new year

wishing everyone a happy new year!

organic café revisited

i revisited my least favourite café. there were

a few changes since the first visit here, but the

same relaxed atmosphere. our sandwiches,

one buenos dias wrap and a grilled cheese and

apple were excellent accompanied with a very

good salad. i am glad i returned and will adjust

the rating on my café list.

cranberry relish

once the cranberry relish is made i know that

preparations are well underway (i hope).

next, the cumberland sauce and baking cookies,

tomorrow the spiced pears and...

jolly santas

a jolly group of santas

and a lone santa

on a pole.

no snow yet.

advent 4

love

candle cosies

candle cosies,

they do cast a warm light

and it was therapeutic to make them

while nursing a cold,

i like them.

snowmen

a cool collection of snowmen

swamp light

in the interest of energy conservation i bought

a string of led lights. maybe they do consume less

energy, but a rather unflattering swampy green

light is emitted. not the desired effect...

advent 3

joy

froth

another post from the kitchen.

for years i have been using a whisk to froth the

milk for our coffee. finally we splashed out on a

bialetti tuttocrema milk frother (it was the least

breakable one). it works! the key is to slowly heat

the milk. the foam was beautifully dense the way

we like it. the coffee, excellent!

snow

it snowed, now it feels like winter.

pudding, the christmas kind

done! the pudding should be made earlier,

i've made it as late as the week before christmas.

procrastination is usually the reason, although easy

to do it takes time and organization. i enjoy the

colours and textures of the ingredients. this carrot

pudding has less calories and is vegetarian (no suet).

i have been using this recipe with great success for

years and it can be found here.

preparations

christmas preparations are proceeding

at a very relaxed pace.

pudim de laranja

pudim de laranja. there is a portuguese theme

going on here lately. fun in the kitchen helps offset

the greyness and chill of december days.

creating food that brings the taste of sunshine

is always welcome. this orange flan is rich

and the pomegranate seeds add more colour and

crunch. the ingredients are readily available and

the process is easy. have fun and bom apetite!

the recipe can be found here.

serene grey day

i am enjoying the greyness of the day

and the serene palette it offers.

advent 2

peace

st. nicholas day

the st. nicholas icon is placed on the mantle,

the household altar, and a candle is lit

in thanks and to remember

to be generous

to others.

it's beginning to look a lot like...

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas cards.

this year i wanted to make cards using materials

at hand. security envelopes are always available.

the cutting began... and continues.

next year, printmaking.

the cards will be in the

mail by monday, i hope.

cute clementines

yesterday i bought a bag of clementines, i like

clementines at this time of year. they are little

bursts of sunshine. however, these seem to have

too many labels and too much cuteness.

chihuahua

a chihuahua, owl and pussycat in a shop window

waiting to go to their forever home for christmas.

isn't the chihuahua precious (teacup no doubt).

i love the kitty's expression. there are so many

fascinating ornaments to choose from.

getting together

everyone is so busy,

it is special to get together

with a dear friend for a glass of wine or two,

good food and treats, (the extreme green macaron was

delicious).

best of all is the laughter,

the way only one can laugh with a friend.

as always

let's get together more often.

let's.

advent 1

hope

waiting

another cheery urban scene.

houses that have been boarded up for years,

awaiting demolition for yet more condominiums,

on an otherwise interesting

no exit street.