My Christmas

I hope you all had wonderful Christmases.

I always love spending time with my family. We are all close and there's so many opportunities for side-splitting laughs, scandalous gossip, and the sharing of lovely family memories. It's also very special that we have four tiny humans running around causing trouble and joy in our lives now. I was the baby of the family until I was 23, and now we have four under-six-year-olds to change the entire dynamic of the family in ways I never imagined possible. They are perfect. I think the adults managed to sit down together for about 12 minutes at the dinner table before one of them ran in to say his brother had taken all his clothes off and jumped in the paddling pool. Hilarious!

This was the salmon we smoked on Christmas morning. It was perfection. We got the fish from the markets (Bluff salmon - not Marlborough, as it's too oily and strong. My mum knows these things) and brined it in Irish liqueur, then smoked it in the carport over red wine oak barrel wood chips. Then about two minutes after it was done, we jumped in the car and went to my cousin's and ate it almost immediately. Fresh.

I wonder what Jamie Oliver was eating at Christmas. I bet I win.

THESE. Oh my god. Everyone stop what you're doing and write this down. It will impress the pants off everyone who eats it and you'll become the guest of honor at every party. You'll be known as the Person Who Brings the Best Starters. What a privilege. It is - 125g cream cheese, 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard, 1 tablespoon honey mixed together until a smooth mixture. Then cut about 10 slices of prosciutto into strips and put the mixture along it. Then get nectarines and cut into thick wedges. Put a fresh mint leaf on top of the nectarine then wrap the prosciutto around it. Party. In. Your. Mouth. (If by "party" you mean "the best party you've been to since that private club with Armin van Buuren during the Whistler 2010 Winter Olympics" because anything less is a disservice to these balls of flavour explosives).

My cousin made these for the kids table, but I wanted them for myself.

Oh, hello old friends!

My Christmas manicure (my right hand is broken, remember, it can't be 100% perfect) and my new Deadly Ponies bow ring. Christmas-present-receiving success!

Blueberry, mint and lavender syrup mojitos were a refreshing success on Christmas evening.

Playing around with fairy lights bokeh and instagram.

My crazy nephews. I love them.