In My December Kitchen
It’s heating up in my December kitchen. With less than four weeks until Christmas day, preparations are underway to stock the fridge to help cope with the pressures of the busy lead up period. I find the caterers brain clicks into gear in anticipation of a time poor and fun rich month. I marinate fetta and olives, pickle vegetables and fruit, stock up on cheese, vacuum packed prosciutto, salami, smoked salmon and white anchovies. Airtight containers I fill to the brim with pita crisps to serve with dips, oatcakes to serve with cheese, grissini to serve with antipasto.
I’m always generous in the amounts I prepare as Christmas marks the beginning of the summer holidays in Australia. I like cooking to be a discretionary pastime during January’s lazy days, so longlife leftovers form the basis of lazy lunches.
The days of Christmas fruitcake and fruit mince pies passed with my parents. Those with a sweet tooth won’t miss out though, I’ll make panaforte, hazelnut bread and chocolate Yuletides log. They were a big hit last year and all have a long shelf life
We’re free this Christmas day to sleep in, hog the whole bottle of brunch champagne and laze around until late afternoon. Then we’ll be invaded by excited grandkids and their weary parents. Because they’ll have eaten a huge lunch of roast turkey and plum pud with the inlaws I’ll keep it light. Seafood, salads, cherries, berries and gelato all feature on my current plan.
Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial generously hosts the wonderful monthly In My Kitchen forum where bloggers from around the world share what’s happening currently in their kitchens. I highly recommend you take a look.
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46 comments on “In My December Kitchen”
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Please Pass the Recipe by Sandra Gay is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Please Pass the Recipe 
have a great xmas. looks like you are getting ready in plenty of time unlike me! i meant to make more edible gifts but just haven’t seemed to get to it. oh well. next year. tho i did make some truffles and home made worcester!
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I anticipated an horrendous December so got in early. Still lots to do though including catching up on reading the IMK posts. Have a great Christmas Sherry…
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Sandra, you’re very wise – I find December is (counterintuitively perhaps) a month of trying to cook as little as possible! It’s a nicer way to enjoy the festivities than to be flat out! All your food looks outrageously delicious and I’m so happy you get the grandkids in the afternoon, when someone else has tired them out first.. 😉 Have a fabulous Christmas! xx
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Well it looked super organized 2 weeks ago, then we sold our beach house with 3 weeks to clear our stuff out. All hell broke loose…I might have a week to get ready if I’m lucky! Have a happy family festive season Celia.
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WOW! You’re busy preparing beautiful gifts too! I wish I had the time to prepare edible gifts – they all sound lovely. Enjoy your relaxing Christmas morning and all the very best for the New Year – see you next IMK x
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It was all looking calm at the end of Nov, chaos has taken over unfortunately but there is still a couple of weeks to take control. Thanks for visiting….
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Stunning photos. You are far more organised than I am. Your pickles and marinades look incredible. Emma.
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Thanks Emma, organization is the key, but it does seem to be getting away from me this week…Enjoy the festive season
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That lovely photo callage is so inviting. Who would need anyting else! And the marinated fetta looks delicious too. Lucky that you are offthe hook.
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Thanks Francesca, i’d happily cancel Christmas the way things stand at the moment, if it wasn’t for the excpectations of little people….
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You look very organized! I’ll get done what I can for Christmas, though cookies are a must. The oatcakes sound wonderful, will look into that. I will NOT be sleeping in Christmas Day as my boys will be up early, though probably closer to 5 than 3! Enjoy you quiet morning and happy holidays.
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Oh Sandra, I really like the sound of your oatcakes, and the recipe looks nice and easy. I might whip up a batch this weekend to have with some cheese and red grapes, and maybe some nice Moscato. One lazy afternoon on the balcony watching the incoming storms rolling in coming up!
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The oatcakes are simple to make, it really makes you wonder at the high cost o the commercial variety. Enjoy nature’s fireworks Kirsty,mthanks for dropping by….
