Christmas Day this year dawned bright and sunny (no crazy hail storms here!), and I eased myself into the festive spirit with a bowl of coconut chocolate oatmeal for breakfast over an episode of The West Wing. Perfection!
I then made my way over to my parents’ house to join in with the lunch preparations. I mixed dressings, chopped veggies, muddled limes, and checked on the dessert and (new) Christmas-inspired raw vegan truffles I’d whipped up the night before.
Faster than you can sing “Dashing through the bush / In a rusty Holden ute / Kicking up the dust / Esky in the boot”, our Christmas guests arrived and Christmas was truly off and running. After many hugs and much indulging in nibblies of dips, chips, smoked salmon, and cheeses, we opened up our stockings.
Or, for we children (ages 12 to 27 inclusive), our pillowcases. Win (blurrily)!
Behold, our Christmas sides! From front to back: roasted potatoes, carrots, onion, and fennel with rosemary and garlic; beetroot, walnut, and goat’s feta salad; braised red wine cabbage; wild rice and zucchini stuffing; marinated mushroom salad; and sweet potato casserole. There was also turkey, ham, cranberry relish, gravy, and cayenne-spiced toffee pickles, except for that last one being a lie. What isn’t a lie, though, is that our entire spread was gluten-free and almost entirely dairy-free.
For the beetroot, walnut, and goat’s feta salad, roast three beetroots then chop and toss in half of a dressing made with lemon-infused olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Toast around half a cup of walnuts in a pan until fragrant, then break into smaller pieces. Layer lettuce, beetroot, walnuts, and the rest of the dressing in a bowl, and then top with crumbled goat’s feta.
The marinated mushroom salad (also created by yours truly) involved whisking together lemon-infused olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, wholegrain mustard, honey, salt and pepper, and then tossing this through 400g of button mushrooms. Let the mushrooms soak up all the delicious marinade/dressing for a couple of hours, and then toss with fresh peppery baby rocket.
My brother’s contribution was a sweet potato casserole. I’ve always wanted to try this crazypants American sweet potato concoction, but have never quite had the courage on account of the fact that IT’S DESSERT PEOPLE THERE ARE MARSHMALLOWS INVOLVED SERIOUSLY WHAT ON EARTH REALLY?
‘Course, I’m the person who ate 11 desserts in one night earlier this year, so I’m not sure why the casserole phased me so.
Anyway, E.TeacherLord roasted three large sweet potatoes, mashed them with soy milk, Nuttelex, pumpkin pie spice, and egg, then baked it in a hot oven with marshmallows added right at the end.
Girl, get your hair out of your face! Heavens, it’s like I don’t even know how to groom myself properly.
My first casserole bite caused an apoplectic mental fit as my mind tried to understand the attack of sugar. However, half an hour later I was using my fork to scoop the casserole straight from the bowl into my mouth (and being chastised by mum for doing so), so clearly something about the marshmallows appealed to my sugar-lined soul.
Hey look! It’s my brother’s Christmas plate! Wheee!
Hey look! It’s my uncle’s dessert plate! Wheee! This one couldn’t be mine, you see, because I refuse to let Christmas pudding anywhere near my person and instead went for the Raspberry Whip (recipe to come), custard, and berries.
So that was Christmas. And what have we done? Another year over…
Ooops, wrong train of thought. I’m off now to make another batch of my Christmas truffles for a party tonight, but rest assured I’ll be back soon with more Christmas shenanigans involving leaping and moustaches.
Question Time: Have you ever had a marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole? Does it gel with your soul?
{ 74 comments… read them below or add one }
I am not at all surprised that you loved the marshmallowy sweet potato casserole
Or that you used the word “apoplectic,” because you’re you and you’re awesome like that.
Aw! *beams* I actually had to go back and reread the post to find “apoplectic”, because I used it without even thinking about it. I now feel all chuffed with and proud of myself, and so happy to have a fellow language-lover in you
xo
No marshmallows in a casserole for me thank you. Also no Christmas pudding or (even worse) fruit cake!!
Your raspberry whip looks absolutely divine and I’ll patiently wait for the recipe.
Thank you for sharing your Christmas day with us.
Thank you for being interested in my sharing it!
And yep, bleeeerk to fruitcake and Christmas pudding! 
I am so sorry for saying this but you are using the same strategy that used car sales use. You don’t need to sell the video, it will sell itself. The word is out there, it will spread like bushfires do in your country.
Hmmm, the only frame of reference I have for used car salesmen is the father in Matilda, so consider me duly chastised!
Hannah I do believe we are kin. I cannot stand Christmas pudding BLERG!!!
Mmm not sure about the marshmallows on the sweet potatoes…. but I’d give it a go
*high five* As long as you think of the casserole as a dessert that accidentally ended up on your dinner plate, you just might like it too
mmmmm more truffles
i sooooooo want to try the sweet potato dish…….
happy Christmas!
