I trust that you all had a safe and wonderful Christmas and New Year? Mine was fabulous and quiet... just the way we like it. Cold meats, salads, good friends, good food, good drinks and of course... trifle!! I believe that Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a trifle and in our case, a Cherry Brandy Trifle :-) There are so many Christmas traditions and even a simple sampling of close friends gave me many, many different versions of "perfect" Christmas's. The one thing that all celebrations seem to have in common is the fact that almost without fail, there was excess. Of course, you know that the Other One was nearly swimming in her booze, but I have to say that her party was amazing. What we can recall. Miss Twinset of course decided to continue her monochromatic culinary tradition although this year she did branch out a little and had two colours. I know. I was shocked too. The Theme this year was Candy Cane... so she had a surplus of red and white food :-) It was certainly different. There were even red and white drinks... simple enough because - of course - one of her favourite drinks is a martini :-)
The point is though that at this time of year, we all overindulge. It's a strange situation because after all, we know that our dinner plates are only "so" big and yet we prepare so many different dishes, that we would need plates two or three times the size to accommodate even the smallest portion of each dish. The other truth is of course that we simply cannot eat any more than we usually do. We put in a valiant effort... heaven knows, we do our best... but at some point we have to stop or we'll explode. And that would soooo be a bad look at the dinner table! We help ourselves to a little bit of everything and eat until we simply can't get any more in. Then we stagger from the table and collapse in a comfy chair trying to breathe as our lungs battle with lunch for space in our bodies. We loosen our belts and recline like beached whales. Compliments are offered to the cooks and we think longingly of a nap. Then... for it is a Christmas Day truth... someone will mention pudding. Somehow, we heave ourselves upright enough to hold a bowl and work our way through trifle, Christmas Cake, Christmas Pudding and a mince pie, served with brandy butter, cream and custard. As the last bite goes in, we can feel the food coma sneaking up on us and it's then that you have but a few minutes to assume a comfortable position before you'll be out for the count. This year, we managed not to produce too much food, but even careful planning couldn't prevent the usual overindulgence.
Now, as you can imagine, Miss Twinset is usually quite good about eating relatively healthy and staying active. After all, with a wardrobe like hers, there isn't much room for extra rolls - on either the plate or the waist! Ok... she doesn't ONLY wear twinsets, but still... you get the picture. You may recall that she and the Other One ticked off our very determined - and stunningly beautiful - kitchen pixie, Ruby. Well, kitchen pixie's are not to be trifled with (if you'll pardon the expression) and her revenge on the Tipsy Tarts was priceless and so perfectly timed! To begin with, she snuck into Miss Twinsets closet and shrunk her Christmas Twinset by just over 2 sizes. Naturally, it caused no small amount of panic, but fortunately, the spell was short-lived and wore off in time for lunch on the big day, but watching Miss Twinset jog round the yard certainly tickled the funny bone. For the Other One, her revenge was a little different. She turned an entire case of the Other One's favourite wine into some of the best cooking vinegar that you're likely to find. Of course, she waited until the Other One was slightly sozzled, but even in that state, it didn't take more than 1 large gulp to get a reaction. Forewarned, I had just enough time to duck behind an umbrella... :-)
Of course, we find ourselves a week into the New Year now and the cellular memory of all that food has started to fade. However, we still can't quite bring ourselves to cook large meals just yet. It helps that it's still the hottest time of the year, so salad is a perfect dinner. Sometimes though, you need to do something that's simple, satisfying and different.
The dish of the day? Bacon, Mushroom and Onion stuffed Potato Skins with Cheese.
Embrace your microwave. It is going to save you some time when it comes to baking your spuds. I know that traditionalists out there are gasping in shock and I appreciate that a potato baked in the oven probably tastes better, but when you need a simple meal that isn't going to take 2 hours of your time, your microwave is a lifesaver! Step one for this simple dish is to take a fork and stab the potatoes several times on both sides. Do not forget about the stabbing, even if you're using the oven. There is a large chance your potatoes will explode and it really isn't much fun to clean boiling hot potato bits off of the inside of the micro or even. Yuck.While the potatoes are baking, chop your bacon, onion and mushrooms into small, relatively equal
pieces. Start by frying the bacon until it's nearly crispy before adding the onion and mushrooms. They will pick up the flavour from the oil and the cooked bacon. When the potatoes are done, cut them in half and scoop out the middles. Place these in a bowl and mash them with salt, pepper, butter and milk (or however your favourite recipe for mash goes). I used garlic butter and also placed some garlic butter into each of the scooped out halves to add flavour to the skins. When the mashed potato is at your favourite consistency, add the other ingredients and mix well. Take the filling and stuff it into the potato skins. They will be heaped due to the extra ingredients, so don't expect it all to fit in. Top with cheese and simply microwave for 2 or 3 minutes until cheese is melted.Yummy! These can be enjoyed on their own or with a salad and they make a fantastic side dish for a braai (bbq) or anything really. Experiment. Add spring onions, peas, herbs, anything that takes your fancy. It's a versatile dish that is easy and filling. And fun :-)
It's not all food and baking at this time of year.... The other wonderful thing about the Festive Season... is the garden! I have to say that Phin has been doing such a wonderful job!! My garden is positively blooming in every sense and I'm loving it. There are rosy tomatoes and flowers on my pepper plants. The plum tree is just about done for the season, but Phin has yet to finish painting the blush on the fruit. There are creepers creeping and vines climbing and bees a-buzzing. It makes me happy to go out there and just enjoy it all... pottering about and weeding. I even have some new plants to put into the garden and I'm having a blast planning where they should go... There exists so much possibility in growing things and at the start of a New Year... is there anything better?
Until next time....
