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Christmas Thoughts - Amanda Wren-Grimwood!
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"My Christmas thoughts?
I really thought that I would still be living in France this year. Christmas Eve would be long queues for huge boxes of oysters with French families, having a chat while the staff brought around glasses of Pineau de Charentes, an aperitif, at 10 O’clock in the morning! This year it will be different as we have just moved back to the UK and to a totally new part of the country. It has been exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time.
My boys are now adults and my eldest son has recently got married. Christmas is no longer about toys and gadgets. We exchange token presents and concentrate instead on family time for when we can get together. There’s nothing better for me than pottering in the kitchen cooking with my boys or my daughter in law. I’m not talking about buying expensive food or spending hours in the kitchen either. I’m a food blogger and I spend a lot of time developing recipes, so I will be taking some shortcuts and popping into the shops for something frozen and ready made. We do always have a free-range turkey but there won’t be a fancy way of cooking it!
My Christmas day will involve a long walk with my Weimaraners, a walk down to the pub for a few drinks and back for lunch and games for the three of us. I used to have eleven for lunch every year and regularly managed to stress myself out trying to make everything perfect for everyone. Nowadays I’m looking for any excuse to put my pyjamas on and chill out. If anyone moans about being hungry, I direct them to the fridge!
My message to everyone would be to look after yourself this Christmas. Enjoy time with loved ones but don’t try to please everyone all the time."
I really thought that I would still be living in France this year. Christmas Eve would be long queues for huge boxes of oysters with French families, having a chat while the staff brought around glasses of Pineau de Charentes, an aperitif, at 10 O’clock in the morning! This year it will be different as we have just moved back to the UK and to a totally new part of the country. It has been exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time.
My boys are now adults and my eldest son has recently got married. Christmas is no longer about toys and gadgets. We exchange token presents and concentrate instead on family time for when we can get together. There’s nothing better for me than pottering in the kitchen cooking with my boys or my daughter in law. I’m not talking about buying expensive food or spending hours in the kitchen either. I’m a food blogger and I spend a lot of time developing recipes, so I will be taking some shortcuts and popping into the shops for something frozen and ready made. We do always have a free-range turkey but there won’t be a fancy way of cooking it!
My Christmas day will involve a long walk with my Weimaraners, a walk down to the pub for a few drinks and back for lunch and games for the three of us. I used to have eleven for lunch every year and regularly managed to stress myself out trying to make everything perfect for everyone. Nowadays I’m looking for any excuse to put my pyjamas on and chill out. If anyone moans about being hungry, I direct them to the fridge!
My message to everyone would be to look after yourself this Christmas. Enjoy time with loved ones but don’t try to please everyone all the time."
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
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