Baby, It's Very Cold Outside

Okay, so the day started like this. Richard's car wouldn't start. My car wouldn't start.

And after CAA left and my boosted car was running, I realized it really WAS that cold.

Edna's 90th Birthday

On Saturday, Richard and I attended our friend Edna's 90th birthday, hosted by our neighbours Bill and Dawn. Edna is Dawn's mum who lives in Victoria but has been down east visiting for the past while.

Outside it was sunny and a balmy (!) -20C.

Inside it was warm and toasty and lots of birthday fun! Here's Edna with her favourite boy Smoky (who I babysit from time-to-time). Happy birthday Edna!

Curled Up Cookie

With the wind howling outside during our first major winter storm, Cookie discovered an old granny-square blanket that I pulled out of a cupboard and tucked onto a sofa. She found it immediately and settled down for a better part of the day. Move over, Cookie!

Dueling Torpedoes

Richard and I use toboggans we've picked up at yard sales for dragging in the wood he's cut. (No motors for us!) I noticed that my toboggan, purchased a few years back has a funky label and says it's "Made in Canada." What's made in Canada these days?

When I looked at Richard's snazzy red striped sled, purchased just last year at a street sale (the price tag is still on it), his too is a Torpedo brand. Matching toboggans. Ain't that sweet?

Chicken with Olives and Apricots

I found this recipe in last weekend Ottawa Citizen and it's delicious and easy to make. Above is the chicken marinating...

And here it is once it's out of the oven. Loved it!

CHICKEN WITH OLIVES (and Apricots!)

This simple, savoury casserole is made in record time: The meat is marinated, then roasted. That's it! Makes: 4 servings

- 1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces, or use 8-10 wings or 8-10 chicken thighs

- 4 tablespoons (60 mL) olive oil

- 1/3 cup (75 mL) maple syrup or honey

- 1/3 cup (75 mL) vinegar (either cider, sherry or white balsamic)

- 2/3 cup (150 mL) chicken stock

- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons (10 mL) herbes de Provence

- 2 bay leaves, broken

- 1 cup (250 mL) pitted green olives

- 1/2 cup (125 mL) dried apricots, cut in halves or quarters

- Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Remove any excess fat from the chicken, if necessary. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl or in a large Ziploc bag. Before sealing the bag, press out as much air as possible. Let the meat marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to one night.

2. Preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C). Empty the ingredients from the bag into a 9-by 13-inch (23-by 33-centimetre) baking dish. Salt the chicken pieces on each side, then place them with the skin facing upward and distribute the other ingredients around them.

3. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, bast-ing the chicken pieces often during the final 30 minutes of the cooking time. Transfer the chicken pieces to a clean dish and serve.

Puffed Wheat Cake

This amazing confection comes all the way from Calgary, Alberta. The editor of the newspaper I work at brought back three tin-foil wrapped packages of this stuff to our office yesterday, directly from his trip back home. His mom kindly made Puffed Wheat cake for us and in a matter of minutes, it was gone.
My late mother used to make a similar treat: Rice Krispy squares, but she always added a square of unsweetened chocolate to it. This kind of reminded me of that.

• 1/2 cup butter 
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 6 heaping tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 10 cups of puffed wheat 

1. Combine butter, corn syrup, sugars and
   cocoa powder in a heavy saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil. (Very important)
3. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
4. Pour over puffed wheat
5. Mix well and press into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
6. Wet hands work better than greased hands to handle the
   stickiness so just moisten them with a bit of water.
7. Chill and cut into squares. Yum!

Winter Views

 I love this time of year when it's not too cold (-8C), there is a bit of snow on the ground and it's just plain fun to look around. Here a little eater left his dessert for a later date.

 Squirrels are great for piling their cones under a log and then retrieving them when they're hungry.

 Here's another spot where they were munching.

 Meanwhile, Richard has set up the winter bridge to span the Mighty Mogelon...

 And has begun skidding logs he cut the day before.

Our winter pile is just starting to form. Stay tuned.

Kitty Cuteness Alert!

Anything cuter than two little boys curled up on a chair in front of the fire on a cold night? Nahh...

For the Birds

Winter weather has brought the birds to the feeder. This handsome dark, speckled bird is the annoying starling. He looks pretty cute here, however, with the chickadee in front of him, vying for seeds.

Here's a little nuthatch hanging out under the suet feeder. Handsome devil!

Post Office Repurposing

 I was visiting my local post office (right before our first snow) and noticed this antiquated mailbag filled with geraniums, sitting on an old postal scale, sitting in the bright sun. The local postmistress did it to brighten the place up. She actually raffles off the flowers in spring, sans mailbag.

She pointed out another flower holder sitting on a shelf. She used an old uniform shirt and made it into a cache pot for some purple African violets. Very clever!

Cousins

It was nice to visit with cousins over the holidays. Bill and Ellen McQueeney from New Hampshire came up for a visit and a meal and headed back to Bill's mum's place in Waddington, NY, just over the border from Cornwall. Always a treat.

Bringing in the New Year

New Year's Eve is the time for sharing a meal of appetizers so this year I did a few nice platters. I loved the simple look of this one.

Caviar is du rigueur and in this case salmon roe did the trick.

I also thought that angels on horseback as well as devils on horseback would be a fun, retro hors d'oeuvres...

...and Richard did a great job preparing both.

How about curried deviled eggs topped with salmon roe?

For dessert, and closer to midnight, Natalie and Gordon had prepared a sumptuous chocolate fondue.

We all dug in! One dark chocolate fondue, the other a maple cream version.

Richard clearly enjoyed it...

We were all elbowing in for a taste of that fondue!

Natalie dug right in too.

Then it was time for silly masks!

And silly hats too!

And a champagne toast to 2012. Happy New Year everyone!

Acting silly is the perfect way to bring in the new year, right?

Merry Birthday Cake

I did this cake for Barb's 60th birthday. Since her special day coincides with Christmas, I figured I'd cover the cake with buttercream roses done in festive colours. Merry Birthday Barb!

Jack Then and Now

About five years ago this little guy showed up at my house. I already had five cats and figured I couldn't possibly take on another (crazy cat lady alert!) so I found a good home for him in Montreal.

His mum and dad went to Florida for a few weeks and didn't know where to board him. I was the logical choice! He's an absolute doll.

I haven't actually mixed him up with the others of my gang and he seems happy in his room full of blankets and toys. I don't want him to go back home!