In lieu of a Christmas Day menu...

Thanks to Averil's tag, I give you our Christmas Eve menu which we're hosting for just one side of the family here (we've got the day "off" on Christmas Day - a very casual but delectably tasty round-up of foods - and people! - has become the tradition for us on this day, at my brother's inlaws.... hey, they're always more fun when they're once removed/not your own IL's ;)

Finger foods is the way we're going this year. Because I lurrrve them and because they're easy and you can make heaps and it looks like you've done a lot muahahaha.

Mini savoury pikelets topped with marscapone and pesto

Asparagus, cheese and tomato tartlets

Creamed mushroom vol au vents

Individual salmon quiches (because apparently, they don't follow trends??)

Egg tomato, cucumber, avocado and radish salad (which will go great with the roast chicken Steve's mum is bringing)

And for dessert, I'm thinking I'll do the same thing: lots of little treats.

Mini chocolate and nougat mousse.... Or would that be mousses? Hmm. This one's made with Toblerone, eggs and cream. Thassit. Dear God, my fat stores are groaning already.

Chocolate Christmas trees (little mini cones of crushed plain biscuit, cocoa, condensed milk, topped with melted choc and flaked with coconut and almond slivers)

Orange poppyseed cake - an oldy but a less sickly-sweet goody

We've not done the "good old-fashioned" Christmas sit-down dinner thing for a number of years now. That's what a scattered family and the lack of a matriarch does, I guess. Nobody is entirely willing or able to do the whole roast thing. I don't have a gaggle of females eager to cook while they natter in somebody's kitchen to prepare everything. That's why I love my SIL's family home... surrounded by the wonderful people who gather there (some friends and some family). It's a progesterone overdose which lasts me an entire year and I love it. Sort of feels like falling appreciatively into the bosom of caring females.

Or... something like that. I'll leave you with that thought, dear reader *distant cricket chirping*

And I shall tag some of you who are probably going to adore me just that little bit more for doing so (c'mon you know you wanna share... although Mel, you might need a week to recount your menu!!):

Tanya at Not Tonight Dear
Jodie who's Procrastinating Here At...
Mel at Head In The Sand Again