Mid summer Kiwi Christmas and a new fridge

I had threatened the Famous Five with Mid Summer Kiwi Xmas some time ago and we had decided we would do it when the grandsons were on board. After all, Xmas is usually focused around kids, n'est-ce pas?

However Karol had gone back with Tim, so that left Olek holding the fort kid-wise. But he was up for it and did a sterling job with Julia of decorating both sides of the towpath - that included the tarps on the side of Unknown No 3 as well as the hedge...

Decorations plus The Shroud of Tardebigge. David is asking for people to provide him with what this shroud represents. The only clue for you is that it came into being in Tardebigge.

He also identified the salads he likes so it was a quick text to his mum to check out what goes in her potato salad. I know how he likes his lettuce salad - undressed, naked in other words!

In true Kiwi style (well, Tongaporutu at Booth's bach, 20 Hills Rd) Xmas dinner was a smorgasbord picnic. As the chief cook it would be big headed of me to say the food was good, but I can say it was YUMMY!!

Baked ham (a piece of gammon [here in the UK] first boiled with bay leaves and then baked with pineapple, cherries and cloves), roast beef, yorkshires, roast potatoes, and gravy plus salads: kumara/almond and orange; lettuce with lemon and honey dressing, potato with egg and mint and mayo. Dessert was rhubarb cake with cream and custard.

Most of us eating - as per NZ Xmas, dining al fresco is de rigeur. I think Julia sat a long way away from the rest of us so no one could steal food off her plate ... You will also note that I am wearing my silver shoes - esp as it was Xmas!

Julia says it was the best Xmas she's ever had - praise indeed! Not that she's hard to please, you understand! And I'm not saying she's easy either, OK?

There were not many left overs, and the remaining rhubarb cake (not much of it) was divvied up among the three boats.

Mid summer Kiwi Xmas has been entered in Mick's boat log, and he has declared it needs to be a regular event. That's fine by us - next year, I think I will do an Alison Holst recipe that is a family favourite - Tangy Leg of Lamb - lots of garlic in the meat, and a gravy made with onions, muchrooms, lemon and chicken stock. The rhubarb cake needs to be a regular menu item though ...

Just so you know, while lunch was cooking (and after I'd done the salads), Mick and John were re-modelling part of the kitchen to fit our new fridge. They did a fabulous job of creating more ventilation holes in the end of the kitchen cabinet and in the upstand, plus the floor. The new fridge is wonderful and is hardly using any powert, plus staying cool. It is such a success that David is now talking about replacing the freezer - it has done a sterling job too but is hogging amps.

the old fridge has been taken away by Tim and given to the scrap dealer who happened to be on his street when he returned to Manchester with the fridge and Olek on 'Boxing Day'. The scrap dealer only got the fridge fortunately!