An easy Christmas table + what we’ll be eating
I swear, decorating the Christmas table for me is almost as fun as the day itself. As someone who spends their days merchandising a shop full of kitchenware, it’s so much fun to have the time to decorate a table for the holidays. This year I’m doing a bit of a non-traditional table, that I test drove a couple of weeks ago.
Instead of one big family Christmas day lunch like we normally have, this year, the Irishman and my brother-in-law are both working during the day, so it’ll be some friends and a few family members for a relaxed, outdoor bbq lunch by the pool, then just the three of us for a roast dinner in the evening. While this is what i’ll be serving, you can bet someone will sneak another dessert (or three) into the house. One thing about our family is we are never shy in the food department! Before I get into the nitty-gritty, let’s start with the table…
The centerpiece
A couple of bunches of silver dollar eucalyptus laid down the center of the table acts as the base from which I then layered with copper wired fairy lights, surrounding the black iron candlesticks. Natural pinecones, Queen Anne’s lace, and sea holly were used as a filler to add a little dimension and fill a few gaps. When laying a Christmas table, I always try to make the centerpiece low, but impactful. There’s nothing worse than trying to talk across a table to someone you can’t see because of a tall arrangement!
The table
A simple white linen tablecloth with a large free-form grazing board down the center is where I started. After the centerpiece is laid on top of the board, I used my white Laguiole cutlery, flint grey Le Creuset dinner plates, and some green shallow bowls for the table setting. The fabric napkins were from our store. They are a woodland brown houndstooth with a frill on one end. Kind of all serious up top with a bit of unexpected fun on the bottom! They work perfectly with my marble napkin rings. I finished with some pretty coup glasses that I’m totally in love with, perfect for some festive fizz!
A casual Christmas bbq lunch
I’m working right up until after lunch on Christmas eve so everything has to be relatively easy to whip up. For our casual bbq, long lazy lunch i’ll be serving…
Fresh prawns & oysters
Smashed duck fat potatoes with truffle salt
Grilled sirloin steak with a porcini mustard
Cannoli – from a local baker. I’m all about making things stress free!
And for our little family dinner
It’s just the three of us, so it’s a baked dinner that will be perfect for a reheated packed lunch for the Irishman to take to work the next day.
Steamed green beans
Herbs de Provence roast chicken with pan juices gravy
Pudding & homemade custard
Merry Christmas
x
