planning spring.

The day we got back from our sunny vacation, I sat down and ordered our seeds for this year. Even though it's only something I've been doing for 2 seasons now, I love the thought of warmth and growth when we're nearing the end of a long, cold, dark winter.

This winter seems to have been especially cold. Not much snow for us, surprisingly. Seems like the rest of the country got what we are normally 'blessed' with. I've mentioned my pregnancy induced procrastination, fatigue, and lack of motivation. In some ways I guess it's good this hit me through the winter when I feel just a little less guilty hibernating and cozying at home. Yet I also feel I wasn't able to embrace the season as much. I've stopped counting the little things. I've barely taken any pictures. I haven't gone on my daily morning walk to watch the season unfold and change. As I type this I hear the birds beginning to chirp outside my window and it reminds me that last year, I heard the change and return of those birds during my walks through the winter woods and not through the glass separating me from that world.

 well, I did get out at least once!

But it is what it is. And as this winter starts winding towards the end of the season I am finding hope and comfort and joy in the thoughts of the upcoming Spring. I am feeling a burst of energy and excitement at the feel of sunshine and at working in the gardens and smelling the earth. I feel like I'm starting to wake up. And even though there are still several weeks of cold and wind and snow - I can see and hear and feel the change coming. It all begins with the planning of Spring..

snow days

two of them!

 

winter walk.

I get so frustrated sometimes, not being able to capture what I see onto film. I went for a walk yesterday morning, very early. It so beautiful. The sky was grey, but everything was shimmering - coated in the fresh fallen snow. These pictures just don't show that. I really want to take a photography class - but I can't afford the camera's they call for. I wonder if they have rental programs or where I could find used ones?

What I wanted to do after the kids got on the bus was go back to bed. I'm sick again. I don't know how. I just got better. Anyway, I wanted to rest. But I couldn't stop looking outside. I had to get out there. So I poured my coffee, put on a sweater and boots and went walking. And it felt sooooo good.



In January I walked around on a morning very similar. Then it was quiet. Everything was still.

Not this time. The woods were alive - animals scampering and so many birds. It was lovely.


I went alone, which normally I'm afraid to do. I find I feel less afraid in the winter, walking alone. Maybe because everything is so bare - just laid open for you.








It was absolutely enchanting, like a fairy tale. You don't go very far up the trail in our backyard before you're completely surrounded by woods and I had to stop several times just to pause and take it all in. It was hard to believe I was standing in the middle of something so beautiful.

  

  

  

 

  

  

Enjoying Winter

I grew up in a very snowy area. Just north of Syracuse, NY. Living here you can pretty much expect snow beginning in November (sometimes as early as October) and lasting through the end of March (sometimes as late as May - we've had snow on Mothers Day before). In fact, we may be THE snowiest city (most years)

During the winter you can expect to hear terms like white-out, lake effect, blizzard, below zero, record breaking on a pretty regular (daily) basis.


I loved the snow growing up. Snow days. Hours outside building igloos and snowmen and sledding. Ice skating. Somehow as I got older, the snow lost it's magic. Winter was time for grumbling inside and wishing away the months till Spring.

This year we decided we might as well embrace the snow. This is where we live. We're not going anywhere and neither is the snow.

Except then we did. And the snow did. We moved South of Syracuse - and guess what? No lake effect. While our old town still got a couple of storms with a few feet of snow - we usually just got a dusting. But even our old town seemed to avoid it's normal wintry fate. Seems the snow decided to go South this winter. Huh. (I try - really I do - to be sympathetic to areas that are unaccustomed to snow getting storms, but it's hard).

So, since Christmas break, we've been trying to go (and learn) cross country skiing. When we had snow, it was too cold. When it was warm enough, we had no snow.

Finally this past week our schedules and the snow and the weather lined up.

It was fun. It was hard. We were uncoordinated. There was a lot of falling going on - and getting back up in skis is not easy! My oldest loved it. My youngest enjoyed it mostly except for a few minutes on a semi-steep hill where he had a case of the "I can'ts" but he could, and he did.

I don't know how many more chances we'll get this year - but we've already talked about going again - and also trying snow-shoeing sometime.

 

At home, it was Evans evening to cook. He used Grandmas Stuffed Pepper recipe (the recipe he went by is a little more precise than the one I share below - I'm going on memory since I'm not at home right now but it's so easy it's almost impossible to mess up)

 

No, the wine isn't for him! The kids cooking has been working pretty well. There have been a few nights it hasn't worked out and the kids didn't cook on their night but overall it's been going good. They are starting to experiment a little bit more instead of the standard spaghetti's and things. And, it's a nice change from the cooking ruts I fall into. 

