Catching up with Christmas 2012

For the first time ever, I worked on Christmas Eve.  I was the only one through at work and things were really quiet, so I finished early.  When I arrived home, the children had already written out  menus for everyone

All the cooking was done by Alain, Gaby, Alexis and MK.  Oliver stayed far away from any work, while Charlotte was with her boyfriend.  Alexis is really starting to like helping out in the kitchen.  Above he's preparing salmon canapés.

The girls made lots, including Devils on Horsebacks.

After many tasty aperitifs 

The table was laid

and this year we ate duck, a recipe inspired from a one of MK's cook books. Our  "Magret de Canard en Croûte de Noël" main course was yummy, served with parsnip and carrot chips.

To finish, we had a boulangerie bought Christmas Log.

To finish off, we were treated to a amazing harmonica concert by Alexis.

He's been learning harmonica since the beginning of this school year and he's really good, really, and it was a perfect ending, listening to our nearly 11 year old son, on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Gift List

 I have been busy Christmas shopping.  I actually started in August, by buying three paintings (one oil and two water colours) from a small gallery in Port Louis in Brittany. Since then I have slowly gathering other presents, mostly books and posters for now.

 

Alexis likes humorous books, so Tom Gates "C'est Moi" and the second book from this collection should be a success. The next two books haven't yet been bought, as they are for me and it's to remind me to buy them once I have finished "Blanche Neige Doit Mourir", which I just love, but get little time to read. 
Tales For Very Picky Eaters, won the Geisel Award this year, and although this is aimed a young readers, I just couldn't resist for Alexis, who is the pickiest eater in France if not the world.  Then there's the Guinness World Records 2013, Charlotte's crazy for these, never bought one before, but just this once...

 First another book for me, then a Carpe Diem calendar for Marie-Kate,each day just tears off like a stamp, this will go next to her new desk.  Breaking Stalin's Nose is a Newberry Honors winner this year and I hope Alexis will like it

And if Alexis doesn't like the last book, I know that he's going to love this Piggy Bank.


From here I've been shopping again after being delighted with all previous posters.
The Beer one is for Oliver, who since starting business school, certainly knows how to party and spend far too much money.  Gabrielle has space on her will for A Visual Compendium of Notable Haircuts in Hollywood, this poster is really super.




I found this night light and I love it, most likely for Alexis would has broken his last two lamps. When you finish reading for the night, you pop your book, open on the page for next time.
The Insanely  Great History of Apple is a present for Alain, this is a limited edition print, I think it's numbered 534 out of 1000 (have to check).




To wrap up for now, a new t-shirt for Alain (Pop Chart Lab again) and finally after coveting this Mathieu Challières lamp for so long, guess what...one has been ordered, so I am one very happy bunny.

Edible Christmas Wreaths (Nigella Lawson)

Yesterday, we managed to clean the house from top to bottom (excluding basement), do the weekly shopping for seven, welcome children's friends who came to play or as for the case of Charlotte, cook breakfast pancakes for her and friend who often sleeps over.

I wrapped presents, washed clothes, then hung them to dry (no drier here), put Christmas tree up, decorated later by the children and even manage to cook or make, thank to Nigella Lawson's Christmas cookbook, two tins of Rocky Road with Gaby and MK's help, two meals worth of Chili Choc Carni and these Christmas Wreaths with help from Gaby.  Besides being easy to make, they are just so adorably cute.

All that's needed is cornflakes, marshmallows, vanilla extract and some sprinkles to decorate.

We will certainly be making some more and soon, what's good about them too, is the fact that they can be frozen...I yes we have bought a new chest freezer, that lives in our rather messy basement. Why didn't we buy one earlier.

Checking in Christmas Tree Time

                                                 La Defense not far from when I work

Since beginning to work again, it's been hard to find the time do do anything other the essential, family, food, homework, cooking, eating, cleaning, working including transport to and from the office.
We have managed to do some progress in the children's bathroom, but it still not finished, maybe next weekend, as this weekend we are getting all Christmassy around here.

                                                    *Three out of five decorating the tree

Luckily the 1st of December was a Saturday this time, this helped a lot with the planning, especially for the Christmas tree.   
Now the children are older, we just them decorate, we have no colour theme, just mix and match.

 When Charlotte was five, we celebrated our first Christmas in France, and beforehand she made a Angel, using a empty toilet roll a polystyrene ball for her had and so aluminum foil for her wings, her nose is a silver star and she has silver hair.  Who would have thought would have survived all this time, but she has, and who would have thought that every year there would be a fight  debate to see who should be the one to put our little Angel on the top of the tree (like every year).  
It was decided that this year Gaby would have this honor, she needed a strong pair of shoulders(her Papa's) though to reach up high enough.  Voila, we are getting all Christmassy and it feels good.

*Charlotte was too busy with friends in Paris and Oliver too, he went to the Christmas market on the Champs Elysées, or so he said, but my guess if was visiting one of this favourite stores "Abercrombie and Fitch"