I know I’m supposed to write about Christmas-y and holiday-ish things, but the truth is I haven’t been able to get to them. We have no tree up, there is no baking done, not a single present has been wrapped, and there’s no sign of our Christmas trousers that we usually hang in lieu of stockings.
And that’s OK.
Sometimes life happens (aka – glandular fever) and you have to decide what’s truly important. This year, as much as I love our fun little traditions, I have to accept that I simply don’t have the strength or energy for them.
Instead we’re making time for naps and sleeping in, watching movies from the library, reading through Harry Potter again, and, when we’re up for it, taking day trips to visit good friends and soak up the beauties of the ocean and the mountains.
Instead of our favorite holiday foods we’re keeping things simple, making the most of whatever is growing in the gardens, and treating ourselves to delicious things someone else has already made: fluffy bread rolls, dark chocolate, and plum wine.
It’s enough.
My favorite dish this week was new potatoes from my garden, boiled and tossed with parsley, butter, and sea salt.
My most exciting find in my gardens was kohlrabi. Kohlrabi was one of my favorite vegetables as a child, and my Mum grew heaps of it. We’d eat them raw cut into crudites or grated into salads.
I’ve been trying to grow kohlrabi for four years, experimenting with different seeds and varieties, switching the seedlings from garden plot to garden plot, but they just never took. All I got were lots of leaves but no kohlrabi bulbs.
Until this year. I finally found the right seed company and the seedlings flourished into strong, sturdy plants. This week was my first harvest and they were delicious.
I prepared them three different ways so we could taste test and see which way we liked best.
I roasted some until they were soft with crispy brown edges. They were scrumptious and will make an excellent addition to a roast chicken dinner.
Others I grated for a coleslaw type salad, tossed with dill weed, sliced asparagus, and a mustard vinaigrette.
The last recipe was kohlrabi soup, and that was hands down my favorite. Smooth and creamy with a hint of onion, it is true comfort in a bowl.
Today I finished up the last of my wood-burning orders before Christmas and shipped them off to new owners around the world. I loved doing the order below, a collection of children’s mixing spoons personalized for a group of little girls in California.
Whether you’re partying or resting this holiday, I wish you a beautiful, soul-nourishing time. Â xo
Krista – we must celebrate in the way that we see fit and it sounds like you are doing the best you can. Those potatoes look gorgeous. I hope you get better soon. Those spoons are delightful. Lucky girls. Have a super, peaceful Christmas xx
All that matters is spending time with loved ones and looking after yourself – that’s all you need to do. Wishing you a speedy recovery and to getting your energy back x
I love that you hang trousers instead of stockings, very Australian. 🙂 I also totes understand the zero time to do all the things, we put a tree up for the first time in about 10 years, but that is as far as I got with being festive. LOL! I am pleased you are resting and being kind to you, you can always do Christmas in July next year to make up for it huh?
Loving your Kohlrabi, I am going to plant some next year, its gorgeous and oh so tasty.
Your spoons are so pretty, going to put in an order in the new year. Please take care of you gorgeous woman. Biiiiiiiig squishy hugs and loves headed your way. xox
There should be no rules at this time of the year! I will give the soup a whirl next time I get kohlrabi 🙂
I do hope you manage to have a wonderful Christmas despite low energy levels. The bowl of new potatoes looks really beautiful. Congrats on getting kohlrobi to grow – and I think I’d like to make that soup xx
I do understand! I don’t have glandular fever but I have husband with only one usable eye at the moment so I need to help him get his work done, leaving very little time for the holiday. We decorated the tree today! It’s been up for a while as a blank canvas and that was as far as I got.
Take care of yourself – know that there are a multitude of Christmases to come with your beloved Bear.
I’d kill for those new potatoes! Okay, not kill but I’d steal candy from babies. 🙂
I’m fighting a cold, dammit. I never get a cold and now I’m getting one for Christams! My doctor said to rest, so I am, but I haven’t wrapped the presents or made a dent on the food. Luckily our daughter has borrowed the vacuum cleaner so I can’t do that either. I have people coming for dinner Christmas Eve – maybe I can direct them to the back yard so they don’t notice the mess in the house? I have four or five salads and a punch to make for Christmas Day. It will get done I guess – where are those elves when you need them.
Due to any number of reasons, I have not decked our halls either. We do have a tree up, but nothing else. As you said, life happens. It’s all ok. I wish your and Bear the most wonderful of Christmases.
I get it. I had to surrender to rest, relaxation and peace of mind this year, and guess what, it’s wonderful. Beautiful photos as always Krista.
Hi Krista
I hope you had a restful Christmas with lots more of those delicious roast potatoes and Kohlrabi soup. I hope you are better soon
Hope you’ve recovered from glandular fever! The wooden spoons are BEAUTIFUL! I love them!
Get better, glandular fever is so debilitating; the kohlrabi soup looks very appealing
Looks like a delicious meal! In Poland we only get green kohlrabi and I was surprised to see a purple one!
I love your spoons too!
I must say I have never cooked with kohlrabi, and have always wanted to. What does it taste like? Is it a bit like horseradish?
This looks SO good! Nothing beets cooking stuff that you grew yourself 😀
I kinda envy the fact that you actually have a garden. I wish I do, I think it’d be so much fun to whip up something from your own backyard.
Love the simple dish with fresh grown potatoes!! Your pictures are amazing! I really the personalized wooden spoons!! Where did you get them made? Hope you are feeling better now. Thanks for sharing!
We’re always so hard on ourselves to do specific things for Christmas, but there’s nothing wrong with taking time to relax and recharge instead! We should do that more often. I love how easy the potatoes are to make, and they always feel like comfort food to me.
I live in an aprtment so a veggie garden sounds amazing to me!