hi

Hello!

I've been enjoying time away from the computer... A good many of my working hours are spent looking at the screen, and I've taken to abstaining from so much as checking my e-mail on the weekends lately. It's been liberating! No commitment, no pressure; just free, real, time to use however I wish. All I had to do was let go. I've reclaimed the weekends as my own, I suppose...

Which isn't to say that I'm leaving this space. But I have realized that I've been imposing upon myself here - creating a pressure to post even when I have nothing much to say (how silly is that?). And for a little while now, I really haven't had much to say. There's been no interest in taking pictures (is it the lack of pure sunshine this winter?), very little inspiration to do much in the kitchen other than follow a recipe (there have been some good ones though) - just a general malaise, I think. It seems to be going around too, I gather.

So I've decided to free myself of this - to let go here as well. I've made a few changes, visually, and added some new links. I'd like to open up the content and follow what inspires me - not strain to write strictly about the kitchen or the garden -though, in truth, those will probably still be the focus. This may mean that I won't be posting on a 'regular' basis because I don't want that pressure to be an influence/hindrance. But I do hope that the posts I create will be truer and more free.

p.s. the wrapper in the photo held Molly's recipe for banana bread with chocolate and crystallized ginger (in muffin form, of course) found here (though I used the recipe in her book, which is slightly different - and a little addictive...

currently

Currently enjoying a winter break from blogging (and technology in general). Walking in the snowy mountains, drinking steamy cups of tea, reading and daydreaming, eating spicy chickpeas, and waiting for inspiration.

In the meantime, I hope all your holidays were full of warmth and good company and your new year is off to a great start!

still

So.
Still no photos (boo) which is a bummer. But it is the holiday season and what a whirlwind of activity it is lately!
So, even without pictures, life goes on - in the kitchen especially - with little windowsill displays of tiny woodland fauna and glittery miniature pine forests and plenty of sweet, little treats to share with friends and family.
In the cookie tins this year I've nestled:
palmiers
chocolate crackles
salted toffee
coconut macaroons
rum balls (swapping rum for bourbon)
vanilla malteds
meringue mushrooms
garam masala-chocolate gingerbread

All of which are pretty tasty (I had to try them before sending them off, you know...).

What's in your oven?

Happy Holidays!

leftovers

I'm sure you have some.

And - I know there are tons of recipes and ideas out there.

But, if you don't make stock with that turkey carcass, you're missing out! Big time. I'm not kidding.

It's so simple too - I use this method whenever we have leftovers from a roasted bird.

Get out your crockpot, fill it with all the bones and bits and drippings (our bird was 14 Lbs*), add 2 carrots, chunked (I didn't peel mine this time - sometimes I do), 1 medium yellow onion, quartered (don't bother to peel), 2 stalks of celery, chunked, 1 tsp. of peppercorns, 1 Turkish bay leaf, and a handful of parsley (if you have it). Fill the pot with fresh water to cover the carcass. Then set it on low and let it go overnight (or for about 8 hours, more or less). It will fill your house with the most tempting aroma! In the morning (or when it's finished), turn it off, let it cool just a bit and strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl or stockpot. I then use my fat separator to remove the fat and pour the stock into 1-quart freezer containers. You can also chill the stock and scrape the fat from the surface - assuming you want to remove it... (At this point, you may want to season it with salt, if needed). I generally get 2 quarts - sometimes more if the bird was smaller.
*If you have a smaller bird (say, a 3 or 4 Lb chicken), you might double the carrots, celery and onion to boost the flavor a bit.

Now you can do all sorts of delicious things - like make this excellent turkey and rice soup:

(insert photo of steaming bowl of beautiful soup here - still no photos...)

Or, you can freeze the stock for later use - and it does come in handy, especially in these coming cold, winter months...

i admire

I admire those bloggers who take gorgeous photos and post entertaining, witty and spontaneous tales of the past few days' events: several. times. a. week.

They're so inspiring. So industrious. And it looks like they're having so much fun!

Something funny's going on with the communication between my very old (in technology years) computer and my camera's memory card(s)...

So while there's plenty out there to read and day-dream over, I've got only a few links (no photos) to share this week...

Like this tart which sounds divine. Mmmmm anise and pumpkin!

Or this pie - sweet potato and coconut - for something familiar, but with a little twist.

Heidi has a great list of vegetarian Thanksgiving dishes too. Her crusty brussels sprouts are some of my favorites.

And of course, these made a great little breakfast Sunday with a few spoonfuls of a quick-cooked applesauce - two honeycrisps, peeled, cored and chopped and cooked down over medium heat with a spoonful of sugar and just enough cider to keep them from sticking.

Good stuff.

Hope everyone's Thanksgiving is stress-free and delicious this week!