Christmas breakfast at "Chez Maximka"

If you were to pop in at our house on a Christmas morning, you'd find me in the kitchen, making pancakes and blini. To make them more festive, I add a pinch of cinnamon and a bit of orange zest to the batter. And of course, my guys add lots of squirty cream to their pancakes and chopped bananas.
We have lovely patchwork placemats with Christmas motives, the souvenirs of our three years in the States, and they are taken out of the cupboard for this special occasion.

My little man Eddie prefers blini to pancakes. Though they taste excatly the same as the bigger pancakes, they look much more cute and appealing for small hands.

Personally I choose not to squirt any cream on my blini, but add a dollop of the soured cream and a bit of sugar. Or drizzle with honey.

Another  treat we enjoy for Christmas breakfast is a lovely cup of hot chocolate, made from proper chocolate (none of that sweet sugary nonsense that comes as a powdered hot chocolate drink). And yes, it has to be served with cream (and marshmallows too).
We put on the CD with jolly songs like "I'm the happiest Christmas tree" and "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer".

After a brekkie, I ask my husband to take the guys out for a long walk or just play in the garden, so that I can concentrate on the serious business of cooking a Christmas lunch.