I'm back

Last night I finished the scarf I've been knitting for the last several weeks. I found that when I knitted while the kids were up, I made frequent mistakes that I had to go backwards and take out. So I've been knitting when they watch their morning sesame street, and in the evening after they go to bed; the time slots when I usually write a post and check email etc. So this morning as the kids watch sesame street, and I get my writing fix, I feel like declaring: I'M BACK!

Our Christmas day overflowed with enthusiastic children, special food, family and good friends. The majority of gifts we gave were homemade, including; smoked salmon, blueberry jam, rhubarb ginger preserves, homemade lotion and soap, raw goat milk feta, our own cured and smoked bacon, duck fat and rendered pig lard - wrapped in paper and tied up with a red ribbon of course.

With Christmas money I bought myself an Ipod touch, 4g. 32 gig, I'm not up to date with current trends, styles or toys. For the most part I avoid paying attention to the newest gadgets on the market. I am one of the only people I know that does not own a cell phone. I'm one of those people you see that doesn't know how to use other people's cell phones, when I borrow a phone (once in a blue moon) I end up handing it back so the owner can send the call as I'm afraid to touch anything. I've never texted anyone, so if I were to receive one I'm sure all the abbreviations would look like gibberish to me.

I'm feeling a tinge of buyers remorse as I reflect and think of other items I could have bought; a new meat smoker, a new vegetable juicer or kitchen-aid mixer, both my juicer and mixer are well used and on their last leg. Ah, well. My excuse is that I am over the music rut I've been in over the last few years. I can't get enough of new tunes these days. I've been listening to Pandora every day all day. I plug my computer into our sound system, so this works as a DJ as long as no one is using the computer. I'm constantly flitting across the room to turn something up, or down, or mark as like or dislike, or looking to see who it is. The kids give their input. Avery says, "I love this song!" Noah says, "the music is too loud", "turn down the music please." We have wi-fi in the house, so I'm looking forward to plugging in the headphones and listening to tunes as loud as I like while washing the dishes, without anyone telling me they don't like the music or it is too loud.

In the kitchen,  I've been making clear broth soups with some beef bone broth and chicken broth I made last week. Yesterday I made french onion soup with our own onions. Before that I made an Asian style chicken vegetable soup with cilantro, scallions, ginger and mirin. Last night we had homemade pizza. I've been making homemade tortillas, noodles and dumplings.

The kids are coming down with their second cold in three weeks. The last cold was pretty gnarly and I think this is also sounding and looking rather foreboding. I've managed to remain untouched. We've all been taking more vitamins, vitamin D in particular, Echinacea and garlic than usual. I drink a lot of fresh ginger root tea when I feel threatened. I think our bodies are trying to tell us something, time for some sun, we've depleted our vitamin D supply. Time to go take care of my family. Happy last days of 2010 everyone!

December days

 Twelve days till winter solstice. I'm feeling the effects of the dark and the cold. I'm mostly just going stir crazy in our small house with the kids. It has been too cold to get them out to play. It is essential to either have a play date or get to town to do something every couple days. One of the advantages to heading into town is seeing the sun and the mountains on clear days. The frosty trees, plumes of smoke and the pastel pink horizon are all impressive in their simple beauty. Our sun is coming up after ten and setting by three p.m. Our daylight hours are pretty dim as the sun stays low on the horizon. The temperatures here have stuck pretty close to zero over the last couple weeks, ranging down to ten below on the coldest days. Temperatures in town have been ten to twenty degrees colder.

Last weekend there were all kinds of fun Holiday events going on around town; a Gingerbread House competition, the Nutcracker ballet, a tree lighting ceremony. We had grandiose plans for getting out on some family outings, but Avery came down with a gnarly cold. Noah also got it, but wasn't nearly as miserable. So I spent a good portion of the last week, caring for sick kids and trying my hardest not to get sick myself, which is challenging as it is impossible not to get sneezed and slobbered on.

We have yet to get a real Christmas tree in this house, and will wait at least next winter when our addition is finished. We enjoyed helping decorate my folks Christmas tree. Below is our tree. D drew it on some wrapping paper and the kids had a good time decorating it - doesn't take much to please our kids - yet.

You may have noticed I haven't done much writing lately. I haven't been spending much time on the computer at all, or with my face in a book. Instead I knitted a cute little hat for Avery (left), and have been working on a delicate scarf (right) as a gift for our farm helper who has become part of the family and one of my closest friends. She has been on vacation and I've been thinking about her a bunch and wanted to make her something special to show our love and appreciation for all her hard work. These are my first knitting projects since I was expecting Avery, and had only just taught myself then and made a couple little things like baby socks that never fit and mittens that never stayed on. So, I am proud that the hat fits perfect and the scarf is looking more or less like the pattern.

We are in hibernation mode. The kids are going to bed early and sleeping in late. I've been making lots of comfort food. I made soup four days in a row and the kids were rebelling against anything soup like, despite how different they all were. So, then I made quiche for lazy mornings. We finished up the turkey with a dish that has turkey, gravy and veggies with cheesy biscuits on top. Last night I made lasagne. I put our own bacon and ground pork in the meat ragu, and made homemade noodles for the first time ever. I'm looking forward to making some more complex noodles, maybe some squash sage raviolis or some hand shaped tortellini.
This weekend we are having friends over for a big Indian meal. One of our guests is a strict vegan, so a lot of our own food is out, no eggs, goat cheese, goat milk, meat... I am going to make most of the meal vegan including no butter in the poori or samosa dough, but have decided to make tandoori grilled chicken,after all, I think the other four meat eating guests would enjoy some heartier fare.

How do you make the most of the shortest, darkest days of winter?