In December, our gorgeous Big Boy turned 21!
It was a fortnight of celebrations, starting with a party at the oh-so-cool Stitch Bar in town (for him and twenty of his mates, we weren’t invited), followed by several nights of dinners and French champagne with family, friends and neighbours, and culminating in dinner at Ristorante Pendolino in the glitzy Strand Arcade.
We also opened a bottle of Cullen Margaret River 1992 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot that I’d been saving for him since it was released in 1995. It was glorious…
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December was filled with chocolate – several plates of assorted goodies went out the door…
My friend Carol, temperer extraordinaire, made gorgeous chocolate Christmas trees. The moulds can be purchased from Candyland Crafts (item C-171). I went over to help her assemble them…
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We ate a lot of sushi in December – it was the perfect meal for our hot summer days and a wonderful accompaniment to celebratory Bollinger…
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Christmas pudding necessitated microwave custard, and I turned six leftover egg whites into nine friands, using the last of the cherries that Pete’s sister Penny brought us…
Four of the friands went around the corner to our friend Luca, and I added a handful of chocolate chips to his…
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We had a very quiet New Year’s Eve at home. I fried up a large platter of Hokkien noodles for dinner – the dish was filled with prawns, leftover Christmas ham, backyard eggs, butternut trombie, and our first two snake beans. My mother always says noodles at New Year are lucky…
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On the recommendation of our friend PeteV, we gave this Spanish paella cooking base a go. It was expensive – $16 a litre – but claimed to be able to create an authentic paella (for four) in just half an hour with very little effort…
It’s hard to pass up something with such an awesome (and preservative free) ingredients list (note the snails!)…
The thick stock didn’t contain any pieces of snail (or rabbit, duck or chicken, for that matter), so we topped it with the grilled peppers that PeteV and Nic gave us for Christmas. It was quick and easy and really quite good – not as tasty as my Pete’s paella from scratch, but certainly much easier…
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Hope all is well in your world, and you’re enjoying the start of the new year!
How was your December?
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
So if there was no meat in the paella, was it more like a risotto?
We love both. I make paella maybe once/year, risotto at least twice a month. It is one of my go-to meals when I don’t want to cook!
Mo, not really, we used bomba rice and it tasted like a paella (rather than creamy like a risotto). Next time we just need to add more stuff! :)
Our baby turned 21 in November. In contrast, he didn’t want any recognition. Nada. I think he must be feeling old. I know I am. ;-)
Ha! I know how you feel! :)
Best wishes to Big Boy, and may his days continue happy, healthy and with great wisdom!
Thank you, Misky! xxx
Happy birthday to big boy (since he is now a man you may wish to change his name). Everything is lovely Celia. You certainly know how to celebrate life. Good on you.
He’ll always be Big Boy to me! :) We had a fun couple of weeks! Thanks G xx
You had a very busy December! A big mile stone for Big Boy! It is so nice to see they are living at home. I know so many young people that as soon as they are 18 they have to/want to leave the home nest and start out on their own. (I stayed home until I got married.)
Your chocolates look so delicious! The chocolate tree looks awesome!
Our December was filled with dentist appointments, preparing for the school Christmas party, shovelling snow, and our daughter’s 4th birthday.
Whereas I moved out of home at 17! :) Yes, we’re very grateful that he’s still at home, but I doubt he’ll be here when he’s 25! :) Your December sounds busy too – happy 4th birthday to your little girl! xx
Happy Birthday to Big Boy! What a nice milestone, 21 years of age…. Awesome!
loved everything about this post, including the paella stock, very interesting product – I don’t mind shortcuts at all!
I don’t have a wine palate that can differentiate between a so-so bottle of wine and a great one, but I’m sure Phil would flip for this bottle you opened… in me, it would be wasted, I’m afraid… but I would still have fun sharing it, that’s for sure!
Thanks Sally! Yes, he’s grown up very quickly – it’s odd because I can still remember my 21st! The paella stock was very good – Pete thinks maybe we can use it to add oomph to our regular paella by adding half a packet to our normal recipe… xx
My Aidan does a fab paella from scratch (I got him a paella pan for Christmas). That & pizza from scratch are his specialities. Dont you love a night off cooking every now & then:-)
Happy 2014.
