Christmas at Grandma’s: The Entrée

A sponsored post for Woolworths 

Christmas, to me, is about traditions. It’s about reliving old ones, making new ones and most of all, spending time with my beautiful family. There is something so comforting about doing the same thing year in, year out, that no matter what has happened thoroughout the year, we still have Christmas, and with it all it’s traditions. I’m so excited that Woolworths have asked me to share some of my Christmas stories with you, along with some of their recipes that you can use this Christmas.

One of my favourite Christmas stories that Mum has told me through the years was the one in 1976, when they were broke. Just before they got pregnant (again – with me) good one Mum and Dad! Dad had been working hard and with two small kids aged 4 and 2 they had no extra money for Christmas. My Grandparents were coming to visit their tiny apartment from the country and my 24 year old Mum was in a state about what she was going to do. Christmas Eve came around and Dad was given $300 as a Christmas bonus. Mum was BESIDE herself – Christmas could happen! She hot footed it to Woolworths at Castle Hill where she spent some of the money on food for Christmas Day – nuts and dried fruits, a ham and with some leftover money for her in-laws’ present, there she spotted at the back of the store…a banana lounge! You know the woven plastic ones? She was SO proud to be able to give it to them as their present. I love seeing her tell the story and relive the excitement of being able to shop…with money!

Christmas for my Mum is a bit different these days. She is THE most generous hostess and wonderful cook and has taught me absolutely everything I know about entertaining. Grandma’s house is filled with her beautiful collection of blue and white china and objects and Christmas brings together her love of entertaining in a beautiful setting.

Christmas entrée for both my Mum and I is about prawns – they feature just about every year. The colour and the treat that seafood is makes it the perfect special entree for Christmas lunch.  The Woolworths Christmas website has loads of different recipes to provide you with food inspiration during the Christmas season including this amazing prawn & mango salad. It’s dead easy, takes no time to prepare and tastes delicious.

How delicious does that look? It’s an ode to the abundance of 1976 – served with lashings of love!

Grab the recipe here and for more great entertaining ideas head over to Woolworths.

Merry Christmas!

Comments

  1. Gorgeous photography, Beth!

  2. Food looks gorgeous, where did that fantastic plate come from though? The moons circles planets one, gorgeous!

  3. I have to say I’m not really digging Woolworths at the moment. I have two Woolies stores near me, one of them has a florist next door, over the last year the flower section at this Woolworths has gotten bigger and bigger. Lo and behold the florist has closed down. The other Woolies has a sushi shop opposite and now this Woolies sells sushi. Leave the little guys alone! I won’t be shopping there anymore

    • I’ve got to agree. I shop there when I have to, but they seem to kill the diversity somewhat. I’m not sure I like them infiltrating the blogosphere either. Is there anywhere they aren’t?

      I do like a prawn though … From a fishmonger though. I feel bad for the little guys.

      Mrs p23

    • I agree , sorry Woolworths should be selling more Aussie seafood and less imported muck they call seafood.

      all the very best to you for Christmas BUT i am all for the small local business’s they are the backbone of our communites.
      thanks for listening

  4. I LOVE the plastic banana sunloungers!! I have two!

    Beth – you make everything look gorgeous! I’m sure you and your mum had a blast. And I’m really keen for prawns now 🙂

  5. You do sponsored posts with class Beth. Bravo! Claire

  6. Have just printed off the prawn salad recipe – you made it look too good to resist!
    The link to Design Life Shop is an added bonus. What gorgeous stuff.

  7. It is now lunch and I am salivating…..mango, prawn, baby spinach mmmmmmmmm.

    Thanks so much for sharing this blog beth. I can see us definitely having this on Christmas Day. I hope mine looks as good as we are spending this year camping, can’t wait.

    Enjoy your day!!

    • I reckon you could make this look good even when camping – have fun!

    • Beth I printed the recipe and I have to say Woolworths needs to buy your photo’s and use them to advertise the recipe because I have given the recipe to two friends with the woolworths picture but had to show them yours because it looks a millions times more delicious!

  8. I love rob Ryan. Those plates are cool!

  9. What is it about prawns and mangos? Bloody delish! Have forward this post on to Mum for planning purposes. Thanks Betty!

  10. 1. I luff prawn and Mago salad.

    2. Your table setting is very attractive.

    3. If anyone in a Position of Power from Woolworths Paddington in Brisbane is reading this, can I just say that while your staff are lovely, the place is looking tired and unloved and a bit down trodden and is in a desperate need of a revamp? Why are there empty shelves? Why is stock so limited? It’s not London during the Blitz.

    4. That is all.

  11. Can I come to your family for Christmas? I love my family but you do Christmas in style which I like! I might get my act together even if it will be only 7 of us and my boys won’t care , but it can be for me!

  12. I just wanted to let you know that I I downloaded the Beverley App 2 days ago and I just love it! Everything is so beautiful but so simple! I am one of the most uncrafty and uncreative people in the Southern Hemisphere and I have already made the Rosemary Christmas Wreath, Watermelon Christmas Trees and commandeered a whole lot of old jars in preparation for a table setting for NYE. Am also considering the Prosecco cocktails as a welcome drink….my friends are going to think they have arrived at the wrong house! Can’t wait for the next issue! Kelly

  13. I have a long list of families that I would like to spend the holidays with…and now yours is on the list!
    That table is gorgeous and I am sure the food would be divine!

    And I love your sponsored posts…they fit in so well with your normal posts…well done.

    One more thing…can Woolies please see about importing edamame? And black beans?
    I don’t understand why it is so hard to track down these two things in Australia!

  14. Always a prawn and mango salad here, Bev. Always!

  15. STOP having the most amazing dinner settings EVER. I don’t think i’ve ever seen crockery i love as much as that navy and floral setting. Are you willing to reveal your sources, beverly?

    xo em

  16. Sigh, sigh, sigh … beautiful photographs Beth – you do Tim proud! Your Mum sounds like such a diamond – sigh again. My baby boy started working on the deli at our local Woolworths a couple of months ago and received a request to do pre-Christmas shifts today during school holidays. Will it be busy? he asked me – uhm – shit yeah. He is doing a Christmas Eve shift, so will get him to pick up prawns and mango for us! Thanks for the share and loveliness.
    Carmel
    x

  17. I stopped shopping at Woolworths after reading about them being behind most of the pokies in Australia.

  18. Ohhhhh drool. So much pretty here Beth, I am having sensory overload. Gorgeous photos. I love that story about your Mum, it’s incredible just how tough they did it in their day. My Mama also has some doozies about the times she had to make those dollars stretch… kinda makes me realise how lucky I am to be mothering in this era and not in hers.
    xo

  19. This is a wonderful post Beth – way a lovely time spent with your mum! I can see you getting an interior design/cookbook deal soon – your pics are beautiful.

  20. Fav combo is prawns & mango! Good one! Some trivia for you & Mum….guess what? Woolies at Castle Hill not there anymore …since early 1980s. Weird thing is there is NO Woolworth in Castle Hill at all. Bit odd seeing their Australian Headquarters are down the road at Bella Vista. Love a bit of trivia! Denyse

  21. All that blue and white and then that salad, well, what can I say. See you for Christmas. It’ll be a bit of a drive, but worth it.

  22. Ohh an Aussie Christmas, I cannot wait for next year, we should make it back. It was the prawns that did it… I can taste them!

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