In the kitchen with Jamie

Today turned into "one of those days." From beginning to end what could have gone wrong did and what should have been good, wasn't. Sitting on the couch with a cup of tea in my hand, I sulked till even doing that made me feel miserable. I looked out the window at the darkening sky, saw the naked tree swaying in the wind, grabbed a sweater from the closet and reached into a newly opened box with the label "Chapters" prominently displayed on  top. I flipped through a couple of books that I was tempted to read before giving away as Christmas gifts but put them down and lifted out the biggest and heaviest book of them all. I have always been a sucker for a beautifully illustrated cookbooks, but when they go for a fraction of their original price I simply can not resist. I looked down at the smiling face of Jamie Oliver and could feel the tension seeping out of every pore. Careful not to crease the pages or crack the spine, I poked around the different chapters looking to see what would catch my eye. It didn't take long before THE recipe appeared before me. Baked Ricotta and Marscapone Tart with Chocolate and Orange, announced the title. Before I really knew was was happening, I had taken out the flour, butter and sugar and was reaching into the cupboard for my tart pan. It wasn't till I read the entire list of ingredients, that I realized I did not have what I needed to follow the recipe exactly. I scrounged around for a ready made pie crust and decided to substitute that for the made from scratch version. Everything else went according to plan. It was the first task that I attempted today that did not end in disaster, well, almost. The ready made pie shell proved to be smaller than the tart pan the recipe called for and some of the filling spilled over onto the pan I had placed underneath. By this time, enjoying the citrusy, chocolatey smell in the warm, bright kitchen, the slight misstep did not bother me in the least. This, after all , was not a dessert made for anyone but me, and the family, of course.
So there you go, I happened on another thing that I look forward to when the winter arrives, without having to wrack my brain. Baking, it seems, is medicine for what ever ails me. When the temperature falls out side and the house is in need of that certain coziness that only the smell of vanilla can provide, I am ready to oblige.
Here is Jamie Oliver whipping up something sweet. It may not be THE recipe that spoke to me today, but it is one I'll have to try in the next few months while I'm waiting for the tulips to bloom again.

Paper Snow Flakes

Who would have thought that thinking of just one thing per day that I liked about winter would be such a chore. Don't get me wrong, I usually come up with at least 2-3, but finding the time to commit to writing about it has been a challenge. But I guess that was part of the point. I wanted to make writing a daily habit and in the process slow down enough to notice things that I usually have a tendency to rush past.
The weather man mentioned flurries today. They aren't supposed to make an appearance till a few days from now, but the word flurries stopped me in my tracks. Here we go, I thought. Images of snow, slush, shoveling the driveway, scrapping the windshield while I'm shivering in the process, came to mind first. While making a mental note to make sure there's a decent scraper in my car, I decided to google "snow" and see what came up. Interestingly enough, the first thing that caught my eye was a picture of a snowflake paper cut out. I hadn't seen one of those since I was a child. In fact, I remember making snowflakes just like those when I was in kindergarten. Any piece of paper and a pair of scissors could magically result in a piece of wintery art. It didn't take me long to find instructions on how it is done just so that the next time I have a quiet moment I may just try my hand at it again. Who knows, the little girl across the street may want to learn something new the next time there's a snow day.

Oats and other hot grub

It seems to me that not too many things go together as well as winter and oatmeal. When the thermometer starts to dip below the freezing mark and the chill in the morning air prevents us from wanting to get out of our beds, it is the thought of steaming hot oatmeal that makes it somewhat worth while. There are a number of ways to prepare this cold weather breakfast. It appears that every cook has their own recipe, from opening up a package of the instant variety to soaking the flakes in water overnight. I still remember as a young wife preparing the recipe from scratch starting with the above mentioned overnight soaking, in fruit juice no less. If I recall correctly, I added raisins, dried prunes and cranberries and sprinkled the whole lot with brown sugar and cinnamon. In the morning all the hubby had to do was to turn on the stove and heat the fragrant mush till bubbling and toss in some fresh chopped apples and nuts at the end. He handled the chore no problem, enjoyed the hot delicious concoction and drove off into the frosty morning with a smile on his face. It wasn't till he had no appetite for lunch and could barely get through dinner that we decided to have another look at the recipe. I had followed it to a tee but failed to notice that it was meant to serve 4. It just goes to show you how good freshly prepared oats with add ons can be. If you google it, you will find enough recipes to enjoy it differently each day of the winter season.
Have a look at this version. Even a restaurant-less hotel room will not pose a challenge.

