_{Childhood memories of Christmas Day….hot and humid; loads of gifts under the tree; sharing food plates, open house.}

 _{There’s always one person who works their butt off on Christmas Day, maybe even from Christmas eve morning, prepping, baking, steaming, roasting, mixing, icing, decorating, wrapping, cleaning. What I loved about my mum’s open houses’ was that everyone chipped in and brought a plate. There’s so much more joy when people can come together, share the load and their favourite dishes. We would provide the protein & designate who would do starters/entrees, salads, cheese plates, desserts and after dinner snacks….cause you need more after all that right?}

 _{This year I’ve been planning Christmas dinner since November – something that I rarely if ever do! I think it’s because we are in our new home up in QLD and like my mum and dad did every Christmas, we have an open house for friends who are without family.}

 _{My mum and dad had a sweet tooth and I remember the amazing crunchy pavlova, fruit mince tarts & shortbread. We never had trifle, probably because mum disliked it.}

_{I like to follow recipes that aren’t full of refined sugar, processed grains, dairy, preservatives, artificial colours, additives or flavours. These things are nasty for the gut & brain health! I’ve been making healthy alternative sweet treats since my boys were in primary.}

 _{I put trifle on our menu last Christmas and Oh My Goodness! We are having it again and I’ve already made the gluten-free cake for this decadent dessert. I won’t or can’t take credit for the recipe, but I will share it with you here. It’s from my new client’s Life Changing Food – Quirky Cooking – by Jo Whitton.}

I’d love to know what you are planning for your Christmas dinner. Just reply to this email. Will you try Jo’s trifle?