In Finland, it is Christmas eve that is the important family meal.
Annikki was busy all evening shovelling the snow and creating beautiful things in the garden. She put on the northern lights.
Since we did not get a Christmas tree this year, as none of the grandkids were in country, Annikki built a Snow Christmas Tree and decorated it with lights.
She shovelled a whole lot of snow in the back garden into a pile. She said she has a secret project in mind.
I decided with her busy schedule, I would cook the Christmas dinner this year - chicken biriyani.
I called Paneer to ask him whether he would like to come over, but he was going to spend Christmas with his sponsor. So I would not have to make a vegetarian fare for him!
NOT THAT WOULD HAVE POSED ANY PROBLEM FOR THIS EXPERIENCED COOK WHO DOES A BOUT OF COOKING ONCE IN A DECADE.
Then I rang Kannan. He was going to be alone, so I asked him to join us.
Annikki prepared the onion curd dressing and the salad.
The meal was followed by a Chocolate Swiss Roll.
Between the four of us, Mika, Kannan, Annikki and mysef, we managed to lick the biriyani platter clean!
Kannan brought a super-duper camera with him and did some photography. Hopefully we will have some decent photographs on the blog in a couple of days.
Kannan was great fun, and Annikki and I enjoyed his company in the absence of our children and grandchildren.
Sunday was lie-in day. I did not change out of my lungi till well after noon.
Annikki got to work on her secret project and created a most beautiful snow bridge. This bridge will probably only take the weight of our light-footed cat, but it is a good addition to the garden. It goes from here to there, or is it from there to here?
Well, let us say that it goes nowhere from nowhere!
Annikki prepared the turkey dinner with stuffing and a salad, served with the traditional rossoli and gravy. This was followed by a Christmas cake topped with Marzipan.
There was not much left after Mika, Iitu, Annikki and I finished the Christmas Day meal.
I did drop in to see Pailin an Unop, Saikou, and Kamu and Kaisa and wish their kids on Christmas eve. I met up with Kaisa's mother who was down from Rovaniemi and her brother, who was in Oulu from Bosnia, where he is with the Finnish Peace Keeping Force.
Kame and Kaisa have three absolutely beautiful children, Pelita, Rosa and Matti.
Annikki and I managed to speak to Asha and Susanna on Christmas eve (they were at home in Billinghay, Lincoln) and with Samuel and Joanna on Christmas Day (they were in Puerto Rico on the Las Palmas Island in the Atlantic) in the evening.
All were well. That was what we as parents wanted to hear.
Susanna will visit Jaakko in BIrmingham on Tuesday and Wednesday and convey greetings from us.
Well, on to the New Year - so let us wish you a great year till the next Christmas.
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