Merry Christmas to you too!
Something about such a sugary side dish is just. so. american. Though, I’ve never had it, or been anywhere that it has been on offer. One year for Thanksgiving my sister made a sweet potato dish with a kind of gingernut biscuit crumble on top, which was pretty flipping good.
Oh, absolutely! There’s nothing comparable in Australian cuisine/culture, at least not that I’ve encountered! I think I’d like a gingernut biscuit crumble version even more than marshmallows
honestly christmas pudding isn’t that horrid – you need to try one without peel or orange and find that actually it is full of wonderful dried fruit and booze! Though after all those amazing side dishes I would not be surprised if you had no room for dessert – which is the brilliance of the marshmallow casserole – put a bit of veg in it and you can justify eating it with dinner so you make sure you get your fill of dessert before you are full! (Never had it myself but maybe one day if I feel brave)
This one doesn’t have peel – it’s made by Hannah’s grandma and is moist, rich and delicious. She just has no taste! But that’s ok because all the more for us!
Says the woman who frequently makes the recipes I make up and post here. If I have no taste, neither do you!
I find it so endearing that you honestly think I could one day enjoy Christmas pudding!
It’s not just the peel, it’s the booze too. I’ve spent too many years forcing myself to eat it by dousing it in custard and swallowing without chewing, and I’m quite happy to stop torturing myself in this way forevermore. I’m much happier eating crazysweet desserts like this casserole as dinner 
Thank goodness you don’t like Christmas pudding – otherwise you mightn’t make the raspberry whip and other delicious desserts for us wheat’n'dairy free people!
Teehee! See, this is the kind of reaction that fills me with happiness! Not like Mum’s comments, wherein she simply chastises me for my “lack of taste”
How impressive that your entire Christmas spread (apart from the disgusting Xmas pudding) was gluten and dairy-free. Also, seriously can’t believe you had moustaches too… what are you doing, stalking me and stealing my ideas now?!
The pudding was gluten free too … and it wasn’t disgusting!! It was scrumptious.
I’ve edited the post now, mum. Entirely gluten-free says it!
Yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing. Stalking you by playing with the space-time-continuum so that I could hide behind your Christmas tree in the future in order to mimic your moustache shenanigans in my present.
Yep. Oh, also? I just found the half block of cardamom chocolate that we tried last December at your place and which you so generously gave me the rest of! It’s safely resting in my belly now. Thank you dearie.
I rather prefer the grossly over-sweet version of this casserole that is topped with brown sugar pecan crumbles than the gooey marshmallow one. Apples to apples though, I know.
I do think your crumble version sounds more delicious, but I struggle to believe it could truly be more sweet than marshmallows?! Those things are pure sugar!
I’m with Alayna–brown sugar/pecan streusel topping all the way! The marshmallow topping has always been too one-dimensionally sweet for my tastes, but I think part of it is what’s tradition in your family.
Also, if y’all are this weirded out by marshmallows on casserole, what are you going to think about marshmallow salads?
For real, and maybe this is just a southern thing, but ambrosia and cranberry cream salad are listed under the ‘salad’ section of cookbooks, not dessert. Even though the main ingredients are marshmallows and fruit.
(btw, I just googled ‘marshmallow salad’ and there were over 3 million results. Who’s hungry?)
Oh gosh, I remember getting marshmallow salads and jello salads (as “savoury dishes”) in an American recipe email series I signed up for when I was about thirteen (pre-blog!). I remember I used to call the ingredients out to my mum and we’d laugh and laugh
Surely Ambrosia is actually dessert though?!
Nope, sorry, it’s served as part of the salad buffet.
I remember reading an essay once (can’t remember who) by this woman who accidentally offended her future grandma-in-law by not eating the grandma’s ambrosia. She skipped it, intending to come back for it for dessert but once it was dessert time the ambrosia had been put away as it was, you know, part of the salad course.
There’s a jello salad my mom used to make involving cottage cheese and lime jello. It looks and sounds disgusting, yet I am having hunger pangs now just thinking about it.
Hooooooly moly. Golly, differences in cultural tastes and traditions are fascinating! Almost makes me want to go back to a PhD
I’d perhaps try these dishes that you speak of if I would myself at a buffet in America serving them… but only a very small portion to start with 
Haha! Surprisingly, I have never partaken in a sweet potato casserole. That’s only because I’ve never seen it at any gatherings- I may just have to make one myself!
