And now, back to our normal forecast!

Well, the winter 'honeymoon' period is over! After almost 2 months of little to no snow in western Newfoundland, the weather seems to have reverted to normal. Our senior's cottage community has a local man who shovels the pathways from one cottage to the next to the parking lot: he shovels when he feels like it, and he warned me it could be the middle of the night. I don't normally hear him: but last night, I woke at 2 am and again at 5 am to the scrape, scrape, scrape of shovel on concrete. Yet when I awoke at 7 am, you couldn't tell anyone had been here! I'm grateful that I no longer have to make my way to work but can nest safely in my little home.

I'm also grateful that I took an extra long walk yesterday, not only for the health benefits and fresh air in my lungs but because it's part of how I spend all the new-to-me hours in my day. It was very cold and crisp yesterday, one of those days when the light is somehow different and in the midst of all that snow, everything seems to have a bolder outline.

 I took the path by the brook like I've done a few times, but this time, I crossed the main road to what used to be the old road before we had a highway. I walked on the bridge we always crossed back in the 60's when my family would head to our cabin at Big Bonne Bay Pond. It brought back such memories: Mom and Dad in the front seat with baby on Mom's lap, 4 kids crammed in the back complaining about who's touching who, and the dog on the back window! (The days before seatbelts!!!) But somehow, we all survived. I spent a good hour outside and my legs were happy to be home again.

I made myself a gourmet hot chocolate with frothy hot milk (I love my milk frother!).  And I also had some apple crisp that I'd baked earlier. The week before, I'd bought some raisin oatmeal cookies on sale, but I didn't really care for them. Being on a fixed income and not wanting to waste money, I turned them into crumbs, rubbed in some soft butter, added some chopped walnuts and used this as my crisp topping. It was delicious!

I have no plans for this snowy day other than a little puttering ...... and the remainder of that crisp! 

How's your day going? 

Namaste!

Food for a Nasty Day

It's -3 C (26.6 F) out there and freezing rain is falling. I'm glad I decided to cook yesterday so I can enjoy my time inside today.

Newfoundland comfort food

I baked a ham on New Year's Day and froze the leftovers. So, I made yellow split pea soup: thick, slightly salty and so comforting. Most Newfies use salt beef, but ham works just as well for me. But I didn't make the traditional doughboys (dumplings) as I have a sensitivity to wheat. I'd rather use my wheat rations for something else.

Something like these delicious Homemade Fig Bars.

Add a dollop of yogurt or cream

I'm slowly making my way through a bag of dried figs and found the perfect recipe. They are similar to a date square except the bottom is more of a shortbread. I made a few changes to suit my tastes and pantry. 

When I made the fig jam filling, I grated a little orange zest into it. And seeing I didn't have walnuts or pecans, I substituted chopped almonds, cashews and sunflower seeds.

Those were great choices! These squares are da bomb! Now ........... what shall I watch on television?

Stay warm and safe (and well fed). Namaste! 

 

Shelia carried a HUGE brush this year!

We were hit with a huge winter storm this weekend. Two feet of snow fell overnight Sunday and all day Monday. We had a dilly of a blizzard, just like the ones when I was a kid: snowing constantly, blowing, blizzard conditions, the sound of the wind whistling through any crack or cranny it could find. It was wonderful to be indoors and listen/watch what Mother Nature was doing outside. She's not a lady to be messed with.

In Newfoundland, we expect to have a visit from Shelia's Brush*.  But gol darn it, Shelia! That warn't no brush: it were a bloody big broom!

* Sheila's Brush is an idiom used in Newfoundland and it refers to the last big storm of the winter season, a storm that occurs around St. Patrick's Day. The term comes from an Irish legend which says that Sheila was the saint's wife (or sister or mother) and that the snow is a result of her sweeping away the old season. 

I was quite content to sit indoors with my blessed electricity and cook, clean and chillax. 

I made soup, of course -- a red lentil with delicious bits of bacon, carrots and a touch of lemon juice at the end. Yum! Then I baked a delicious batch of Partridgeberry Streusel Muffins. 

