A super chill Canberra Christmas

On Christmas Day the smoke haze that had kept our doors and windows shut for almost a week cleared, and we were able to go on a long morning walk and open up the house. It was so nice to be out and getting a sense of what everyone was up to.

It has definitely been an unusual summer, a very indoor one, because of the lingering smoke haze and the hot hot days. We normally spend this time of year riding our bikes, going for picnics and visiting the pool so we've had to rejig our plans and expectations. Most of all, we're super glad we moved apartments earlier this year. Even though we didn't plan to move, it's meant we've ended up in a really comfortable place with air con, which has been so important with the current smoke situation.

Anyway, onto more festive things like Christmas food, summer books, movies and a few favourite gifts. We've totally upped our tea and coffee game these holidays. Angie chose this beautiful Marimekko tea pot for us (I knew I wanted a new one but had no idea where to look - she nailed it!), and we unwrapped some herbal tea leaves and coffee from friends. I gave Tony a V60 pour over coffee kit and grinder for Christmas, so every morning we've been reading in bed with freshly made brews.

It's been a very Alison Roman Christmas. I made her seafood linguini for Christmas Eve (lining up to buy prawns and vongole at 6am, which was surprisingly festive), and our friend Sarah gave us a bag of her famous choc chip cookies, which we munched on for lunch desserts and while watching Netflix :) I've also just made the cover recipe from her latest cookbook, a delicious slow cooked oregano and tomato roast chicken (the recipe is on the NY Times).

We've also eaten a bunch of Tyrrells potato chips and Ortiz anchovies (two new obsessions), and this delicious grain salad with pomegranate, goats cheese and sweet roasted veggies. For the first time ever, I've had opinions about drink pairings. We drank Wildflower's golden ale with our grain salad for Christmas lunch. I'm still into sour beers and this one isn't too sweet. I also bought a Good Intentions orange wine to go with our seafood pasta after trying a delicious one in Melbourne. And we finally cut into the Panettone on Christmas morning - we shelled out a little more for this one and have no regrets. I used a Nigella recipe to make very custardy French toast one morning and might squeeze in one more batch before Panettone is done for another year.

My favourite Sunday morning ritual is to read in bed with a cup of tea until I get hungry - which has so far been every day of the holidays. I'm two-thirds of the way through Haruki Murakami's Killing Commendatore, which I'm really enjoying. It has the usual amount of mystery and spiritual activity for a Murakami novel but is less scary/intense than others I've read. I'm also reading The Best American Food Writing 2019, edited by Samin Nosrat, worth it for this essay alone.

We watched Marriage Story, which I didn't love as much as I thought I would. Noah Baumbach movies have been especially long lately. I really liked The Two Popes, maybe for the same reason that I enjoy watching The Crown, it's part historical and explained how the papacy works (I had no idea the pope is voted in!). And after missing it at the cinema, we rented Animals, which was fun and also surprising. On our list for the new year, Little Women and Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

I took this photo after we woke up this morning because it was so smokey out that it looked like fog. It's cleared up now so we'll head out for our daily adventure. Still to do these holidays - bake some sourdough (my first from a newly made starter!), make a batch of sourdough crumpets, visit the brewery for a burger, and go indoor plant shopping. Have a lovely NYE!

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Christmas wish list

It's only the first day of December but I'm planning to wrap a bunch of Christmas presents later today. We're celebrating in a bunch of different ways this year, starting with an early lunch in Sydney next weekend with my parents and brother. Presents this year are a little smaller but hopefully no less thoughtful - I've tried especially hard not to get carried away out of panic and sheer excitement. And while I'm making this list just for fun, I feel very lucky to have everything I need already and know this is not the case for everyone. With that in mind, I'm starting with something most of us can give - a donation to OzHarvest, because everyone deserves to eat fresh, nourishing and delicious food.