Happy 2014 to you too! I do get a night off cooking sometimes, and it’s a real treat (albeit a very rare one) when my sons cook! :)
Happy Birthday to Big Boy!!!!! Beautiful celebrations with family and friends for the big day, way to go. All the best for 2014.
Thanks Norma! It wasn’t really a big party, more a string of smaller one, which is how we tend to roll here! I hope you have a grand 2014! xx
What a marvellous month for you all! We have that stock in Spain and it’s so much cheaper (of course!) I wish I could send you some but I guess it wouldn’t make it to you without bursting :( I loved the Strand Arcade…beautiful!
Chica, how nice that you know the stock! It was very good and I didn’t mind paying the $16 as it was great to try something so unusual (for us, anyway!). The Strand Arcade was in all its Christmas glory when we went in! :)
Happy birthday to your son, Celia. 21 is a great milestone. Sounds like you have had a deliciously busy time!
Lizzy, we had great fun – one night all the neighbours came over for champagne, two other nights were with close friends eating sushi and drinking Bollie, and then the family do at Pendo’s! :)
I love the sound of Big Boy’s 21st and how the celebrations went on and on and on. And how lovely that you saved a bottle of wine for all those years – I do wish I’d done the same. And now I’m wishing I ate some noodles on NYE – is it too late??? xx
“The Festival of the 21st” was how it came to be known! It’s not too late Charlie, you always have Chinese New Year’s eve (30th Jan) to eat noodles! :)
Happy birthday to your lovely boy!
Thanks Deb! He really is a lovely boy! :)
Belated Happy 21st Birthday to Big Boy! Sounds like a lot of fun was had by all and some delicious food happenings of course…I could do with a big bowl of your noodles right now!
Danielle, thank you! Wish I could share, the noodles were delish! :)
Well Big Boy, that’s it, you are officially old. :) Best wishes to you. I shall admire those Chocolate Christmas Trees from afar Celia (very afar) as my fumble fingers would turn them into jolly snowmen in a trice.
Rose, it’s a two person job – one to paint on the chocolate “glue” and the other to stick them together. They look very impressive for not much more effort! :)
Oh, we love Pendolino, and I’ve made nettle pasta from the book! Loving all the chocolate photos!!
Thanks Saucy! It was our first time at Pendolino, and the food was very nice, but it was quite dark! :)
Sounds as if you’ve been celebrating your son’s birthday in wonderful style. And I do love the look of those noodles Celia, have some little bags of frozen turkey in mind for a similar dish.
Andrea, I think they’d be very nice made with turkey! I’m still plugging away at our Christmas ham! :)
Oh my you’ve been living the high life ! What a welcome to the new year :)
Thanks Claire! It was a fun way to farewell 2013! Hope the new year has started well for you! xx
Happy Birthday Big Boy! What a lovely celebration you’ve had!
Happy New Year to you Celia – I have learnt so much from your blog over the past year, thankyou.
Bronwyn, that’s very kind of you! Thank you for reading along! :) Have a great 2014!
A belated but very happy birthday to your son! Such a wonderfully busy December, yet I can see you retrospectively with a smile on your face all month and still now writing this! I don’t mind shortcuts at all, especially with quality products, but why do almost all European pre-prepareds have such a terribly high sodium content: accidentally buying Italian cannelini beans I found 4 fold higher salt levels, but at least one can madly rinse those :) !!
Eha, I think many processed foods have too much salt – a necessary evil in preventing things from going off, I guess! :)
G’day! And Happy December now that it has passed! Happy birthday to your son and many more!
I always look ahead, but appreciate being in the moment…let’s hope 2014 will be a good one for all Celia!
Cheers! Joanne
Joanne, yes indeed, here’s to a great 2014 for all of us! All the best! xxx
Yes, I’m wondering if it is too late to eat noodles too!. I do love champagne occasions and I love that Big Boy celebrated with gusto – it sounded like a celebration not only of Big Boy’s 21st but of life, family and friends. Friands are my absolute favourites and did you make the sushi plate? It looks wonderful.
