Rachel Rowley, husband Chris and her brother-in-law Andrew run Ballintaggart Farm in Perthshire.
The advent countdown is almost complete and the excitement is certainly palpable. As parents, we are somewhere between exhausted and excited! We are so looking forward to the festive break, to sharing the magic with our little ones and with our wider family and friends, to feasts and treats and winter walks.
Festivities
We have loved sharing the festivities with guests here at the farm and the menus have been even more indulgent than ever with our interpretation of a festive menu without a turkey in sight.
At home, we’ve counted down with traditional calendars and a “reverse” advent calendar where our girls, Eva and Anna, have chosen one food item each day to donate to a local food bank in time for Christmas. It’s been a great success and a good way to explain that not everyone is as lucky as us to have tables laden with food and indulgence at Christmas time.
Time to reflect
At the end of the year, it’s also time to reflect on that past and to say thank you with cards and gifts to teachers, our guests and employees. We’ve baked simple sticky ginger cake, iced ginger biscuits and stirred puddings with wishes!
We’ve been spoiled by sparkling hard frosts, flurries of snow, low waxy sunlight and big blue skies by day and at night high, clear moons and twinkling stars. Inside it’s all about candlelight, crackling fires and staying cosy. Wishing you a happy and delicious Christmas!
Music to cook to
Folk/indie rock bandShe and Him, A Very She and Him Christmas – a calm yet jolly album which makes a lovely backdrop to the preparations and celebrations.
@ballintaggartfarm (Instagram)
