pile of Xmas biscuits leftover!

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  3. You've just reminded me; the big round loaves that one buys here, are always marked with the sign of the cross underneath before being cut into. It's a nice old tradition. Your meal looks spectacular.

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    1. The meal was just enough for everyone and a few leftovers for the kids to take with them for the evening.
      I made soup from the turkey carcase yesterday. Delicious

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  4. I am surprised that you had so much traditional English food there for your Christmas day! I am glad you enjoyed it. I agree about the gravy, I stick to my way of doing it and all this Jamie Oliver vegetables is not natural gravy at all. Meat cooks in its own juices and is full of flavour and then so is the gravy. I enjoyed the post and the children going out and being inventive. Just right.

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    1. Don't know why I had to try Jamie's gravy. Plain, simple and well tried is always the best! We usually have a trifle or pavlova for a sweet. Just forgot this year but we didn't need it.
      Xmas is always more towards the English style. Greeks don't really celebrate Xmas except as a name day for Christos and Christina.
      New year's will be all greek. Though maybe I'll make that trifle

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  5. Your table and meals always look so happy and tasty.

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    1. Tasty and happy , yes, but too much. We need to eat less for our health

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