I love winter in Abu Dhabi. And I love Christmas anywhere. Even here where Christmas isn't celebrated, huge expensive trees adorn the malls and hotels. Christmas food and trappings are in the supermarkets and advertising is rife with must-haves for gifts.
The plan (or in this case, non-plan) was to have another large gathering here at home with our core group of kiwis and hangerson. But I'd had a sore throat before we finished work and couldn't seem to shake it so spent the first week of my precious holidays lying on the couch, sleeping and resting. So nothing was done at all. I hadn't bought any food, although that wasn't really a problem with a supermarket downstairs, even open on Christmas Day. I hadn't bought any drink. And I hadn't bought any gifts.
So a couple of days before the big day, the son and I decided to take up an offer to the 'parents-in-laws' for Christmas dinner. I offered to make deserts, my speciality, and thought I'd give the mini cheescakes another go.
So for two days I slaved over a hot stove, or should that be a cold fridge, to produce a few staples.
I'd found a fabulous looking pav that I just had to made. The fact that I have made one pavlova in three years didn't deter me. Never mind it ended up being a 10 egg pav. 6 eggs in the first one and then I decided I didn't have enough mixture so had to whip up a four egg mix.
The other 'must-haves' at Christmas consist of coffee fudge cake, lolly cake, and shortbread. So a double recipe of shortbread took shape. The lollies were cut and formed into rolls. The biscuits were crushed with the rolling pin for the fudge (still my favourite & a family favourite). I wonder if they still make it down in the cafe in Blenheim? The lolly cake is only made twice a year as I have to wait for supplies of fruit puffs from New Zealand. I still haven't found any suitable substitute here.
The mini cheesecakes were made with a couple of alterations to the recipe. Unfortunately they didn't look as good, but tasted even better than the first lot. And so easy. I don't usually make a baked cheesecake but this one may become a firm favourite. They looked a bit bleak on Christmas Day due to lack of topping (that's another story) but overall were a success.
The lack of topping came about like this. I wanted to offer the alternative option of either cream or yoghurt to go on the cheesecakes. I know from past experience that if using yoghurt you need to do so last minute, hence the topping was left until arrival.
So I purchased a lemon flavoured greek yoghurt and a small tub of whipped cream to sit on the platter with some strawberries. Of course the strawberries had increased in price to be more than diamonds so I left them on the supermarket shelf.
I also got a 500ml pack of 'whipping cream'. Not cooking cream, whipping cream. Now anyone would presume that this meant it would whip and I could top the pavlova with it. But no! No episode like Christmas Day in Hamilton many, many years ago when the cream turned to butter. Yes, I was thinking about a certain sister while standing at the sink whipping the cream. But it wouldn't whip. Another 10 minutes and we were late leaving, still liquid. So I throw it in the fridge and decide we'll grab some whipped cream from a nearby shop once we arrive.
Here I am on Christmas Day wandering around the streets over the other side of town looking for cream. No! It isn't a staple here. I found more whipping cream but no whipped cream. Finally finding one small tub (we're talking the biggest pav I've ever seen in a while) I concede defeat and head back. I could have driven to the mall but we'd got a carpark right outside the apartment complex and knew we'd never find that again so opted to stay put.
Back with my minature tub of low fat cream, I combine with the cheesecake cream and lightly smear the resulting mix over the top of the pav. I've never seen a pav with so little cream but it suited me as I don't eat cream. Some homemade raspberry coulis drizzled over the cream hid the lack of cream, then the lavish fruit (blueberry, blackberry, red currants, pomegranate, fresh mint leaves, and chocolate mint leaf decorations made it into a masterpiece. Even I was proud of the finished effect.
There was quite a crowd for lunch and while finishing my desserts a couple arrived with their daughter. While being introduced to the wife I'm thinking to myself that I've met her before then the husband turns around and we both say the same thing immediately. I cast around in my mind as he suggests places that we may have met then the wife pipes up in her Irish accent with...
Wait for it! Of all places we met in Tiberias at the Sea of Gallilee in Israel. Small world. They had just arrived at the hostel and were waiting to check in while I was waiting, perhaps to check out. We started chatting and found we were all living in Abu Dhabi. There were heading off to cycle around the lake while my friend, her son & I were heading back to Tel Aviv. Then we meet again at Christmas dinner at our mutual friends' place.
I had a fabulous day with new friends from around the world (Irish, Brits, Turkish, Scottish, & Kiwis). Lunch consisted of traditional Christmas turkey with all the trimmings: roast potatoes; mashed spuds; swede & turnip mash (my fav); brussel sprouts; stuffing; carrots; cauliflower; gravy. All washed down with some lovely beverages from around the world, plenty of mulled wine, a few games and plenty of laughs.
