Friday Five: Festive Salads

Brussels sprouts salad with crispy bacon

In the lead-up to Christmas, I have been trying out some festive food to make for 'the big day'. In the heat of Australia (with temperatures of thirty degrees for the Christmas week), this means salads, or other light meals, and festive means red and green. So this is what I have been cooking:

5 Festive-looking dishes from our kitchen:

1. Brussels sprouts salad with crispy bacon
2. Sticky barbecued prawn salad (with banana prawns, green chilies, avocados, fresh basil and cherry tomatoes)
3. Couscous, chorizo and courgette salad
4. Roast rack of lamb with mint, bean and feta salad
5. Spinach and tomato bake

Spinach and tomato bake

Advent Beer Calendar

Our Christmas present to each other this year is an advent beer calendar. I bought twelve bottles and Him Outdoors bought another twelve. We wrapped them up in tissue paper and ribbon, numbered them with place cards left over from our wedding (I told you they would come in handy!) and popped them into our champagne riddling rack. We now have twenty-four days of festive drinking. Cheers!