A small luxury would be a new release book for the lazy post-Christmas days. Top of my list is Olive, Again - especially because I'm 54th on the library reserve list! I so loved reading Olive Kitteridge and am looking forward to savouring the sequel. I'm also yet to read Haruki Murakmi's latest Killing Commendatore. Reading a new Murakami at Christmastime is a bit of a ritual for me.

An Aesop room spray that smells like a forest for when cooking scents linger... which happens about once a week whether it's sardines or steak (poor Tony). They use this one at my yoga studio and it's super relaxing.

The cutest hat for wearing to the markets and chucking into my bag for trips. It's a bit cuter than a baseball cap and more fun too. Plus it looks a little stretchy, which is helpful for my giant head! This PJ set looks lovely too.

English Breakfast and peppermint tea leaves because I'm hoping to wean myself of teabags in 2020 - for the environment but also for the slow ritual of brewing tea. I'm curious about the Australian brand Ovvio organics after seeing Julie Gibb's collection on Instagram. I'm also on the hunt for a beautiful, minimal tea pot - for one or two - but have no idea where to look.

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@alexandtrahanas setting the (table) standard high at the holiday market last saturday @paramountrecclub 💛

A post shared by The Locals Market (@thelocalsmarket) on Nov 28, 2019 at 12:07am PST

And finally something a little bit fancy - this octopus dish for serving snacks to friends, inspired by Alison Roman's colourful and fun kitchenware.

Hope you're travelling well as we head towards the end of the year!

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Christmas plans

Are you travelling for Christmas or working through the holidays? I finish up for the year on Thursday and things are already feeling festive. Right now I'm snacking on some Christmas cake that I made in November. I finally cut it open over the weekend to divvy up between friends as gifts. And tonight we'll be putting up our mini Christmas tree!

Our plans for Christmas are pretty simple - we'll be staying in town and waiting for the rest of my family to join us. My brother and his wife will be coming round for a Christmas Eve dinner, all the way from London. I ordered a ham for the holidays and am thinking of serving it glazed and warm with soft buttered rolls and beer, inspired by my friend Danie :)

Christmas Day will be a lunch at my sister's place and I'll be bringing a Christmas cake to share, and some homemade mince pies too. I'm also really looking forward to Christmas brekkie at home, which is usually coffee, mangoes and panettone with Tony before we exchange presents.

We've also just marked three years in Canberra with a handful of end of year rituals. We brought these spice cookies to May and Sam's an annual Christmukkah party, which was a bagel brunch. And we ate the most delicious meal at Sarah and Mark's place for our annual Christmas dinner, this time with their daughter Zoe as a first time guest.

They made Samin Nosrat's buttermilk chicken, Annabel Crabb's glass potatoes (they're a revelation), and I made my first ever pavlova roll with raspberries and cream. It was the last recipe I had to test for the year and it was a triumph!

Finally, let's talk Christmas books! I secretly love the days after Christmas, where everyone's back in their own homes and it's time for naps, summer fruit and books. I'm planning to treat myself to Sally Rooney's Normal People and Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales.

A just-for-fun Christmas list

I love gift giving, especially at Christmas. But for the first time in a very long time, I haven't gone overboard shopping for it, and don't plan too. My family will be in Canberra for Christmas this year - including my brother and his wife all the way from London. Because we haven't all spent the holiday together for years (at least three!), we're just excited to be in the same city and country.

But just for fun, here's my annual wish list of things big and small that'd be fun to open on Christmas Day. Starting with these snacking containers for summer picnics, or a stainless steel bento with built in dividers!

A pair of high-rise yoga leggings from Girlfriend Collective, which come in the best colours. A couple of girls at my yoga studio have them and really rate them. A tie-up shirt would be lovely for practice (and weekends) too.

What is a Christmas list without a cookbook? I have my eye on Alison Roman's Dining In. She's formerly of Bon Appetit magazine, and now writes for the NY Times. I'm also all about eating in! Annabel Crabb's latest looks good too. I love this description, "Hosting your friends is not about showing off; it is about delighting others."

