So, I can only apologise for a break in services – it’s been almost a month since my last post! – forgive me?
I was trucking on, full steam ahead, in the run-up to Christmas, all cards written, presents bought and food planned. I was about to start knocking out the ‘festive posts’ (honest guv), then Country Bebe broke up from nursery and I had the strongest urge to lock all the doors, crank up the woodburner, throw any digital device in the corner, inhale mince pies and cuddle him whilst watching The Snowman for two weeks. Which is pretty much what we did.
I did take a few snaps though if you fancy a catch up?
The blackberry and apple vodka I made at Vale House Kitchen on their foraging course is AMAZING, we drunk it over Christmas with frozen berries in place of ice cubes. It tasted like grown-up Ribena. Yum.
This photo does not even half convey the pride Country Bebe had for our Christmas cake. Although it was I who spent hours making it, feeding it and icing it, he was allowed to add the cake toppers and sprinkle the glitter (liberally) – so of course he got all the credit for ‘his Father Christmas cake’.
The workbench from Big Jig Toys went down a STORM. 
We ordered the Christmas Day box from Abel & Cole which came with some gorgeous clementines that we added to the Champers on Christmas morning.
Perhaps my favourite snap from the festive period. The two Dantes (Country Bebe is named after his Nonno) with their matching crowns watching Tom & Jerry. They’ve even got matching jumpers. They are like peas in a pod. 
A gratuitous ‘pet at Christmas’ shot – Graziano looking cute under the mistletoe.
Boxing Day called for this – Abel & Cole nitrate free bacon sandwiches, with lashings of ketchup – and a big long walk to blow away the hangovers.
Country Bebe and I on New Year’s Day – hello 2014!
The good side of totally switching off for a few weeks is that my mind is bubbling over with post ideas, recipes and plans for Countryfille.com this year. As my best friend pointed out to me when I got slightly tearful over the festive period, ‘2014 is already going to be 100,0000 times better than 2013. 2013 was shit, but it’s over now. 2014 is going to be a good one, I can feel it.’ Yay to that! 2013 was without doubt the hardest of years for us as a family, losing Daddy so unexpectedly sort of left the year in limbo, the New Year seems like a fresh start and I plan to make 2014 BLOODY awesome.
Care to join me?