It's all about the scarf.

I know it's not exactly winter yet but certain days carry that certain chill in the air that carries the promise of  greater things to come. There is not much one can do to dress up a practical, neck to mid-calf winter coat other than to pair it with an equally warm but hopefully attractive winter hat or adorn it with a colourful scarf. Again, if you know me at all, you know that I don't do hats.I have been known to wear them in extreme situations when my ears threatened to break off due to cold or when the unrelenting sun threatened to slay me with sun stroke. Other than that, my outdoor winter fashion statement usually consists of the scarf. They are inexpensive enough that you can own more than one and are available in so many fabrics and colours that you can truly brighten up a gray winter day just by wrapping one around your neck. While you're at it why stop with doing it the same old way? Here are several fun methods of getting that extra layer of warmth around that naked skin. If I practice now, I may actually remember what to do when the occasion arises.

Blades on ice

It occurred to me today that if it wasn't for snow and ice, the necessity of dreaming up a way to get across a large expanse of a frozen surface, would never have come to be. And, because the human spirit seems to always find a way to express beauty in every way possible, we now have the winter sport of ice skating. Whether it be singles, pairs or ice dance, at neighbourhood ice rinks or world class arenas, we have the opportunity to witness athleticism and artistry in action. I remember taking ice skating lessons as a 12 year old and suffering through the hour session as if in a dentists chair.It was obvious then as it is now that I was meant to enjoy the sport as a spectator. Every fall through the beginning of spring we can watch determined young people strap on boots fitted with shiny blades and place them on the ice. The results can make the long cold months seem that much sweeter.
Enjoy!

 It was another cold day today. OK, it actually reached 5 degrees and when the sun shone directly on me as I sat at the stop light in the comfort of my seat warmed car, it actually felt pleasant. Getting to that point was another story. All of a sudden the light weight, long sleeved t shirts and summer weight jeans would not promise to do the trick. I searched in the deepest drawers and at the back of the tallest closet shelves to find the clothes that got me through last winter. Somehow fur lined parkas and down filled vests seemed a bit extreme for early November. It was then that I remembered all the things that did not seem quite like winter wear that kept me warm when I put them together last year. The summer t shirt that worked solo throughout July and August, now became the first layer of an attire strata. The before mentioned light weight, long sleeved t shirt came next and a lovely thin but warm cardigan finished off the outfit. Huh...the pleasures of layering, I mused. It takes cooler temperatures and the threat of chattering teeth to force one to creatively put together a winter ensemble. Of course, the colder it gets the more layers come into play, and here I have to admit to feeling very lucky to be living in the southern most part of Canada. While my layering adventures focus on fun and lightweight layers designed to be quickly shed or added on to, our distant cousins to the north know the real benefits of proper layering. That benefit is called " being able to return home alive."
Here then is the second thing, in no particular order, that I kind of like about winter; dressing in warm comfy layers that envelop you like a warm embrace.





















































































http://youtu.be/RPRxdxtzQsM

Winterizing

 It hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks today, that even though the thermometer has been hovering in the mid teens lately, winter is fast approaching. Everyone that knows me knows that I hate winter. I don't ski, skate, toboggan or snow shoe. I don't like snow ball fights, making snow angels,driving in the snow, shoveling it or looking at it from the warmth of the house. The only things I like about the season are cold weather drinks and reading by the fire. I'd be OK with a month or two of the dreaded dark and cold but the thing about winter is that is seems to last forever. Since I can not turn back the clock, I have decided to approach it a bit differently this year. I have decided to Winterize my attitude.
 Surely, there must be some good that comes with bone chilling temperatures and dismal gray skies.
I took a good look at the reality of the next four months and came up with a handful of things that actually make me look at winter with softness in my heart. Instead of listing them here and rereading the list daily to remind myself why I aught to be happy about the approaching deep freeze, I decided to make it my daily task to find at least one thing that I I love about the season. Let's see that makes it approximately 120 things that I can look forward to next year.
If you like you can come along for the ride. You may find you have overlooked a few things yourself.

Here's the first thing that came to mind. There's nothing like good music to sooth the spirit and the spirit will need a lot of soothing over the next few months.