Grandmas Stuffed Peppers

4-6 large green peppers

couple cups of rice (cooked)

corn (frozen, thawed)

sauce, jarred or homemade about a cup and half (more or less depending on tastes)

mozzarella cheese (we use a lot, 16 oz)

ground beef

onion

Cook ground beef and onion together. Mix with cooked rice, thawed corn, sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Put aside.

Place peppers, tops cut and insides scooped in pot of boiling water for 5 minutes

In casserole or baking dish cover bottom with sauce - add peppers, fill with beef and rice mix top with sauce and cheese. Fill in around peppers with extra beef and rice mix (we also make a smaller dish with just filling and cheese - not stuffed in peppers)

Cover, cook at 400 for 1/2 hour. 

Yum.

Recipe for Getting Better.

Buy fresh flowers and don't pay any attention to them not being local or in season for your area.

Make homemade cupcakes with yummy frosting and sprinkles.

Drink a variation of Hot Sling



Keep drinking hot sling, eating cupcakes and looking at beautiful flowers until you feel better. Or at least have had enough hot sling you forget you don't feel well.





My variation on Hot Sling

Green Lemon Tea in lieu of just hot water
dash of lemon
glob of honey
shot of whiskey.
nom.



Cupcakes
from recipezaar 89751

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs

1. Set oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour with sugar, baking powder and salt until combined.
3. Add in the shortening cream or milk, vanilla and eggs; beat on medium speed of an electric mixer scraping the bowl constantly until just blended (the batter will be thick, if desired you may add in a few more tablespoons cream or milk).
4. Pour into paper-lined regular size muffin tins filling under just three-quarters full.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the cupcakes test done (do not overbake as they will be dry).
6. Immediately remove from pans. 
7. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting
from recipezaar 89207

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 2/3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted (all I had was just under 2 cups and it worked fine)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (for light)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (for medium)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (for dark rich)

1. Cream the butter in a small bowl.
2. Blend in the cocoa powder (the amount desired for a light, medium or dark flavor), vanilla, confectioners sugar, alternately with the cream.
3. Beat with an electric mixer, until the desired texture is achieved.
4. **NOTE** because of the additional cocoa powder more cream may have to be added in to reach desired consistency.

What's with Today, Today?

I think I need to watch Empire Records again soon it's been on my mind. (the title posts).

I did end up deleting my profile from the online communities that I mentioned the other day. It's kind of bittersweet. In many ways, I'm glad I did. It's freeing. It's relieving. It's just a really nice feeling to have it gone. In other ways, it's sad. That community has been a huge, huge part of my life for most of my twenties. It's where I went for support. It's where I turned to share good news. It's a very, very strange feeling to not have that anymore.

I was antsy this morning. I think partly because of some of my thoughts still lingering on everything around my decision to leave that community. And I think partly because I've just been doing a lot of nothing lately. A lot of sitting.

So even though I felt like doing nothing but sitting on the couch and catching up on a favorite TV series we picked up on DVD the other day, I got up and got moving. Made some Grandmother Bread again.


While that was rising I sewed up some bread bags really quickly. I have some great ideas to make some nicer bread bags and some more grain/produce bags but I just whipped these out really fast.

I also made a couple new curtains just using some fabric from my stash. I've been having a lot of fun changing out the kitchen curtains every few months.

 

While the bread was on it's second rise, The Husband and I hiked the hill behind our house. The weather was really beautiful today and felt more like March or April than January.

I am so out of shape. It's maybe a 3 mile hike up to the top. It's pretty steep and I was having a hard time with it. Not so much my body, my lungs. I had the same problem running this past summer. 15 years of smoking, I suppose. It's been a year since I quit, though I have had a couple here and there. I need to build up my lungs though, I really want to run again.

This was the first time we made it to the top of the hill, we found a neat stream and a pond at the very top. It felt so, so good just to get outside and get moving for a little while.

 

It was just what I needed.

Happy December!

We awoke to our first real snow of the season this morning!

Breaking our 9 month (record!) streak of no snow. It wasn't much when you're used to getting feet at a time, but it sure was pretty flurrying down as the sun came up


I've been collecting lots and lots of Christmas decorating and gifting and baking inspirations over on A Ribbon at a Time



And . . .




kitty used the litterbox this morning!

Happy, indeed.