Jan, it’s not too late, there’s always Chinese New Year on the 31st! :) And no, I didn’t make the sushi, but we have a fabulous local restaurant that does amazing platters! My sushi always ends up a bit pear-shaped! :) xxx
Happy birthday Big Boy! It sounds like it was certainly celebrated in style :)
What a fabulous festive feasting you’ve enjoyed Celia, I’m still getting through our ham and haven’t cracked the smoked lamb yet. I love that paella base, I would have to buy that if I saw it-the snails are such an authentic ingredient that I couldn’t pass it up. Hope this year is even more fun, foodie and fabulous sweetie xox
Becca, we can’t be allowed to go shopping together, could you imagine what we’d come back with? :) Hope everything’s settled down for you, darling.. xx
Hi Celia, happy belated birthday to your big boy, oh to be 21 again :) had a busy December but currently on leave so enjoying the time off. Christmas and New Year was all about family and good food and being grateful for what we have, I feel very fortunate. Your noodles look delicious!
Stefanie, sounds like you had a perfect festive season, good for you! :) Thank you for your kind birthday wishes!
Happy Birthday to the tall one who is now officially all grown up. You and Pete are lucky to have a son as wonderful as he is and he’s the luckiest kid ever to have parents like you two. Your December sounds like it was full of fun and excitement.
I’ll have more fun next year. :)
Hey, I’m tall too! (Not really, actually) :) You are very kind darling, thank you, I think we’re incredibly blessed to have our boys, they’re both amazing in their own ways! Let’s both resolve to have more fun in 2014!
Wow Celia, what a beautiful post. The gorgeous Strand Arcade, that special bottle of wine and your incredible chocolates. Your son is one extremely lucky 21 year old and he sounds like a wonderful young man. Happy days to you and thank you for the extra Magimix advice too x
Jane, always lovely to chat, can’t wait to see what you decide to buy! It was a rare treat to be in the Strand in December – I usually avoid the city like a plague during the Christmas rush! All the best to you and your gorgeous fam for 2014!
Happy New Year Celia! Hope you had a lovely Christmas too.
So, sushi, chocolate and champagne?! How fabulous. Enjoy to the fullest girlfriend!
Just curious- what kind of sauce is on your noodles? I want to make it. I’ve got the ham ;)
PS- Happy bday to Big Boy! (sniff…sniff…) Oh, where does the time go…
Em, thank you! Hope you and your lovely boys have a great 2014! The noodles are very ad hoc – this time I used mainly oyster sauce, a little dark soy and a little sesame oil. My mum used to make them with just oyster sauce, but I think the dark soy adds a nice touch! :)
All your cooking looks totally delicious! I LOVE the chocolate tree!
Congrats on being a mother to a 21 yr old :-)
Thanks Sandy! :)
Can’t believe he’s 21, Celia – oh, how time flies. Wholeheartedly approve of your choice of restaurant to celebrate – not to mention the wine, of course! Love to you all xx
Hi Vick, hasn’t it gone quickly? Your youngest isn’t far behind though! :) Hope 2014 is wonderful! xxx
Well 21 is quite a milestone – happy birthday to your son. Can’t imagine why you weren’t invited to the bash though.
I absolutely love that chocolate tree but have to ask you – how long did that last? I have to laugh that you’re having sushi because of your hot summer days – if I had to wait that long for sushi, I’d have to move south. We lucked out with the last snowstorm & only got about 8-10″ of snow although my friend and former neighbor moved to a town on the coast that got TWO FEET!
You’re certainly having some great meals though. I’m counting the days/months until we get some warm weather here in Massachusetts…it’ll be a while.
Thanks Diane! We had lots of other celebrations with Big Boy, the one in town was just for him and his friends. Who wants your mother there when everyone else is 21? :)
Carol’s tree was gorgeous, and I don’t think it lasted very long! I gave her a couple of my moulds – we didn’t make any this year, but we made a forest of them a few years back – I’m waiting for all my friends to forget so I can make them again next year.. :)
https://figjamandlimecordial.com/2011/12/18/chocolates-for-christmas-2011/
When you say you “lucked out”, do you mean it was good that you only got 10″ or snow, or that you wish you’d had more? I’m not sure which is better – lots of glorious snow to play in, or less to have to dig out! :) xx
Yeah, I don’t think I was invited to my daughter’s 21st with her friends either (and I’m glad).
Oh, when I say lucked out, I mean we were lucky to ONLY get 10″ of snow since they were predicting much more & I’m not a cold weather person. I drive a little sports car that doesn’t go in snow. I know, it’s not at all practical for where I live, but I like driving little cars & when I can’t get out I feel like I’m trapped like a rat.