And here I was thinking all Americans were weaned on the stuff
Your family lunch looks beautiful and I am sure to plagiarise the salads very soon methinks! Despite a very newly-found love of sweet potato, no part of me could ever gel with that casserole – blaghhhhh! Mind you, I made amazing Christmas cakes this year and I swear I couldn’t even give tiny pieces away to anyone at all under the age of 50. They had no yucky peel and a tonne of Grand Marnier in them, but nobody under 50 (apart from me of course) would even try it, so what would I know?!
Oooh, definitely plagiarise the salads! They were scrumptious
Hmm, that’s interesting, as I have many, many friends in their 20s who adore Christmas pudding. To me, Grand Marnier is possibly even less stomach-able than straight peel, and I don’t do well with hard liquor, but I did spend years trying to like Christmas Pudding before I gave up! Don’t think ill of my whole generation, though 
Now I know that you only ate it for the threepences!
Grandma, I’m pretty sure you always knew that
So good to see the sweet potato casserole in action. I think I just have to make it – get it over with already. Your salads look and sound so good. The raspberry whip & truffles sound amazing!! can’t wait for recipes.
Heidi xo
It’s so terrible yet so moreish at the same time
To be honest, I was almost surprised by how not-scary the ingredients were. I mean, sure, a fair amount of sugar, bu in truth only a little butter and one egg when shared between so many people. Almost dietitian-friendly 
I’ll try to get the other recipes up soon! I’m pretty terrible with staying on track with posting though 
Love your Christmas-coloured dress, Hannah!
And, whilst reading this my Love Chunks is in the kitchen making zucchini fritters for brunch, so my stomach growled in envy and admiration at your brother and uncle’s plates – want them both!
Thank you, Kath! I re-found it two days before Christmas, having bought and worn it only once before in America at the beginning of 2010. A Christmas Miracle!
Now tell me – did the fritters live up to the expectations of our Christmas lunch-induce hunger-pangs?
I wish I could say that I loved sweet potato and marshmallow casserole but we didn’t. We had it a few years ago and after tasting it, no-one wanted it! Sad really!
I bet that’s just because the version you tried didn’t have my brother’s magic touch
I don’t like the fruit cake/christmas pudding etc either. Your raspberry whip looks fab though. I’ve never been brave enough to try the marshmallow sweet potato thing. I like desserts as much as the next person, but I really don’t get this conceptually. I would like to try it at one stage just to say I have, but wouldn’t ever make it myself I suspect.
Ah, clearly you just need to head back to Texas soon and ask for a plate of sweet potato casserole to replace one of the serves of pie you get offered
And thank heavens! Next time my mum had a go at me for not liking Christmas pudding, I’m going to say “Louise doesn’t either, so there!” 
As if that would convince me … Louise might like French champagne, but she doesn’t like coffee or olives either! Hi Louise!
In her favour, she hypothetically loves Vestri’s Pistachio chocolate and our Raspberry Whip!
I want to see a photo of the vegan treats that you made!
I think there’ll be a photo in the post after next, but probably no recipe until after that
So much to get through right now!!
I’ve neve been into the marshmallows in holiday dishes thing. Not with sweet potatoes, not in jello salad, not. But I would certainly try it, especially if served off of the WayChoc table (being a principal member of the booster club, etc., etc.).
Cute pillowcase stocking! Cute heels! Cute Christmas crackers – I’ve never gotten to open one before, so I picture them making a mondo explosion, although I know that can’t be true. Cute!
Jello salad is over the line for me. Marshmallow casserole is on the line, but jello salad honestly makes my gullet go gallumph. Wait, hang on, where’s my gullet? I think I may have just said something very inappropriate. Darn this finishing-science-in-year-ten thing!
My dear, rest assured that when you come visit as head honcho of the WayChoc booster club(at which point we’ll create the secret handshake), I’ll adorn the plate only with Aussie specialities. Pavlova beats marshmallow casserole any day
Teehee, thank you for noticing the heels! I got them in Chicago, en route to the American Girls shop
My mum told me this year that Americans don’t do crackers, and therefore not the silly hats. Whereas in Australia, it’s not Christmas if everyone isn’t wearing a silly paper crown/hat as if it were the most normal thing in the world!
To be honest, that casserole looks a little suspicious to me … (Marshmallows? Seriously???
But – why doesn’t it surprise me to find a marshmallow sweet potato casserole on your blog … ? 
) The rest looks mouthwatering, but I’m sure everything tasted good. 
Hey, hey! *raises arms in defense* The sweet potato casserole is completely American and not something I would ever have made of my own accord! Totally my brother’s doing! At the same time… yes, it totally fits in here on my blog
xo
Lalala
Absolutely charming Christmas recap. And really great to see more photos of you — now I have an even clearer vision of my faraway friend!
Thank you Gena! What a wonderful surprise to see your name appear here
And hurrah! Now you might just recognise me if/when I pop up in DC and New York next year 
A sweet potato casserole with marshmallows?! CRAZYPANTS indeed!
