little shells

I had so much fun with Lori's Traveling Woman shawlette that I couldn't wait to do another.  The next one I knit up was Little Shells by Holly Griffin-Weidner for my friend Bridget.  The original Little Shells was designed in silk as a summer shawl but I wanted to do something B. could use to keep out the cold Canadian winters.  It's knit in an icy blue alpaca-silk blend and the perfect size for keeping you neck warm without the bulkiness of a scarf. 

Like the Traveling Woman its base is two mirrored triangles in stockiette which then dissolve into lacy shells. The lace pattern is deceptively simple and I love that it's got a vintage look without being too frou-frou or precious.

Mostly I love that B. loves it.  Just wish I'd snapped a pic of her modeling it!

pink sky at night

Pink sky at night, sailor's delight

We were treated to a gorgeous pink sunset last night. And this morning we were greeted with another sunny winter day.  A few months ago my dad explained on his blog why this bit of weather lore is actually a good predictor. Check it out.

in praise of parsnips: curried parsnip and apple soup

During the winter our friend Trish's yarn shop, Yarns on York, is also the pick-up spot for CSA fruit and veg boxes.  In exchange, she gets a few extra bits of produce to with as she likes.  Thursday night as everyone else was going for bags of green and the butternut squash, I nabbed a bag of parsnips.  Much to everyone's shock.

Maybe it's because they look like a pale, knobby version of  more common carrot or maybe it's the name or possibly the smell (which apparently molecular-ly speaking is reactive and volatile), but parsnips seem to be one of those vegetables people are certain they hate often before they try it.  And for those who have tried it and hated it, I suspect that preparation has a lot to do with it.  Rare is the vegetable that shines after being boiled.  I've become a relatively recent fan of the oft-maligned root vegetable having found it to give an excellent depth of flavour to autumn stews.  Parsnips, like most root vegetables, are at their best when roasted and for Christmas dinner I did a side of stove-top roasted carrots and parsnips.  The parsnips gave the dish more complexity than a side of carrots alone. 

When I grabbed the parsnips on Thursday night, I'd intended to do that recipe again but my friend Jennifer suggested this curried parsnip and apple soup from BBC chef Delia Smith.  I'm so glad she did.  I love curried carrot and pumpkin soups but they've become ubiquitous and this was a great way to change up an old favourite.  You still get the sweetness juxtaposed with the savoury curry spices but with the added complexity of parsnip and the tartness of apples.  The recipe suggested making parsnip crisps to garnish which sounded intriguing but getting out the mandoline and a skillet of oil was more less appealing so I just grated a little extra apple on top.

It's a rich hearty savoury soup and the turmeric makes it a bold sunshiney yellow: just what you need on a cold winter's night.



Interestingly despite the pale colour, parsnips are actually higher in vitamins and minerals than carrots particularly potassium.

moonglow, lamp low

It's been three years since my friend Denis introduced me to Eleni Mandell's 2007 album Miracle of Five but it still gets pretty heavy rotation this time of year.  It's simple, warm and sultry - perfect for long winter evenings, board game nights with friends or cozy suppers with lots of red wine. 

cheap thrills: miniature rose bush

The holiday frenzy is over, the new budget written up and, well, let's just say for the lady of this house, belts will be worn a little tighter this season.  But why be morose about it, why not celebrate those cheap and cheerful finds? And so I give you "Cheap Thrills" -  sarting with this miniature rose bush (under $5 at the local grocery store and well under the price of cut flowers).  Bonus points for the milk glass vase ($5 flea market find).

What cheap thrill would you like to see featured? Only two rules: has to be under $10 (free is even better) and has to make you happy.

farewell to the holidays

Hard to believe the Christmas holidays are winding down and tomorrow it's back to work and routine.  We were blessed with a gorgeous winter day for a final send-off to the holidays.  So of course we headed to Odell.  Some time late in February when I am wading through slush or whipped by wind I will inevitably mutter, "Why do I live here?" Then I will come back and look at these photos of a perfect winter wonderland and feel badly for people who are deprived of the beauty of the changing seasons...

I really wish I'd had a toboggan.  I'm certain I could train Henry to pull it back up the hill for me...

Back home Henry takes a good roll in the snow...

 ... and I count crows. Or lost count rather... Often when I drive home across town late in the afternoon the old trees downtown are black and trembling with hundreds of crows.  I love watching them all move together and gather in the same spots year after year.  We all have our traditions,  I guess.



1-1-11

Today I...

... played in the snow...

 ...finished my first socks of 2011...

...ate black-eyed peas for luck (sauteed with kale and bacon)... 

 ...read detective stories in bed... 

... watched Coal Miner's Daughter - love Loretta!

2011 is off to a great start.