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!