Christmas at Casa TulStig ONE

What a wonderful couple of days we've had here at CasaTulStig. Here's the first installment: CHRISTMAS DAY

Yesterday we had Denise and Paolo round for dinner.  We started the proceedings with Snowballs (advocaat and lemonade) -well us boys did. Denise was on water and lemon as part of her diet regime- cooking for us all and her this year was quite a challenge. She can't eat gluten, nor most fruits, dairy, vinegars, sugars... and so on. However being the consummate professional in the kitchen that I am I came up with a menu that delighted both us lads and Ms Tibbey herself too.

We started lunch with Avocado - horseradish and tomato sauce dressing for us, and a soft goat's cheese dressing for Denise.

 Main course. Paolo had supplied a duck for himself and the animals. The rest of us had: roast potatoes, roast sweet potatoes, roast parsnips, roast turnip; Sage and onion stuffing (special gluten free home-made sausages for Desnise) & Yorkshire puddings (well risen I might add!), a host of veggies(Brussel sprouts, leeks, broad beans, Bobbie beans, carrots, espigalls, cauliflower, mashed potato, swede, peas) with an onion and mushroom red wine gravy for the lads, and a  gluten free (Garam Masala) onion gravy for Denise.

After this feast we needed a little recovery period before we tackled the pudding.  So we opened presents:

And Cuddy collapsed after all the exertions of the day

After relaxing a while I brought in the pudding- a frozen Christmas pudding - Jamie Oliver Recipe (Panetone spread with raspberry jam around ice-cream with a layer of brandy soaked dried fruit in the middle and a drizzle of warm chocolate on the top) -a bit like a cross between an Arctic roll and a summer pudding in the shaped of a Christmas pud:

During the afternoon we played a game of QI and snacked on other goodies, before Denise and Paolo had to return home to Sitges. However, before leaving we loaded them up with some of the veggies, and the rest of Denise's special sausages, then sent them on thier way.
We then spent the evening in front of the box- And if you've not seen Downton Abbey, but liked 'Upstairs Downstairs' may I suggest you get the boxed set in the January sales!