It is Christmas Night here. We have had three family things on and picked up oldest daughter from the international airport (she is no longer starving in Paris whilst on exclusive girls school French tour; a whole other story) and I now find myself sitting serenely on the veranda with a glass of the Pepperilly, iPad and dog.

Rob is heroically putting overtired six year old to bed and the big kids have put on Chevy Chase’s Christmas Vacation. We’re loving him as Pierce in Community.

The Sensible Friends have been busy feeding and wining families during what was apparently the hottest Christmas Day in the world here in Perth – it cant possibly be true but it was in the paper so it must be – and this salad Sara threw together today was just crying out to be shared, after I begged her to send me something.

Here’s a recipe I made up today by just throwing a few handfuls of what I had in the fridge together – it was all based around trying to find something to go with the 2 beautiful pomegranates I bought at the markets.

Sara’s Quinoa & Pomegranate Salad

2 cups of tricolour quinoa
A couples of handfuls of chopped fresh mint, parsley and coriander
1 cup toasted pine nuts or flaked almonds
1 cup pistachios
1 cup of chopped dates
Seeds and juice from one or two pomegranates
Salt & Pepper
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbs olive oil

Boil quinoa as per packet instructions. Cool and mix in nuts, dates and fresh herbs – mix through beautiful pomegranate seeds. Season with salt and pepper and mix through lime juice and olive oil.
I also put a little bit of cumin in with it just to add some spice

Here’s how Christmas looked here at 8am.