h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Toast and chicken dripping. Unfortunately, we didn't have any chicken, turkey, duck or goose over the holiday, so I haven't got any. Toast and marmalade doesn't cut the mustard somehow.

If I don't hurry up and decide what I want for breakfast, it'll be lunch time.

Christmas was quite simple and not as populous as usual for us this year. On Christmas Eve, I was trying to make the place look Christmassy for the little ones to "Ooh" and "aah" at (turned out quite well, too).

Son No 3 was here and he insisted on raclettes for Christmas Eve dinner, as is our wont, although there were only the three of us. He did all the work for that and it was fine and he made the table look very attractive.

I had to leave the table as usual, at 9.15, and dash off to sing at midnight mass, which was at 10 o'clock. That is not bad by German standards - in some villages it was at 4 pm. When I got back from Church, the kitchen was cleared and sparkled - Son No 3 again! (His day doesn't really start till nearly midnight, anyway, so he had the time.....

On Christmas day, my sister-in-law joined us for lunch - we had roast venison , but there were still only 4 of us. It was very nice, with red cabbage, roast potatoes, leeks and carrots and a port wine sauce. We didn't have room for a pudding, but we had cheese and biscuits later on that evening. Daughter-in-law and grandson joined us for presents and a cup of tea during the afternoon. "Oohs" and "aahs" and the little one's enormous respect for the fire caused much amusement. Of course, he enjoyed the paper more than the presents.

Yesterday was Boxing Day and I intended to do lots of cleaning as no one was coming for a meal and I hadn't done any housework yet, except for vacuuming up the needles caused by hanging things on trees and pine branches around the house. I didn't get much done, but I did get the kitchen back to normal (the dishwasher must have been running a dozen times over the holidays, despite us not being so many people).

This evening, Son No 2 arrives with partner and baby and we are going out to dinner tonight. Unfortunately I won't be seeing much of them as I have to work all week.

So now it's Sunday morning and no particular holiday at all (John the Apostle, anyone?) - and I can listen to Cerys on 6 music and drink coffee and wait till lunchtime.

We don't call it Boxing Day, but yesterday was a day to avoid the post-Christmas shopping traffic. I got to Target early enough to buy a half-price wreath and then get out relatively unscathed.

Would toast and mustard cut the marmalade?

Sorry

The closest I can think of to chicken drippings on toast would be bacon and toast. or maybe the Italian tradition of roasted garlic in olive oil. Or maybe hummous.

come up here next time you fancy that, TC, we have a huge vat of goose dripping

I know it's not the same but many supermarkets sell jars of dripping. Also, a lot of what comes out of modern birds is water, not fat.