Abbi Jacobson's book looks like the perfect summer read, Lily Allen's too. I would also like a copy of Ta-Nehisi Coate's book of essays that cover the Obama presidency. I borrowed a copy from the library earlier this year, and while it wasn't an easy read, I learnt a lot from it.

And something fancy - vineyard glamping, complete with a basket of pastries for breakfast the next morning. Just not while the snakes are out!

P.S - one of the best Christmas gifts I ever received was a box of mangoes from my uncle Mark. There must've been 20 mangoes in there, just for Tony and I, and they were right at their peak.

Presents in the post

Every second year we spend Christmas at home, and this is one of those years. It's so nice to chill out at the end of the year, and not have to worry about travel or accommodation. This year I'm trying something new - instead of putting a big box of presents in the post, I'm mainly giving vouchers. They're super easy to mail and can be really fun. (Spoiler alert: if you're family - it's time to bail!)

My Dad is a sweet tooth, just like me. He's getting a voucher for Black Star Pastry in Sydney. It's a crazy gold token, which he can use to try their new mango cake. It should cover coffee and cake at one of their cafes, plus a few takeaway goodies too!

I'll still be buying presents for my niece and nephew. My friend Kristy recommended this beautiful book for my niece (it has the loveliest message and I especially like how multicultural it is). She's also getting a packet of bright markers that are part chalk, part crayon and part watercolour! I have my eye on this Thomas the Tank Engine wagon for my nephew, who has just found his feet and loves Thomas.

And I am sending two small presents overseas, to my brother and sister-in-law who moved to London this year. I thought it was important that they had proper gifts for their first Christmas away. I flipped through Michelle Mackintosh's Care Packages book before deciding on a few light but comforting items. There are two thick pairs of woollen socks (from the Big Merino, no less!). There's also a block of my favourite dark chocolate for my brother, and some clippings from The Good Weekend for my sister-in-law, who loves to read and write.

That's Christmas gifting pretty much done :)

My Christmas wish list: 2017

At the moment, my notebook is filled with present ideas for friends and family. I love choosing gifts and am crossing a few names off my list each week. After a big year of travel, we'll be spending the holiday in Canberra - sleeping in, riding our bikes, and cooking up some delicious food. Here are six things I have my eye on, starting with some delicious coffee for my new machine.



Perfect for summer - a soft shoe that's part ballet flat, part sneaker. I like this silver pair too, to wear with summer dresses, and chuck in my bag for weekends away. For northern hemisphere friends - check out these fleece-lined booties!

I just found out that my favourite Canberra ice cream shop sells gift vouchers. A summer of free ice cream would be a dream come true!

I'm doing a lot more yoga these days, it makes me feel strong and relaxed. This is something that's practical but very necessary - a yoga top that ties up on one side. Also, these yoga tights are the best.

MUJI has the cutest mini lamps that double as essential oil diffusers - I spied one in Ebony's Nagano flat. I'd use peppermint oil with mine (when I'm not sprinkling it into the shower or bath). Fingers crossed MUJI comes to Canberra one day.

And it's not Christmas without a new cookbook :) Like the magazine and the podcast, Cherry Bombe: The Cookbook celebrates women in food. I hear it's dedicated to the likes of Alice Waters, Ruth Reichl and Martha Stewart - women who continue to lead the way.

Summer 2016

I had a glorious three weeks off over summer. I watched The Crown, tried a whole bunch of new recipes and hung out with friends at the beach. Here's a little look, starting way back on Christmas Eve...

Before we left for Sydney our neighbour Pia dropped by with a small gift and a bauble for our tree - she was giving one to every apartment in the building. Earlier in the month someone wrote Joyeux Noel!! on the whiteboard and by the end of December it was covered in festive messages in lots of different languages. Tony and I mainly contributed pictures :)

Tony's family had a dinner on Christmas Eve, so I spent the morning baking a few sourdough loaves before we drove to Sydney. We grazed on my mother-in-law's annual gravlax and played cars with our nephew before it was time to open presents and eat. It was a humid night and my sister-in-law served up the yummiest cheesecake for dessert, with a thin layer of whipped cream spread on top.

