1st Christmas at Charnizay

Yesterday we had snow but it didn't really lie. Just the odd powdering here and there. Still it added nicely to the Christmas Eve feel.



seafood platter



In the afternoon friends dropped by to wish us a Good Christmas and we sat round the woodburner and drank mulled cider (recipe from Susan & Simon at 'Days on the Claise') which was lovely.

Christmas Eve dinner

Then having brought in more wood we settled down for Christmas Eve. We'd decided to have seafood as an easy but festive meal, made even better with a bottle of Savennieres. We'd decided to go for langustines, large prawns and crab claws. It was great fun sitting in front of the fire, Kate Rusby's CD 'Sweet Bells' in the background and our 2 cats watching our every move in case tidbits dropped their way. Messy food is always satisfying to eat!

Now on Christmas Day the sun is streaming into the house. It is bitterly cold outside. Soon we'll be off into the kitchen to prepare fillet of wild boar, not sure yet if the sauce will be Calvados or Port based ... we'll see. We are having Savoy cabbage with bacon to go with it.

An excellent 1st Christmas at Charnizay.