Finland 100: 93 – Icing on the Cake

For breakfast, bucks fizz and croissants stuffed with cream cheese and smoked salmon, quickly followed by the present opening excesses, before heading off to the kitchen to act as sous chef to my mum. Many hours later, the xmas dinner was on the table – turkey, stuffing, chipolatas rolled in bacon, various roasted veg, braised red cabbage, bread sauce, onion sauce, gravy, the selection of Finnish jams we brought over (cranberry, rowanberry, cloudberry, lingonberry)… After a short break, a choice of xmas pudding, trifle or sticky toffee pudding, with brandy butter, brandy cream, and double cream. Add in wine, brandy and the occasional chocolate, you can understand why I am semi-passed out on the sofa watching old repeats on TV. It may seem like it’s the food and the presents that take centre stage but, for me, the icing on the cake is having family all around me, even if they are all scattered horizontally at the moment. And I love that my kids enjoy coming to London to visit their granny and auntie. Merry xmas, one and all!