Christmas in November 2012

The last time my mum and dad came out together before my dad passed away in 2014 was November 2012.

We had decided before they came out that we would celebrate Christmas the day after my dads birthday, which was 24th November, so the 25th seemed appropriate.

As he was struggling badly with memory problems we thought it would be a good idea to give him another family Christmas because we knew he would never manage to come back out to visit again.

We didn't go as far as the whole buying and handing out gifts but we went all out on the other Christmas day things..cooked a big Christmas lunch, played Christmas music, wished everyone a Merry Christmas (the neighbours must have thought we had gone mad!!), set the table with Christmas attire, wrote a menu for him and pulled crackers. Bless him, he really got into the Christmas spirit as did we all, it was actually fun having two Christmases that year, and knowing we will always have that 'last' Christmas memory with dad/granda is something we will always cherish.

Merry Christmas darling dad and Happy Birthday 💙 we miss you.

Comments

Wha's Like Us?....Damn Few And They're A' Deid!

While sorting through things I came across this Scottish poem that my mum gave me years ago, my gran loved this one...so here it is.... Wha's Like Us ? The average Englishman in the home he calls his castle, slips into his national costume ---- a shabby raincoat...patented by.... ...Chemist Charles Macintosh from Glasgow, Scotland. En route to his office he strides along the English lane, surfaced by.... ...John Macadam from Ayr, Scotland. He drives an English car fitted with tyres invented by.... ...John Boyd Dunlop, Veterinary Surgeon of Dreghorn, Scotland. At the office he receives the mail bearing adhesive stamps invented by.... ...John Chalmers, Bookseller and Printer of Dundee, Scotland. During the day he uses the telephone invented by.... ...Alexander Graham Bell, born in Edinburgh, Scotland. At home in the evening his daughter pedals her bicycle invented by.... ...Kirkpatrick Macmillan, Blacksmith of Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. He watches ...

Hickory-Honey Ham...Christmas With The Kranks

I got this Christmas movie cookbook during our 2022 holiday to LA see here and I still haven't made anything from it, so for our Christmas in July, I thought I would try the Hickory-Honey ham from the movie Christmas with The Kranks. Scenes from the movie where Nora is running towards the last ham in the store, only to be outsmarted by an elderly lady. I managed to get a couple of reduced shoulder hams from woolies back in May so this gave me an excuse to try a recipe from the book. We also got some Hickory smoking chips for the BBQ. It is a ham that has been smoked over Hickory wood chips for several hours, served with a honey gravy, not out of a tin which it is in the movie. Ingredients 8 cups hickory or other hardwood chips 2 large aluminum foil pans 1 (4kg) fully cooked bone in ham 1/4 cup salted butter 1 shallot, minced 1/3 cup honey 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard 1 tsp ground ginger 1/...

Corned Beef Stovies

We love stovies, the perfect comfort food for cold evenings and an ideal way to use up leftover meats. I had some corned beef leftover from Scott's sandwiches so that became the base for these stovies. Ingredients 1-2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 kg potatoes (suitable for mashing) 300ml beef stock 1 beef oxo cube 1 tin corned beef Method 1. Peel and thinly slice potatoes. 2. Heat oil in a large deep pan over a medium heat until hot. Add onions and fry until golden. 3. Add sliced potatoes, beef stock and crumbled oxo cube. Stir to combine ingredients well. Cover with lid, turn heat up to medium-high, bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer, stirring every few minutes. Cook for 40-50 minutes or until potato is soft and tender. 4. Using a potato masher, roughly break the potatoes into smallish pieces. Cut corned beef into small chunks. Add to potatoes, season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined and corned beef has brea...

Daisy Chains and Picnics

Search This Blog