(Partridgeberries are like a tart cranberry and Newfoundlanders love them. The jam is divine on a slice of freshly baked bread and topped with a wee spread of thick cream liked canned Fussels or Nestles. OMG!) 

There was lots of housecleaning, some rearranging of furniture and plenty of Netflix. I discovered a really good sci-fi series last weekend called Sense 8. Besides the sci-fi portion of the storyline, it takes place in several locations around the world with  characters from different ethnicities, beliefs, social/financial backgrounds and sexual preferences with a large emphasis on LGBTQ+ issues. This makes for a deeply compelling and eye-opening show. I like to be challenged, especially in my thinking, so I'm really enjoying it. Sadly, now that I'm almost at the end of Season 2 and am completely hooked, I find out that there will be no Season 3!

I can take the extra snow, Shelia! 

But no Season 3!!! 

Whatever shall I do!

What? More Snow?

Not my car, but a perfect example of
what my car looked like.

After Wednesday's snow, I was looking forward to yesterday's rain. Sure, it would start out as freezing rain -- my car was coated in it Saturday morning when I tried to venture out for milk and eggs and turned back -- but the forecast assured me that it would warm up later. So, I expected all that ice to melt. Well, wouldn't that cut my clean-up time in half!

Of course, that didn't happen. The so-called rain became snow --- and snow and snow and snow.  But I was happy enough being storm bound: I had my Saturday crossword puzzle, 3 more past seasons of Dr Who to watch, a clean house and a delicious lunch already prepared:  pork and black bean chilli, crusty chabatta bread and a few slivers of stinky, aged cheddar. 

Slipper socks I want but
don't own yet.

I had the beginning of a headache and tummy ache.  And as there's a similar flu going round, I got even more comfortable. I put on my flannel jammies, my wooly polka-dotted socks and got under the fleece on the couch.

I tried to nap, but sleep eluded me. I was in this sort of semi conscious place for over an hour.

Then it hit me! 

An urge so immediate and intense and persistent ...

 So, I baked a cake; a chocolate layer cake. (And I never bake layer cakes, so this was obviously an urge that needed to be met!)

As it was baking, I called long distance to get my mom's recipe for Mystery Icing -- light and fluffy and not sweet, made with cooled custard which is added little by little to creamed butter and sugar.

I spread the first layer with softened apricot jam and then the Mystery icing (which was made with coconut custard) and topped with toasted coconut.

Yum yum! It was so delicious! No, no, no! It IS delicious. Despite all our best efforts, there are still a few slices left.

I don't know about the rest of the winter world, but when Nova Scotians expect a snow storm, they stock up on potato chips

 ..... or as we like to call them STORM CHIPS.

We had a storm cake!

Snow Day

This is our first major snowstorm this season. And it certainly wasn't a bad one, not a lot of snow; but enough to take out power and shut things down.

This is how it looked at 6:30 am this morning. So peaceful and quiet. The tree limbs are laden with perfect, white snow.

My power came back on at 8:30 am, so the house is beginning to warm up again. (Electric heat.) I'm snuggled here at the computer with my robe and slippers; but I'm venturing downstairs soon for hot tea and buttery toast with Peach Belini jam -- a Xmas market item -- and some good, old cheddar. Yum!

My friend was right about last weekend's de-construction of the Xmas tree: I do love the "new" look.  And I now have a very clean, tidy house ... upstairs. (Can I stress upstairs? Don't look in the basement rec room!). Well, there are still these guys who visited the manger & decided to stick around.  

So today can be a relaxing snow day full of reading and lounging and perhaps some of this as well:

Homemade soup and steamed red bean buns. I always have these in my winter freezer because they're a perfect snow day food -- warm and gooey and nutritious.

Coloring! I got 2 books for Xmas. And when I went shopping, I searched everywhere for a good set of colored pencils; but they were all sold out everywhere! Then I thought "I'll have to gather together the girls' old pencils and make do". THIS is the result of gathering together! They aren't the best quality (therefore, difficult to sharpen without losing the coloring tip), but I think they'll last me for a while, huh?

I'm not sure when my man will come to shovel; this year's guy is not as reliable as the previous. But until he does, I'm happily ensconced inside with food and toys. 

Happy snow day!