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Your kitchen is like a little corner of heaven. And Champagne brunch and sleeping in on Christmas day sounds heavenly as well. That first photo of the feta in the jar made my mouth water! Ha ha! xoxo
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We’ve done our penance with kids up at 3am to check if Santa has left presents under the Christmas tree, we revel in our empty nest existence!
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ha ha! that’s the ticket! 🙂
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You are very organised and everything sounds heavenly!
Have a super day.
🙂 Mandy xo
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Thanks Mandy. I wish it was as organized as the post sounds, but I’m working on it.
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I’d love to be in your December Kitchen! I’d love to be able to make fruit cakes some day as I love them so much. The marinated feta looks amazing (a beautiful photo)! Jingle all the way!!!
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You’d be very welcome in my kitchen Fae, we could drink tea and compare travel notes and learn from one another!
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Although I’ve gotten all of the canning and pickling finished, you are far more organized than I am, for I finished early due to good luck, more than anything else. It does sounds like you’ve a beautiful Christmas ahead of you, surrounded by your loved ones. Wonderful!
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Thanks John, the lead up to Dec 25 is seriously crazy this year, but that means that January is just around the corner, a time to rest and enjoy the summer break. Enjoy your festive season….
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G’day and a wonderful festive IMK post today that brightened my day!
if we could only give each other more time bottled up as a present…wouldn’t THAT be great! Great photos and thanks also for you kitchen view too!
Cheers! Joanne
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Oh Joanne, if only we could bottle some time as a Christmas bonus, wouldn’t that be fabulous. Have a happy festive season, and thanks for visiting.
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So many beautiful ideas Sandra! I just hope that when the 25th rolls around I’m as organised as you are! 🙂
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Thanks Margot, we all manage in our own way. I’m always amazed how easily I slip into my long gone work role. Have a happy Christmas
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Oh your kitchen looks delicious as always! You are way more organised than me… I still have fruit soaking 🙂 thanks for sharing! Liz x
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I stress if I’m disorganized. It’s my way of ensuring I enjoy the festive season….have a happy Christmas Liz
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The marinated feta must be amazing! Beautiful pictures!
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Thanks Marguerite, it add a special touch to antipasti and to salads
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You have some very good ideas here Sandra. Marinaded feta sounds fantastic and love your oatcakes! I love this time of the year and having these types of food handy for guests is brilliant. Happy Holidays!
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and happy holidays to you too Seana. It’s particularly crazy this December so I decided to be prepared for all comers…
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Oh Oh Oh! I like this jar full of savory go-with-crackers items! I should really try something like this myself. You are such a tasty morsel of a blogger!
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Now you have appeared I realize you had disappeared! I’ve had big issues with blogs disappearing off my followed list, anyway all fixed now. Thanks for dropping into my kitchen….
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That happened to me too! I don’t follow many, but when I don’t see the ones I enjoy for a while I go check their home page to see what’s up.
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So handy (and industrious) to have all those pickles and marinades at this time of the year. Makes me feel very disorganised… and hungry 🙂
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Thanks Jennifer, it’s my way of dealing with unnecessary stress, have a happy Festive season
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Oh, so organised! I love all your pickles and marinades. It is good to have these things to hand in the holiday season (or any season, for that matter). We usually polish off a bottle of Prosecco before the crowds descend – great lazy Christmas brunch tradition. You’ve also reminded me to make more of your oatcakes – very moreish!
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Thanks Debi, I’m sooo glad I have my butt in gear as we just sold our beach house with 30day settlement which means we have to have it cleared by Xmas Eve. December is a write off! Boy, am I looking forward to that Christmas Day brunch champagne….
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I know the hassle of moving all too well! Good luck with that. You will certainly deserve that bubbly!
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Sounds just perfect. Love the feta cheese in a jar photo Mrs Recipe!
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Thanks Cheer, I need to be super organized this year, lots of pressure…
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Sounds like you have it all sown up. Good on you.
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Afraid its a necessity, when life gives you chaos…..
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You are super organised and it all sounds very calm. Years of practice and tried and tested popular recipes I guess. And you get the bottle of champagne all to yourselves – perfect.
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Oh I wish it was calm Nancy, chaos reigns right now, roll on Christmas, holidays and champagne
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