Cactus Beetroot Cranberry

The flowers are nearly finished on the Christmas Cactus, they always brings such a great splash of neon pink over Christmas and this year they were especially abundant (having been scant after major pruning 2yrs earlier).

Another intense pink that lasts all through winter is of course beetroot. All that colour hints at it's high beta carotene content. When eaten regularly it's liver cleansing abilities are ideal for those of you who had more than the occasional tipple during the party season. My usual Summer salad of beetroot, pear and feta got a seasonal boost with fresh cranberries. Also good for your liver and packed with phytonutrients and antioxidants.

Not that my liver has suffered in any way, I barely drink at all, but I do like to dribble Tawny Port onto things around Christmas time so I can pretend they are trifle so I'm sure my liver is happy to have a pink boost to help cleanse it. Hopefully by next year my Cranberry plant will have settled in enough to produce an edible harvest so I won't need to depend on shops at all.

Christmas Traditions

Photographs of my parent's house, Christmas Day...




Heather shared some of her Christmas traditions and asked us me do to the same so...

1) A Christmas branch. I always get a fresh beautiful branch to decorate. Sometimes it is a compliment to a tree, other times it is instead of one.

2) Home-made decorations. I always make some decorations, usually paper based but sometimes using other materials. Paper snowflakes are a regular. I really truly do love most the kind of decorations that remind me of childhood. I still treasure my silver stars made about 10yrs ago from cut card wrapped with tinfoil. I really love them even though they, or maybe because, they look like a kid made them.

3) A Stocking. Some say I am too old but I still love the thrill of a stocking at the bottom of the bed, that rustling sound, seeing the wonderful way my mothers old tights (panty hose) can magically stretch to accomodate any shape of package. My mum (Santa) has been supplying them to my brother and I even though we left home years ago and if ever she couldn't then a friend or boyfriend could usually be persuaded to fill the gap and make my day.

4) Trifle! Christmas is always an excuse to indulge in a huge home-made trifle. I tend to make to, one for friends to share and one to have all to myself so that I don't eat the one for them! I like to really ladle on the port, it reminds me of visiting my grandparents in the holidays when I was really young.

5) A Bath. I'm a shower person for reasons of time, enrgy efficiency and money, but if I have access then I always like to have a long indulgent 2hr soak in a bath as a Christmas treat with dozens of candles, relaxing essential oils and beautiful music or an audio book.

Gosh, I typed this before Christmas and was waiting to get some images to go along with each tradition. But things didn't work out as planned and for the first time ever not one of those traditions has happened. I did get the contents of a Christmas stocking, but because I wasn't well enough to sleep over at my parent's house I didn't actually wake to a stocking.