Christmas Breakfast

For the last thirty odd years we have never had christmas dinner on christmas day.
      This started because we were expected to visit Graham's parents, and laterly his mother, where we would be regaled with plates of shop-bought 'treats' (mince pies, pigs in blankets, sausage rolls, biscuits, buns, pork pie etc) nothing home made or cooked hot food. If you were unlucky, the mince pies would be microwaved so that the inner temperature would melt plastic and burn flesh on contact, and was served with squirty cream.
     We were given a time of arrival, and we had to be there on the dot. Five minutes late and we would be told how long grandma had been waiting for us to arrive, five minutes early and 'nothing' was ready. To the extent that one day when she went into hysterics about us being early, that I simply left. We were not treated to that performance again, thank goodness.
    However this meant that Graham decided that if we couldn't have a proper christmas dinner, then he would ensure that we have a magnificent christmas breakfast.
     This started in a small way. As I have mentioned before, I am from Lincolnshire, home of the famous Lincolnshire sausages, so we always made sure that when we visited my home county, we would visit our favourite butcher (Jackson's of Louth) and buy several pounds of their sausages, which we could put in the freezer. So that come christmas, there would always be Lincolnshire sausages, a taste of home and a link back to my parents and the christmases of my childhood.
     However the simple christmas breakfast of sausages with an egg and toast has expanded a bit over the years so that now, as my Uncle Bill (Bullivant) used to say 'the table groans' with the weight and array of bowls and dishes. Graham makes a breakfast that would feed a football team if they were all peckish and brought doggy bags to take home with them.
     This year there will be eggs, toast, Lincolnshire Sausages!, baked beans, tomatoes, potatoes sliced and fried, black pudding, bacon and mushrooms - oh and this year's newest addition parsnips! Graham likes parsnips. This is not a breakfast for the faint hearted or those on a diet! This is a breakfast proud of its bacon grease and butter!
     All these foods will be arranged in dishes on the table, and everyone will serve themselves, so that your breakfast can be exactly what you want it to be. There will be four of us this year, Mike and our grandson Eden will be with us for breakfast (and afterwards presents will be opened).
     This is a breakfast which will sustain all those who partake for the WHOLE of christmas day. There will be no need for a turkey and its trimmings, just the odd top up of a liqueur chocolate or a Ferrero Roche will suffice.
     Excuse me I think I need a bit of a lie down after that.