That’s it for another year. We can put Christmas behind us as we now hurtle towards the end of the year.
I’ve just settled into 2024 but soon we will enter 2025 Apparently, Easter eggs are already appearing in some supermarkets.
Our only visits to the allotment were to collect some vegetables.
At this time of year, leeks and parsnips are just about the only vegetables that are still sitting in the soil. For some reason overwintering brassicas have failed over the last few years.
We did, however, manage to cut a large cabbage.
Fortunately, we have lots of vegetables at home stored in the freezer or garage.
We didn’t have a white Christmas which isn’t unusual. Despite snow featuring in Christmas cards and most Christmas TV programmes, we rarely have snow at this time of year.
This year we have alternated between bright sunshine and fog. The fog has been really patchy.
We had a walk around Nostell on Boxing Day. Despite the weather the place was heaving. We’d never seen as many people and dogs milling around.
Most of the people were sticking to the areas around the house and lake so we managed to escape the crowds as we walked through the wooded area.
We decided that it was too crowded for Ruby to play chase. She would have also disappeared into the mist as she chased her ball.
She wasn’t impressed!
On Sunday, Ruby finally had her game of chase at Temple Newam. The Christmas festivities were still underway, complete with a small funfair and food stalls.
Music was playing through loudspeakers so Ruby just had to investigate.
The park was lit up although the lights were not as vibrant as they would be after dark. However, our preview was free whereas after dark there was quite an expensive admission fee.
Finally. some of the meals that we enjoyed over the last fortnight.
Some of our onion, garlic and carrot were used in a turkey and red wine casserole.
I used leeks and peas from the freezer in a chicken risotto.
Our red onion, carrot and parsnip were used to make a vegetable tagine.
Leeks and frozen peas were ingredients in individual chicken and vegetable pies. 
I made a vegetable bake using our potato, leeks and carrot. It was served with our frozen peas and French beans.
Some lovely moody foggy shots there, but it’s not very appealing to venture out, unless you have to. Ruby’s little face, she looks quite put out!
Those vegetable dishes look delicious. Our leeks have a few more weeks and no success with parsnips sadly.
They reckon dog’s don’t have facial expressions Belinda!!!