Those salads look wonderful; I LOVE mushrooms more than anything in the world (besides Sam Seabourne from The West Wing) so I’ll be giving this one a go
Bahahaha!! Oh, I have to tell you what I reaqlised while talking to a friend today. The first time I watched The West Wing, years and years and years ago, Sam was my least favourite (besides Mandy because, well, ugh). The second time I watched it, years ago, I liked him a bit more. Re-watching the series for the third time now, I like him much much more… and my friends today helped me realise that this is entirely due to Rob Lowe’s character on Parks and Recreation. I’m such a floozy!
(Danny, Josh, Toby, Jed, and Leo still win my heart most, though.)
Hello Hannah,
Those pictures are great, love the food (almost as much as I love chocolate but not quite – as if chocolate was not a food, ha, but you know what I mean), but a sweet potato casserole….with marshmallows?!? Wow! Sounds almost as weird as pineapple fried rice (not a big fan). I would give it a try, though, as long as I don’t have to cook it.
You have a lovely blog, I’ll come back for a visit every now and then.
Happy Holidays!
Hi Delia, thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment! Ah, chocolate is pretty much a food group in itself, right?
Hmm, pineapple fried rice. Maybe if there was lots of chilli and ginger to counter the sweetness? Happy Holidays to you too!
Oh my, you should come to Thailand, I bet you’d love the food!
Is there an antidote to chocolate? Just wondering…
I know I would! Som tum is one of my favourite things in the world
And if there is an antidote, I don’t want to know what it is 
Hey, mine too! It’s about the only spicy Thai dish I could eat anytime. And if it’s got sticky rice to go with it, even better!
We share a love of chocolate and som tum, I’d say that’s a great start to a cyber-friendship.
A perfect start
omg i was always fascinated by the thought of sweet potato with marshmallows on top! i do love the look of your salads though – beetroot and marinated mushrooms! yum! looks like you had a fantastic Christmas. Happy New Year and here’s to even more delicious and peanut buttery adventures ahead!
Happy New Year Helen!
Amen to more and more and more peanut buttery adventures, and to us keeping up our at-least-once-yearly-shenanigans-together 
I love your Christmas dress. I’m not sure about the sweet potato casserole with the marshmallows but I guess you just have to try it to become a believer. And I love the look of your marinated mushroom salad and the bowl you used to serve the beetroot salad. Happy New Year!
Thank you! To be honest, I can’t imagine making the sweet potato casserole on any kind of regular basis, but it was a novelty
Aw, I’ll have to tell Mum about your comment about the beetroot bowl! She loves it; it was a gift from my late grandmother 
Lovely to read / see the Wayfaring Chocolate Christmas celebrations in full photographic glory
I like the look of that spread of food, and can’t wait for your Raspberry Whip recipe. Regarding sweet potato pudding, my Mum has a recipe that I adore, and which managed to straddle main meal and dessert quite well. It was sweet, and had sultanas, but no marshmallows. I’m now craving it, straight from the bowl…can’t imagine why :p
Aw, thank you Kari! I’ll try to avoid getting distracted by other shiny blog things, and instead get the raspberry dessert up soon
Oh, I was so on board with your description of your mum’s recipe until you said sultanas! 
But perhaps, if you blogged the recipe, I could try it out with something like sour cherries…. 
I’d forgotten your dislike of sultanas…I shall find the recipe, and you can have fun de-sultana-ing it in due course
Can’t say I have tried the marshmallow sweet potato thing.. I think I would probably love it, as long as they were vegan marshmallows (I still get the shudders remembering my Mum’s harrowing stories of horse hooves or something…. think she was trying to scare me off sweets)
Yes, the horse hooves things freaks me out a little, and when I used plain gelatine a few weeks ago the smell made me feel quite nauseous! Alas, I’ve never seen vegan marshmallows here
I’d suggest trying one of the versions with pecans or gingernut crumble that other commenters above have mentioned 
Great table! I am starving looking at this. The salad and veggies especially. I’d be up for a try of the casserole, I do love sweet potato. And I confess I LOVE my Nana’s steamed xmas pudding with custard, doesn’t seem like the real thing without it. Looking forward to lots more photos and recipes and craziness in 2012!
I’ve always loved and worshipped my Grandma’s custard; no other recipe comes close in my estimations! It’s a thick, rich (and dairy-free) custard that you scoop out, not a pouring custard. Oh, gosh, I’m hungry again now…
And thank you, Catherine! There’ll always be more craziness
Girl, I love your posts! I laugh and get all vibed up every single time I read your goodness
Happy new year!!
PS Bring me some of those veggie sides…mmmmm
Aw, Casey, thank you! It’s such an honour to think I bring birghtness in any way to your life
Happy New Year!
P.S. You know I would if I could
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