Christmas goodies!

You should be very glad we don't have sound on blogs because as I write my other half and Holly are singing Good King Wenslesles (sorry about spelling but you know what I mean) in their very best welsh operatic voices. Oh no, they've stopped now and we have rock music (other half's Christmas pressie from the eldest) at full volume whilst playing air guitar - scary heh, you should be here.

Well back to the reason I'm writing this. Pascale, my french friend called with our Christmas pressie. A pretty bag of homemade goodies. We had Confit de Canard, Paté de Foie Gras, Gelée de Murs (2 jars) and Gelée de Coing plus some little walnut cakes covered in chocolate. Yum Yum. I know some people do not approve of Foie Gras, but I have to say this is delicious. Pascale's mum-in-law makes it herself from her own ducks, the Confit is also made by her mum-in-law. Whilst the confiture Pascale makes herself. The little cakes were delicious too, she did warn me that when she had shelled and crushed the walnuts some of the shell had found it's way into the mixture so be careful. Apparently Jean-Michel, her hubbie had found some. He apparently said you can't give them to Nicky she might break a tooth!

We visited Pascale's mum and dad-in-laws back in the summer. It's great. The best veggie patch you have ever seen, along with fruit and walnuts, not forgetting the ducks. They grow enough veg for themselves and the children. They make jams and preserve the veg in glass jars like you see in the supermarkets. When I was there she was telling me about picking the blossom from the lime tree and storing it in a paper bag. You can then infuse it in hot water like a herbal tea really. It was lovely and we have a huge lime tree over the road from us which smells divine when it is in blossom. One to try.

I'd like to wish everyone a very happy and healthy 2009. Hope you all have a great New Year's Eve. Nickyx