In celebration of the festive season, we thought to highlight the special ways we choose to spend this time of the year. Whether you're planning a small gathering with loved ones or a dinner party with friends, having a holiday or taking some time to relax. We have curated our go-to guide on how were spending holiday season. From what we're eating and drinking to what we're listening to, watching and how we are celebrating. 

 A Festive Feast

Chels' Christmas Day Breakfast - Salmon bagels & Prosecco.

A 9:30AM tradition to pop the Prosecco, toast the bagels and get out the smoked salmon. Resulting in the yummiest Festive Breakfast treat.     

For the Bagels:

Ang's Festive Grazing Platter.      

 Pre-lunch nibbles are a must at every party and Ang is the queen of platters. SO here we have listed the best foods for a platter that will please everybody.

-Mixed salted nuts

-Cured meats such as prosciutto and pancetta  

-Smoked Salmon

-Jarlsberg cheese (her dads favourite)

-Sourcrout & Pickles

-Cut up veg such as carrot, cucumber at cherry tomatoes

-Cherries

-Hummus

-Organic rice crackers 

-Dairy free chocolate for a sweet treat, yum.

                                                                                          

 

Jess's Cinnamon scroll Snowflake.

She loves to bake and is always scrolling Instagram for new recipes to try so this Christmas, Jess is making her loved ones this cinnamon scroll recipe that she found via @sarahtreed.

You’ll need:
Two boxes of puff pastry (each box should have two puff pastry sheets inside).
1/4 cup of softened butter
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cinnamon
1 beaten egg for egg wash

Cream cheese frosting:
4 oz room temp cream cheese
3 tablespoons softened butter
3/4 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Cut each puff pastry sheet into a circle, 10 inches in diameter. Mix up the brown sugar and cinnamon. Lay your first pastry circle on a lined baking sheet, spread 1/3 of the softened butter over it evenly and then spread 1/3 of your cinnamon sugar mixture over that. Repeat with the second and third dough circles. You’ll lay the fourth circle on top and leave it. Now cut 16 pieces, so start by quartering it, halving your quarters and then halving those until you have 16 even pieces. Now take two of the strips and twist them away from each other two times and then pinch the ends together. Repeat this around your entire snowflake. Reshape as needed and brush with egg wash. Bake in the oven 20 mins on 200 degrees fan forced, until golden brown . While it’s baking, cream your butter and cream cheese with either a hand or stand mixer and then add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix on medium high until well combined. Once you take your snowflake from the oven, allow it to cool for a few minutes, brush on your frosting and then dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm and enjoy!

Signature Drinks

Penny's Hot Tamale Fireball Cocktail

It goes without saying that Fireball is Penny's favourite spirit, so its not surprises here that this is her favourite Festive cocktail. Fireball lovers rejoice! 

Orange wedge and cinnamon for the rim

2 ounces fireball

1/4 ounce Grenadine

4 ounces Ginger Ale

Ice

Cinnamon stick for garnish

Put Ice into cocktail shaker with grenadine and fireball, shake and pour into glasses.

Top up with Ginger Ale and garnish with a Cinnamon stick and an orange wedge & enjoy.

 

 

Steph's Unico Cello Spritz!

As it is Summer in Australia for the festive season, there's nothing better than cooling off with a delicious spritz and there's something about the taste that just feels like Christmas - all though we tend to enjoy this drink all year round. Here's how Steph makes her Spritz. 

Ingredients for the best spritz at the party-

45ml Unico Cello (by Applewood distillery)

15ml Australian Gin

90ml Sparkling Wine

Soda

 

 

Serve in a wine glass with lots of ice, top with soda and garnish. I prefer a sprig of mint (or rosemary) and love to add a slice of Grapefruit too!

 

Movies

From the 1st of December we all start to feel the joy of Christmas, so why not get  into the spirit with some classic festive movies! We asked Ang to let give us an insight on her favourites.

Love Actually - The first Christmas movie I watch every year! The OG feel good Christmas classic to get into the Festive Spirit.

The Grinch- I prefer the 2018 version, which is an animated version of the Christmas classic, Narrated by Pharell Williams, Bendict Cumberbatch as the Grinch and music by Tyler the Creator. It's a good time and an easy watch.

About A Boy- Not conventionally a Christmas movie, but while we are on the Hugh Grant train another great cast movie (Toni Collette, Rachel Wisz, a young Nicholas Hoult). The film has a brilliant script, some trauma, a lot of terrible knitwear and a life-affirming moral about loving other people.

Music

A gentle reminder to go easy on yourself this holiday season. It's a season of love! Share it. Spread it. Live it.

Love A.M xx