Christmas

I'm Christmas crackered! I cooked for 8 people on Christmas day and our very small house only just squeezed everyone in. Once you were sat at the table you were there for the duration until one by one we all filed out and yes that included climbing under the table!

Everyone had a good time and some were more drunk than others. Marco thought all his Christmases had come at once, 8 people to play with and lots of presents. We have one very spoilt dog. Problem is I took no photographs so I can't share with you how happy he was. I need to either find my camera or give up the ghost and come to terms with that it has been lost and buy another.

For the Christmas dinner I made the following:

• Walnut, cranberry and lentil roast
• Parsnip and Butternut Squash Ovenbake
• Risotto stuffed baked onions
• Sprouts and chestnuts
• Herbed carrots
• Red cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Peas
• Roasted potatoes and parsnips
• Mashed potatoes
• Stuffing
• Bread sauce 
• Cranberry sauce

Unfortunately my Mum and sister also bought a turkey crown and pigs in blankets so it wasn't a complete vegan Christmas! All the above that I prepared is though, so its a start! I promise that I will post the recipes to the walnut, cranberry and lentil roast along with the risotto stuffed baked onions and the Parsnip and Butternut Squash Ovenbake, with photographs!

Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and enjoyed your time with friends and families. I love spending time together and we always play a game or two. Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without games would it? We always sneak in a game of charades or who am I but for the last few Christmas's we've played a game called apples to apples. I totally recommend this game it always has us in fits of giggles especially with our twist at the end. 

"The Game of Hilarious Comparisons! The wild, award-winning card and party game that provides instant fun for four to ten players! It's as easy as “comparing apples to apples”... just open the box, deal the cards, and you're ready to play! Select the card from your hand that you think is best described by a card played by the judge. If the judge picks your card, you win that round. And everyone gets a chance to be the judge! Each round is filled with surprising and outrageous comparisons from a wide range of people, places, things and events. Fast moving and refreshing, APPLES to APPLES is perfect for any get together with family and friends!"

The twist we do at the end causes a lot of giggles, its just for fun! When the game is concluded and you have a winner, they read out the cards that they have won and this depicts thir character! Once the winner has done this work your way round the group.

Parsnip and Butternut Squash Ovenbake

Recipe to follow