I ended up with some lovely presents - a real variety. Body shop products featured heavily and I'm now set up for a while with nice smellies.
A couple of planters with potting mix and plants are still waiting to be planted (my lovely tulip bulbs are in the fridge chilling).
On Facebook I'd spied an offer for NZ peanut butter so ordered one for the son. Of course, with slow delivery, it didn't arrive in time for Christmas but was a welcome New Year surprise. It took so long to arrive I'd forgotten I'd ordered it.
A special parcel arrived in the New Year from New Zealand with my annual dose of kiwiana calendars. All in all, a good end to a good year.
The plan (or in this case, non-plan) was to have another large gathering here at home with our core group of kiwis and hangerson. But I'd had a sore throat before we finished work and couldn't seem to shake it so spent the first week of my precious holidays lying on the couch, sleeping and resting. So nothing was done at all. I hadn't bought any food, although that wasn't really a problem with a supermarket downstairs, even open on Christmas Day. I hadn't bought any drink. And I hadn't bought any gifts.
So a couple of days before the big day, the son and I decided to take up an offer to the 'parents-in-laws' for Christmas dinner. I offered to make deserts, my speciality, and thought I'd give the mini cheescakes another go.
So for two days I slaved over a hot stove, or should that be a cold fridge, to produce a few staples.
I'd found a fabulous looking pav that I just had to made. The fact that I have made one pavlova in three years didn't deter me. Never mind it ended up being a 10 egg pav. 6 eggs in the first one and then I decided I didn't have enough mixture so had to whip up a four egg mix.
10 egg pavlova shaped into a wreath.
Pavlova ready to cook and lolly cake rolled for chilling.
Decorated pav.
Beautiful table setting.
From top: shortbread; lolly cake; coffee fudge cake; mini lemon cheesecakes.
The lack of topping came about like this. I wanted to offer the alternative option of either cream or yoghurt to go on the cheesecakes. I know from past experience that if using yoghurt you need to do so last minute, hence the topping was left until arrival.
So I purchased a lemon flavoured greek yoghurt and a small tub of whipped cream to sit on the platter with some strawberries. Of course the strawberries had increased in price to be more than diamonds so I left them on the supermarket shelf.
I also got a 500ml pack of 'whipping cream'. Not cooking cream, whipping cream. Now anyone would presume that this meant it would whip and I could top the pavlova with it. But no! No episode like Christmas Day in Hamilton many, many years ago when the cream turned to butter. Yes, I was thinking about a certain sister while standing at the sink whipping the cream. But it wouldn't whip. Another 10 minutes and we were late leaving, still liquid. So I throw it in the fridge and decide we'll grab some whipped cream from a nearby shop once we arrive.
Here I am on Christmas Day wandering around the streets over the other side of town looking for cream. No! It isn't a staple here. I found more whipping cream but no whipped cream. Finally finding one small tub (we're talking the biggest pav I've ever seen in a while) I concede defeat and head back. I could have driven to the mall but we'd got a carpark right outside the apartment complex and knew we'd never find that again so opted to stay put.
Back with my minature tub of low fat cream, I combine with the cheesecake cream and lightly smear the resulting mix over the top of the pav. I've never seen a pav with so little cream but it suited me as I don't eat cream. Some homemade raspberry coulis drizzled over the cream hid the lack of cream, then the lavish fruit (blueberry, blackberry, red currants, pomegranate, fresh mint leaves, and chocolate mint leaf decorations made it into a masterpiece. Even I was proud of the finished effect.
Wait for it! Of all places we met in Tiberias at the Sea of Gallilee in Israel. Small world. They had just arrived at the hostel and were waiting to check in while I was waiting, perhaps to check out. We started chatting and found we were all living in Abu Dhabi. There were heading off to cycle around the lake while my friend, her son & I were heading back to Tel Aviv. Then we meet again at Christmas dinner at our mutual friends' place.
I had a fabulous day with new friends from around the world (Irish, Brits, Turkish, Scottish, & Kiwis). Lunch consisted of traditional Christmas turkey with all the trimmings: roast potatoes; mashed spuds; swede & turnip mash (my fav); brussel sprouts; stuffing; carrots; cauliflower; gravy. All washed down with some lovely beverages from around the world, plenty of mulled wine, a few games and plenty of laughs.
I ended up with some lovely presents - a real variety. Body shop products featured heavily and I'm now set up for a while with nice smellies.
A couple of planters with potting mix and plants are still waiting to be planted (my lovely tulip bulbs are in the fridge chilling).
On Facebook I'd spied an offer for NZ peanut butter so ordered one for the son. Of course, with slow delivery, it didn't arrive in time for Christmas but was a welcome New Year surprise. It took so long to arrive I'd forgotten I'd ordered it.
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