A white Christmas is coming!

Snow, snow and more snow! Which means cancelled and delayed trains, icy footpaths and being snowed in at home for two days! Not such a bad thing seeing as they were work days ;) The weather man had been predicting snow for over a week with none in sight, so when they said we would get heavy snow overnight I of course didn't believe them. Oh how wrong I was, a good 10inches or so fell over the next day or two as it snowed constantly. Our grocery delivery truck couldn't get through and we couldn't go anywhere in the car as it was snowed in, so it was a trek to the supermarket on foot to stock up on some food. I was surprised to see people buying up like the world was ending! We were lucky to get one of the last loaves of bread and cartons of eggs, some milk and some frozen goodies as everyone had trolley loads of food and were buying up big!

A few days later the snow began to melt and the slush ran away and things got back to normal, until last night. Got home and we had a little dusting of snow, but woke up this morning thinking it felt very bright only to open the windows and see a good 4 or 5 inches of snow in the backyard. Our cheeky neighbourhood foxes were out and about looking for food and were up to their knees in the snow. We headed out for a walk today as cabin fever had set in and this is what we found!

If you look closely in this one you can see the fox on top of the neighbours back shed.

The snow from a couple of weeks ago.

Neighbours down the road made a slightly freaky igloo!

Preparing for Christmas....testing out Christmas cookie recipes. Unfortunately did this a little too early and they are now all gone, had to make a second batch!

The second batch of cookies on the tree...my first real Christmas tree! Some remnants of which are still in the back seat of the car. It may have had a slightly traumatic journey from the store ;)

A not quite white Christmas.

Christmas Day was spent with my brother and his partner, eating and drinking and watching
Christmas specials on TV! Along with Skyping to the family back home who were sweltering in 35 degree heat while we tried to stay warm.

This is our first ever attempt to cook a turkey, turned out very well!! My brother and I spent the week before looking at recipes and watching Jamie, Nigella and Delia trying to figure out how to not dry out the turkey. We had a lovely 5kg one from our local butcher which was free range. Only problem was, it came with the feet still attached!!! So after a bit of butchery and cringing the turkey was ready to prepare. We stuffed the neck and put garlic and lemons inside, rubbed it in butter, laid streaky bacon over the top, rested it on a bed of onions with some white wine in the pan, covered in foil and voila! Three hours later we had a perfect turkey and the best gravy any of us has ever tasted. So much so there was a little bit of fighting over who was going to eat the remaining liquid gold!

Our Christmas dinner.

The Christmas pudding alight with brandy

(for some reason this photo won't go the right way up!).

Boxing Day morning breakfast, croissants with cheese and leftover ham.

So after lots (and lots and lots) of eating and drinking, some Royle Family, Gavin and Stacey and Doctor Who....we were slumbering away trying to digest all the food!

P.S. Jamie Oliver has a great recipe for turkey and leek pie for all those leftovers....was very tasty!

Putting on the Ritz....

We...(well I!)...decided months ago we'd like to do something special for Christmas seeing as we would both be away from most of our family. After a bit of googling (my favourite pasttime) I discovered the Ritz was doing Christmas teas, complete with christmas carolers and champagne, along with their standard high tea.

So Christmas Eve we braved the ice and the cold and headed to the Ritz, for a fabulous tea!

The Palm Court at the Ritz.

Our tea....before!

Mmmm lovely petit fours.

Our tea consisted of a glass of champagne to start, followed by a menu of 10 or so teas to choose from. Jasmine for me, Assam for James. Then sandwiches of smoked salmon, cucumber, ham, cheese and egg, some fantastic petit fours, warm raisin scones with clotted cream and jam and because it was christmas, mince pies and christmas cake. Phew! And they kept topping up the sandwiches and tea which meant we couldn't possibly eat everything! Although it wasn't cheap (it is the Ritz after all), the experience was well worth it and highly recommended at least once! But be warned, you must book months in advance, even at other times of the year.

Winter and the NHS

I'm feeling like winter is almost upon us....it's dark by 4pm and very very cold, even though all the locals keep telling me it's quite mild for this time of year. Maybe for the initiated! The last week has seen me add an extra layer for the walk to the tube and leave my coat on for the train journey (has up to this point been too hot while sardined in with other commuters). We are also relishing the discovery of Sainsbury's home delivered groceries, particularly with the cold. The thought of pushing through the crowds, lining up then lugging everything home on the bus just doesn't appeal!

We now have a car for a little while, courtesy of James's mum and dad who are back in Australia until next year. Took me three months to get used to not having a car, now it feels like a bit of a luxury to have one again....especially knowing there are only certain places you can take it (congestion charge, parking issues and traffic mean you wouldn't go anywhere near central London or busy areas). Will be nice to do some trips out of London though.

Will also be easier for us to get to Bodyflight for James to make use of his birthday present - a lesson at the indoor skydiving centre outside of London which is essentially a massive vertical wind tunnel! Fun :) I'm sure there will be hilarious photos to come!!

Christmas is approaching, have all my Christmas shopping done which is just as well because the shops are soooo busy! Never thought I would say this, but shopping at this time of year here just isn't really an enjoyable experience. I know, shock horror. But the Christmas lights are up, shop windows are filled with fake snow and all things festive and best of all...they aren't playing Christmas carols yet :) (can't stand them!).

Christmas dinner this year will be a free range turkey from the local butcher with all the trimmings, am busy looking up recipes having not cooked one before, suggestions welcome! Also have a feeling that I'll need to find leftover recipes as there are four of us...and 5kgs of turkey! Will be different having a hot dinner with the cold outside rather than a cold dinner with the hot outside like back home. No firing up the BBQ this year!

This week also saw me register with a doctor. Can't just call a GP here and see whoever you like, you have to register at one in your area and then they have to accept you. The process was quite easy for James, being a Brit, and should have been easy for me. Except in true British NHS style they lost all my paperwork I filled in. All 3 or 4 pages of my complete medical history. Lovely! Then proceeded to tell me it wasn't an issue as I could just fill it in again. Hmmm! So I shouldn't be concerned my details were floating around somewhere? Ok, will just have to take their word for it! Then went into the appointment with the nurse, who you have to see before being allowed to make appointments with the GP, only to be asked every single question that was on the paperwork. That I filled out twice. Looooving the NHS. Although it is free so shouldn't complain too much!