Soup's On

As with much of the nation we are experiencing a blast of cold winter weather.
It's predicted for much of the coming week, so hearty soups are the go-to meal of the day.

 

 

I've made a fifteen bean soup today, chocked full of country ham, celery, onions, tomatoes, carrots, garlic, and chili spice.

Served with a slice of buttermilk cornbread, it's the ideal comfort food, on a blustery cold day.
Come join us for a bowl.

 

 

 

 

We'll leave the light on for you ! 

 

 

 

 

If you feel like making your own pot, here's the original recipe.

• 1 lb. smoked sausage, ground sausage (browned in pan), ham hocks or diced ham. Our favorite is to use a leftover hambone with some meat on it.

• 1 pkg of Hurst 15 Beans
  1 lg. onion, diced
  1 clove garlic, minced
  1 tsp chili powder (optional)
  1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz.)
  Juice from 1 lemon
  Bay Leaf

• 
  

• I also add:  

  Two stalks of celery
  Three cubed potatoes 
  Two sliced carrots

• Optional: Hot sauce or crushed red pepper to taste

 Original 15 Bean Soup® recipe Hurst Beans

Winter Days

We have had the strangest warm weather these past few days.

Here it is, the middle of winter, and the temperatures have reached a balmy 71 degrees yesterday, folks were running around town, in shorts and flip-flops !
The Iris shoots are popping up out of the ground, twelve inches tall already.

Today....all change.
We are in for a true taste of winter, temperatures down in the thirties and  nightly freezes are in the forecast.

A good excuse to stay home,  indulge in a nice pot of tea and left-over Christmas cake, and some rather lovely reading material.

Hope all is well and cozy in your little corner of the world.

  

                                                                                 🏡            

 

Snowflakes

Under a cold spell for the past few days, the resident deer have been showing up at the water trough.
A group of eight does, mamas and their babies.
All fat and healthy, they have quite a variety to choose from in the nearby pasture and woods.
My arborvitaes  however, seem to be their favorites.

 

 

 

 Out of the bosom of the air,
Out of the cloud-folds of her garment shaken,
Over the woodlands, brown and bare
 Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent, and soft, and slow
Descends the snow.

~~  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Nesting

 

"Surely everyone is aware of the divine pleasures which attend a wintry fireside; candles at four o’clock, warm hearthrugs, tea, a fair tea-maker, shutters closed, curtains flowing in ample draperies to the floor, whilst the wind and rain are raging audibly without."
 ~ Thomas De Quincey 1796 

 

 

Brambly Hedge : Illustrated by Jill Barklem

Winter Days

A damp and sunless morning.

The school bus went by when it was barely daylight, those little children have such early starts to their busy days.
I have a list of  chores as long as my arm waiting for attention, but my motivation seems to be running on empty.
The last of the Christmas decorations were returned to their boxes yesterday, although I felt the need to leave a set of  twinkling lights in the kitchen.
Sparkly encouragement is welcomed.