Yes, I know that this Christmas post is a little late, but I had to get an article for Galactic Journey done first (which you should be able to read on Monday).
So here is, a little belated, the obligatory Christmas post for 2018 with lots of pics:
Let’s get started with the tree:
Our Christmas tree, cut down, but without decorations.
Our Christmas tree, fully lit and with decorations
A closer look at the tree and the vintage decorations. Some of those are more than fifty years old.
Another close-up look at the Christmas tree. The ruby heart and lots of gnomes hang out in this section.
And yet another close-up look at the Christmas tree. This is where the wooden angels and cartoon characters hang out.
My Dad in his armchair with the Christmas tree in the background. I like the double reflections in those huge picture windows that were really en vogue in the 1970s.
Of course, there were Christmas presents, too:
Christmas presents wrapped (my Dad’s)
My Dad unwrapping Christmas presents.
Christmas presents unwrapped (my Dad’s) with an errant boob censored.
I’ve noticed that in recent years the “Hot Girls” calendar by Korsch has become more restrained, which is probably a sign of changing times. In past years, I sometimes had to put a sock or something like that across the calendar cover like a censor bar. Of course, Korsch’s “Hot Girls” has always been on the classier end of nudie calendars, though not as classy as the black and white nude photography calendars (which my Dad didn’t like the one time we bought one).
Christmas presents wrapped (my Mom’s).
My Mom is unwrapping Christmas presents.
Christmas presents unwrapped (my Mom’s). The jar contains homemade quince jelly, courtesy of a neighbour.
Wrapped Christmas presents (mine). The t-shirt and glittery necklace went unwrapped
My unwrapping Christmas presents. Unfortunately, my Dad isn’t very good at taking photos with his phone.
Unwrapped Christmas presents (mine). Behold all the lovely books. For those keeping count, the photo includes two books which the mailman (and it is a man) brought yesterday.
These cute Playmobil warriors and their cats (and lone puppy) were a present as well from an initially mysterious benefactor, so thanks a lot (you know who you are).
Of course, Christmas is also a great food feast, so take a peak at our holiday meals:
Christmas Eve lunch: Crawfish étouffée
This classic holiday dinner (all the holidays, since it feeds a crowd) is herring salad made according to my grandmother’s recipe.
If you want the recipe for the herring salad, I shared it in January in this guest post over at the Skiffy and Fanty Show. I figured my grandmother and the women who came before her won’t mind me sharing our family recipe, since my Mom and I are among the very few people who still make it. Two of my aunts have the recipe, but I suspect they no longer make it due to age and/or ill health. And I have no idea if my cousins ever made it at all. But the recipe is much too good to go down with me some day, so I’ve decided to share my family recipes with the world, so they will bring joy to others.
Talking of family recipes, Christmas Day is traditionally curry day in our family, so it’s time for sailor’s curry. If you want that recipe, it’s in the author’s note of Freedom’s Horizon, because the dish shows up in the novel. Or you could just ask me.
A big pot of comforting sailor’s curry and rice.
The side dishes are a vital part of sailor’s curry. From top left, they are: chopped apple, lime pickle, mango chutney, atjar tjampoer (Dutch Indonesian pickled cabbage), chopped pickled beetroot, chopped onion, chopped gherkins, hardboiled egg, chopped banana.
Boxing Day lunch was grilled deer steak with apple cranberry sauce.
The apple cranberry sauce recipe isn’t available anywhere, but you can always ask me.
Unfortunately, my parents ran out of milk over the holidays. And since all shops in Germany are closed on Christmas and Boxing Day, that might have been a problem.
But thankfully, there is Evers Milchtankstelle (Evers milk filling station), where you can buy fresh milk directly from the farm seven days a week. You can bring your own bottle and fill it up or buy one. There is also a vending machine selling eggs, cheese, walnuts, potatoes and sausages, all from local farmers.
Evers milk filling station and vending machine in Warwe
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