This Christmas feels quieter. Not in a way that feels empty, but in a way that feels settled. After years of Christmases shifting and changing, this one feels very much rooted in the present.
This year, we kept some of the traditions that now feel familiar. Creating a Christmas menu. Writing a letter to Santa. Leaving out milk and cookies. These small rituals have become part of how we mark the season. Creating our Christmas menu a couple of weeks before has become part of the tradition too.
But this Christmas, we also made space for something new. Instead of just leaving cookies out, we decided to bake them together. We baked Santa chocolate nut Christmas cookies. Soft, chocolatey, nutty, and very delicious. My little one had the best time. There was flour everywhere, a bit of a mess, and lots of excitement. We both enjoyed the magic of it, baking together and getting ready for Christmas in our own small way.
I’m sure Santa enjoyed the cookies, along with a few pieces of biltong we left out too. Santa must know we’re South African. Well, he definitely does now 😆.
We started our Christmas food adventure with appetisers. I put together a platter, charcuterie-board style, with biltong, cheddar, brie, olives, and the most delicious smoked mussels and oysters with a zesty twist, served on crackers. The whole platter felt decadent and indulgent in the best way. These were our starters, enjoyed with a glass of prosecco and a snack bowl sized of nuts on the side.
For this year’s Christmas menu, we kept things close to home. We had traditional South African lamb chops, made in the oven with rosemary, garlic, and butter. Simple, comforting, and full of flavour.
We also had other mains, beef tongue with a sweet mustard sauce, truly delicious. We also made a no-fuss pork belly with rosemary and garlic. Simple, rich, and always a favourite.
And then there were the salads, which tied everything together. I made a three-bean salad, and my husband made a curry noodle salad. They paired so well with the meats and brought the whole meal together beautifully.
For the sides, we had a vegetable bake with a creamy white sauce, cheddar, and thyme. And then baby potatoes, roasted in butter with thyme and garlic. Comforting, familiar, and perfect alongside the mains.
For dessert, we kept things classic and rooted in tradition with a South African Christmas trifle. Creamy, sweet, fruity, and refreshing after all the meats and sides. It reminded me so much of home, while also allowing me to appreciate this familiar dessert in a new way, shared with my little family here in Toronto. It made me reflect on growing up and the small things that once felt ordinary, but were always quietly lovely.
This Christmas wasn’t about doing more. It wasn’t about perfection. It was about keeping what matters, adding what feels right, and letting traditions continue to evolve naturally.
Food was still at the centre of it all. Nothing extravagant, just the food we grew up with and the food we’ve learned to love along the way.
This Christmas feels like a gentle pause. A moment to take in where we are now, as a family, and to appreciate how far these traditions have come. Not fixed. Not final. Just growing with us, one season at a time.
If you’d like to read the earlier chapters in this Christmas series, you can find them here:
CocoaGirlinToronto 