This is the first year i managed to NOT put on any Christmas weight. You know how it’s done? The trick is… to be so busy cooking that you don’t have the desire or time to eat yourself. :p I was cooking for two days straight and felt so WEIRD after it was all over. Like, Whoa. I have no work to do. And nothing i need to cook… What do i do now… 0_o

That being said, i enjoyed EVERY moment of deciding what to cook, noting down ingredients to buy, splitting them into three different shopping sessions so i could book the necessary meats and get them when fresh and being able to carry everything, organizing what time which dish goes into the oven, etc. Out of ALL the time i spent cooking, there were four minutes i berated myself for being an ambitious idiot and wanting to cook for 25 people. Seriously, i thought to myself as i hurriedly chopped and washed six sticks of fennel, WHY do i do this to myself? DID I NOT LEARN from the last time?!

I am stubborn. And when the occasion arises, i get all ENTHUSIASTIC about cooking and knowing i’ve done it before, i know i can do it again… and do it and end up inviting a few extra people when i’m drunk -.-

Big Ben hovered around me as i prepared the potatoes to roast in duck fat, and said, “Who knew, that one day Joyce Wong (why does everyone call me by my name like this now!) will be in the kitchen.”
Me: Yeah, who knew :p
Ben: From your pass out days..
Me: Okayyyy Bennnnnn people grow up okay!

Friends started arriving at 3 plus cos i said the lamb would be ready at 3pm. I lied. Didn’t mean to. I just couldn’t wake up early cos i was so tired from the cooking and drinking the night before!

Pictures below stolen from EVERYONE cos i only took a grand total of five pictures.

I think Ah Hoong took this pic

Thanks for documenting my tree this year Clouds 😀

Pumpkin for the lasagna

On the menu that day was:
Pumpkin & feta & ricotta lasagna
Slow-cooked roast lamb in butter beans & fennel
Strawberry salad
Roasted potatoes in duck fat

Oh and half a turkey from the day before, which was gone before the lamb came out of the oven cos that took 3 hours.

Baby and me! I thought the present was from her (kancheong time) but it’s from Chelle. On another note, i’m so glad i put aside 15 minutes to put on some make up so i didn’t look so shattered when everyone came.

Chelle!

Baby, Sarch, and Chelle. Me going at it in the background.

They got me to come in the pic.

Chelle, Baby, Vince

Me, Nick & Sonia

With Kevin and Clouds

Chak!

Susu & Tania. Fufu in background.

Red shorts = MFEO!

The 4kg of lamb finally came out of the oven and everyone had to stare at it for 30 minutes while it rested.

They were not very patient people. After some time i gave up making them wait and said they could dig in.

The next time i turned to look at the table HALF of it was WHACKED. These people are so scary -_-

Chelle, Deeds, Sarch. Thanks for making banana bread Didi!

Sueann, me, Tania, Oli, and a decent photobomb by Azwin

Alfred & Az

Ahwin, me, Az & Clem

Fai & Ben

Haha i know this pic is from Hoong

Rahul gave us presents AND brought a bottle of Patron and whiskey. Crazy la you Rahul! Now i gotta do another dinner where you come back so we can start on that together!

Aps came really late and drunk. And i look like i have meaty legs yay!

Notes:
– i wanted to have friends over on Christmas Day for those who have nothing to do, so noone would be alone on Christmas Day! But i think… i will reassess this next year. Having people over just at night makes things seem… easier somehow. Maybe cos when it’s dawn you can kick everyone out at the same time, whereas people were coming and going all day time so some missed seeing each other.
– I’m not going to cook two days in a row again. That was just insane. And next time i’ll make sure EVERYTHING is ready by the time people come so i spend NO time in the kitchen and can just party like everyone else!
– All in all, i felt really HAPPY and SATISFIED feeding everyone. I think the domestic side of me has really bloomed to be satiated in that sense -_-

Thanks for clown egg holder from Aps, event-worthy necklace from Chelle, and choc fondue set from Oli!!

House Rule #1: No Cleaner, No Party.

The next day i just left everything as it was and waited for the cleaner to come. She was like a tiny machine, doing ALL the dishes and cleaning up the entire house in 3 hours. I gave her an RM20 tip.

I purposely kept my turkey carcass to make soup with all the leftover herbs and vege i had in the fridge. The house smelt so great on Boxing Day with the smell of turkey soup wafting through the air of the spotless place.

Realised what social media freaks everyone is and they said such nice things that i wanted to collect them here and remember them for life! Thanks for coming and eating!!! LOVE.

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