Snow Day

We woke up to a pristine blanket of white one morning in February. I couldn't resist a little tramp down the road to visit with the local herd. They were suspicious of my motives, but the presence of fresh feed was enough of a lure to keep them nearby. As excited as I am to return to the East Coast, I'm surely going to miss these views and these "neighbors." 

 

Wonderland

We had the most magical frost in December, just before Christmas -- tiny ice spears coated every plant or scrap of foliage. They gave way at the slightest touch, the most delicate needles of frozen beauty. We even found a tiny "garland" of ice, and I can't think how it came to be there. A scrap of spider's web, perhaps? 

By the breath of God ice is given,

and the broad waters are frozen fast.

Job 37:10

 

In Its Element

I finished up my Grey Havens sweater back in July, but had to wait several months before I could really put it to the test. But now that winter is here, I've had a few chances to wear it and I'm in love! The fit is just right, and it's quite comfortable. A magically frosty morning in December was the perfect opportunity to grab a few photos:

Little Man took this photo without my realizing it, and it perfectly showcases the sleeve cables -- it was not the simplest pattern to knit, but I love the result:

Winter White

We were snowed in for a few days after a storm blew through -- more "iced" in, actually. Snow doesn't bother me much, but ice is a different animal.

The perfect time for cozy breakfasts of homemade muffins with fresh sliced strawberries. 

And a determined snowman, despite the powdery, un-snowman-able snow (it was more of a "mound and carve" operation). His name is Nigel.

The littles have been waiting and waiting for the snow! Rosa and I found patches of clean snow to eat (one of my favorite childhood pastimes), but Little Man didn't care for the taste. He was more interested in launching chunks of snow at Daddy. Laddie tromped around happily, lasting far longer than I'd anticipated. His cheeks were quite rosy by the time went in!

The only ones who were not thrilled about the snow were the chickens, who stayed in their coop most of the time (what a mess!). I was relieved when the thaw finally came, for their sake.

But we did forget to make snow angels, so I'm hoping we get at least one more snowfall this winter! And I'm still holding out for some good, sticky snow so we can build a better snowman...

Winter Eats -- Leek, Potato, and Ham Soup

I've been longing to try a leek and potato soup since... well, it's been a long time. The simplest way to go about this is to purchase both leeks and potatoes at the store, along with any necessary seasonings. But having never to my knowledge purchased a leek (or even held one), I gave in to my fear of the unknown. Which is a shame, because my husband declares that this is his second favorite soup -- our homemade version of Panera's broccoli cheese soup is forever his favorite, so second best is fine with me!

I used this recipe as a base, but beefed it up a little. Well, "hammed it up" would be more accurate, since I used leftover Christmas ham -- my husband does not eat vegetarian dinners! Really, any meat would do (though I think ham has the best kind of flavor for this soup), or it could be omitted altogether. I'll provide ingredients and instructions below, but this is a super easy and super flexible recipe that could be altered to your tastes or ingredients.

Leek, Potato, and Ham Soup

Ingredients:

• 2-3 leeks, diced (about 1/4" 'squares' -- I used quite a bit of the dark green stem, too)
• 4-5 medium potatoes, diced 
• 2+ TBSP of butter 
• 4 cups of broth (chicken, vegetable, etc.)
• Seasonings to taste (rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, pepper, minced garlic)
• 2-3 cups of ham, diced (or another meat; optional)
• Toppings (oyster crackers, bacon, and shredded cheddar are amazing!)

Instructions:

1. Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a large pot and add the leeks and potatoes. Saute until the leeks are soft, adding more butter if needed. When this step was almost done, I threw in some fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme, along with a bit of minced garlic, some freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of salt. Use your imagination!
2. Add the broth and bring to a boil; I used rabbit/chicken broth supplied by friends from church (They raise their own meat rabbits! How cool is that?), which is amazing. Reduce heat and simmer for twenty minutes, or until potatoes are tender. I threw a piece of ham bone in while it simmered, for additional goodness.
3. Put about half of your soup -- or all of it, if you prefer -- into a blender or food processor (be careful doing this with hot liquid! Either wait for it to cool, or make sure your appliance is well vented to avoid explosions). Pulse until delicious, then add back to the rest of the soup. I actually used two "fresh" potatoes because that was all I had, and added in two cups of leftover mashed potatoes during the blending stage. I worked out just fine!
4. Add the diced ham, if desired.
5. Serve topped with cheddar, bacon, and crackers, with a side of buttered, toasted bread. And a salad, if you're feeling extra healthy.

Bon appetit!

Iced

In our area, winter will bring temperatures suitable to "frozen precipitation," but every time a band of rain moves through the temperature rises. As soon as the rain is gone, we have another cold snap.

But not this time! A few weeks ago, cold temperatures and precipitation finally coincided, and we got to experience some real winter weather. Yes, I realize I'm a bit late on this one -- but my camera died before I'd uploaded the pictures, and has been in rehab ever since!

Sadlly, we didn't get actual snow. Instead, we had freezing rain and tiny, tiny pellets of ice. By the next morning, every surface outside was coated in a sheath of ice.

The thin layer crusted over the ground was made up of tiny pellets -- like the little silica gel pieces tucked away inside shoes and handbags (C'mon, I know I'm not the only one who cut one open out of curiosity -- I couldn't resist with all of those dire warnings printed all over the packet). Too crunchy to make a snowman, but not as slippery as plain ol' ice, either.

It's really kind of pathetic how anything of this sort sends the South into shut-down. But remember (and I'm talking to those of you who live up North and routinely drive up and down icy mountains without a second thought), this kind of weather is so rare for us that we have no experience. With my husband away on a military detachment and a car with a rogue battery, we didn't mind being iced in for a day or two! The kids haven't seen "snow" since our trip to Newport last year, which I doubt they remember. I had a blast watching them toddle around, wrapped up in whatever assortment of winter gear I could rustle up.

And now comes the rollercoaster of Winter-Summer-Winter-Summer that we in Florida call "Spring." Seriously, it was 70 degrees outside a week after I took these photos...

So This is Florida

There are no snow angels in Florida. As far as I'm concerned, this is a major state oversight.

But somehow Florida manages to make up for it. Despite this shocking lack of seasonal cheer, Winter in Florida can be wonderful.








































Yes, Floridans deserve to be pitied. After all, we must endure sniffles without snowballs, and at Christmas time we are oft subjected to the sight of tacky seasonal displays featuring Santa in swim trunks riding behind ranks of dolphins.

But, after all, this is Florida.



And this is worth it.

Seasonal Loveliness