Christmas La Vida Lanka!

I was half-dreading this season.  Half-dreading because it will be our first Christmas away from home, and you know Christmas is like no other in the Philippines.  Only half because the main reason why we didn’t go home this year is because of the birth of our child.  That gave us all the joy (and even stress) the Christmas cheer celebrating it at home can – and more.  In any case, Christmas just the three of us is sweet as it is, but was made sweeter by the presence of my mom.  So how did we celebrate it La Vida Lanka?

our cheese and fruit platter (don't mind my legs in the background! haha!)

Hubby, Luna and I had our first ever Noche Buena with a collection of different kinds of cold cuts (stuffed pork, regular pork ham and beef), 3 kinds of cheeses (Brie, my favorite Blue and Cranberry), “shoshall” (posh) fruit medley of grapes, 2 kinds of peaches, cherries and nectarine coupled with nuts and toasted bread.  All lovingly thought up and prepared by hubby!  We had coffee and skipped the wine but will probably have one in New Year, hehehe!  My mom was too tired to wait for the strike of midnight so it was just hubby, myself and Luna (albeit asleep). 

salmon and beetroot risotto for me

tandoori chicken for nanalou

veal pasta for hubby

In the morning, we had a reprise of the Noche Buena feast for breakfast this time with my mom.  We then went for the noontime mass at St. Theresa’s Thimbirigasyaya and went to Tintagel for our Christmas Day lunch.  We chose Tintagel because it was private and not crowded.  Aside from the awesome food of course.

exchange gift!

We got home to rest for a nap, Skyped with family in the Philippines and had our exchange gift just before dinner.  Dinner was uneventful – just finished up the Callos my mom cooked for hubby’s birthday earlier in the week.  And went on the night as usual – chores and what nots.

ang pamilya zaragoza

As I was looking over Colombo from our balcony, feeling the cool breeze of December touching my skin, knowing that my own family is safe, complete and happy with the special addition of my mother to lighten up any day (and make it noisier!), Christmas away from home is not at all bad.  Actually, in as much as it lacked the usual mega family and friends reunion and wonderful Filipino food, it was also sans the stress of parties and traffic Manila Christmas brings.  This year away from home was a simple, lovely Christmas La Vida Lanka!