My extended family packed into my aunt's house on Christmas Day for lunch - all 23 of us. I spent most of the time with my three-year-old niece. I gave her a jewellery box with Emma Wiggle inside and she loved winding it up and watching her spin. My uncle made the best lasagne because his son mainly likes to eat cheese :) We had turkey, ham and prawns too before digging into the panettone I'd made.

We made it to the beach twice during our four day stay in Sydney :) We had a quick dip at Balmoral Beach on Christmas Day and a breakfast picnic with Tony's family. Even though it was packed, I saw a family offer up their shady bench to an older couple who were looking for a spot.

On Boxing Day we went to visit our friends who live in Coogee. We shared our Christmas spoils for breakfast and ate mangoes with yoghurt and golden syrup (which is a revelation), homemade cookies and special nut chocolates before walking down to the beach for a swim.

After braving the holiday traffic, we made it home and finally slowed down. We ate meals on the balcony, rode our bikes into town and read new books we picked up in Sydney. I even managed to make a zine for friends and family that's filled with my favourite recipes from 2016, which felt great.

I'm going to miss the sleep ins, the movie-watching and the decadent desserts but in a couple of weeks we're heading to the coast for a beach holiday. We booked too late to stay after Christmas but now it seems like very clever planning :)

Plus I've figured out one little way to hang onto the spirit of the holidays - I've made a list of new things I'd like to try like a Manhattan, boogie boarding and a recipe cinnamon scrolls. I'll keep it close as the year kicks into gear.

2016 Christmas Wish List

Are you ever get tempted to buy yourself a little present while you're out Christmas shopping? The thought occurred to me today :) I've seen so many nice things lately - big and small - here are a few of them just in case you're still shopping for a friend or sister. First up, a cheery face bag ($12) to help reduce our plastic bag use and encourage trips to the library.

I've been curious about beeswax wraps all year. This starter-pack ($35) is practical and cute and could be used for storing cheeses, packed lunches and snacks.

Last summer I accidentally bought sunscreen that made me smell like a swamp. This one ($40) is SPF 50 and smells great, which means I wouldn't hesitate to reapply.

It's ben an incredible year for cookbook releases, I've reserved Grown and Gathered ($45) at the library but would happily give it a permanent place on my bookshelf. Dorie's Cookies too.

Our local pool has recently re-opened for summer and funny light-weight towel ($39.95) would fit easily in my bicycle basket. A pool or yoga pass would make a great gift too.

I have a thing for grey handbags and this crossbody bag ($149.95) fits just the essentials.

And finally I've always admired Milly Dent's creations and think this marbled cup ($44) will be an end of year treat :)

A gift giving challenge

I love shopping for presents and can easily go overboard at Christmas time but this year I've set myself a few simple rules. Here's what I have in mind:

Making use of my local book shop

I try to support my local bookstore instead of buying books online. I feel like it's good for local business and hopefully better for the environment too. And if they don't have the titles I'm after, they're always happy to order them in. Bonus: my local bookstore has a loyalty program :)

One or two people at a time

Instead of trying to tick people off my list when I'm out shopping (and getting sucked into special sales), I'm focussing on one or two people every week. Often it's a family member and a friend. It's really nice to mull over ideas during the week and seeing what comes up.

Staying local

And I would love to limit my shopping to places I can walk or ride to, either from home or my office. There are so many great independent shops in Canberra (lots of gallery gift shops too!) and I figure it'll be a fun way to shop, and environmentally friendly too.

Two small ideas - in the past I've given family presents like a zoo pass or an oversized beach towel. My friend Angie will often pick a theme for the little people in her life, one year all of the kids received a pair of PJs featuring a print of something they love. Last Christmas my friend Sophie gave Tony and I lunchboxes and we used them that day. Can you guess which one is mine?