Thursday 31 December 2009

new year

















wishing everyone a happy new year!

Monday 28 December 2009

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.

Tuesday 22 December 2009

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...

Sunday 20 December 2009

jolly santas






























a jolly group of santas
and a lone santa
on a pole.
no snow yet.

advent 4
















love

Thursday 17 December 2009

candle cosies
















candle cosies,
they do cast a warm light
and it was therapeutic to make them
while nursing a cold,
i like them.

Wednesday 16 December 2009

snowmen
















a cool collection of snowmen

Tuesday 15 December 2009

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...

Sunday 13 December 2009

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!

Thursday 10 December 2009

snow
















it snowed, now it feels like winter.

Wednesday 9 December 2009

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.

Tuesday 8 December 2009

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.

Monday 7 December 2009

serene grey day






















































































i am enjoying the greyness of the day
and the serene palette it offers.

Sunday 6 December 2009

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.

Thursday 3 December 2009

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.

Wednesday 2 December 2009

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.

Tuesday 1 December 2009

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.