Buon Natale

Buon Natale - a taste of Italy family lunch. 

To celebrate Jeff and I and our trip to Naples and Procida at Easter, my sister and I and our visit to Pisa, Florence and the Cinque Terre in June, for our delayed 50th birthday celebrations and my recent trip with Sophie to Milan, Verona and Bergamo, her delayed 21st birthday trip, I decided to do an Italian inspired lunch for our family gathering.

I bought everyone an individual panettone and wrapped then in a red fabric napkin, 

tied up with green ribbon, with a mini Italian flay as place settings.

I used Jeff's Italian flag Christmas present....

The Christmas tree colours were themed perfectly.....

....and hung up Italian bunting.

I'd been saving up the red and green mini Ritter chocolates and the amaretti biscuits in the red and green paper and found Italian flag napkins. I LOVE a theme!!!

Place settings

Fresh basil in red pots!

Italian flags

Ponsettias

On brand kitchen window sill!!

The morning of the lunch, the table is set!

Italian Peroni beer

Crositini with red pepper spread

Platters of dates, figs, grapes, walnuts, cucumber, cheese, meats, olives.

A large tomato and mozzarella salad with fresh basil

Arancini balls, breaded garlic mushrooms and warm focaccia.

And the pudding!?!

A Pandoro cake, layered up with fresh cream and berries.

The leaning tower of Pandoro!!!!

Mum, dad, Jo, Mike and Ella. 

Possibly the first time we've all been together 'here' since last Christmas!?!

Mum and Dad x

Me and Jo (my sister)

The cousins!

My mum and dad and me!

Me and my boy!

Poor Jeff and Mike. 

Both with their mouths full but the only picture I had of them both!!

The detail!!

All in all, a lovely few hours spent together, eating, drinking, catching up, exchanging gifts!! 

All that effort for a few hours but I enjoy doing it, so it was worth it.

I did however pack everything away the following day!! 

I like to clear Christmas away before the New Year begins. I'm working New Years Day and the Bank Holiday Monday. Jeff goes back to school on Tuesday. Sophie headed off this morning with a friend, to celebrate the New Year in Cardiff and I take Sam back possibly next Saturday, so Christmas feels like it is done x

The lights, all 3000 and 75 meters of them, have been packed away for another year!

Jeff spent yesterday mending an outside tap, cleaning the windows, 

power hosing down the deck, washing the cars......

.....and eating his pineapple!!!!

We are ready to say farewell to 2022 and welcome in the New Year. I will be spending my afternoon looking back over the past year, writing my various reviews and giving some thought to what the new year might bring, exciting times xx