Yule fool!

Each Christmas, we have a drink of choice. Last year, it was brandy, lime & soda in honour of SJ's grandma. This year, it was the Chicago and the Old Fashioned. The first has brandy, Cointreau, a splash of bitters, topped with champers; the latter contains a magnificently muddled orange, maraschino cherry and sugar cube, topped with whiskey and soda. 
I can solidly attest that both are delicious. T can solidly attest that both got the better of him. We were all chatting happily after dessert, when T wandered away from the dining table. A while later, he still hadn't come back. I went exploring to make sure he was feeling alright. And there he was, tucked up in bed, still fully clothed and wearing his Santa hat. He had totally sneaked off, and won't live it down until next Christmas!

Three Chicagos

(like the Three Amigos, but tastier. ;)

Our Christmas menu was:

Hors d'ouevres: Smoked salmon and melba toasts with cream cheese, capers and lemon; smoked Applewood cheddar, 7-year-old cheddar, and Old Speckled Hen ale cheeses, crackers, mixed dried fruit and olives.

Starter: Spicy carrot and capsicum soup with onion and herb bread.

Main: Stuffed roast squash (aka pumpkin), with roast vegetables, mash and peas.

Dessert: Orange-and-candied-cherry cup cakes.

Drinks: Chicago, Old Fashioned, Mawson's Cabernet Sauvignon, Yalumba Shiraz Viognier.

And you know, after all the planning and frantic preparation, it's funny how Christmas always turns out to be such a chilled, wonderful day. Hope yours was too!