It has been a snowier than usual winter this year and last night we got about another four inches. Today is sunny and beautiful but not the kind of day to venture out. Our high might reach 0 F. The wind is blowing hard and bitterly cold and wind chills are dangerous at -26 F.
Even the Green Man in the garden looks a little cold
The gnome is frosty but he is still smiling, probably because his smile is frozen
But indoors we are cozy and warm
My Bookman is working today, but he will come home to a delicious Solstice dinner made by me, one of the few times a year I actually cook. This evening’s menu:
Seitan (homemade) with chile chocolate mole (chocolate at dinner seems so decadent)
Sauteed collard greens
Sparkling apple cider
Dessert: gingerbread cupcakes with lemon “creamcheese” frosting
I hope all of you are warm and snug on this first day of winter (unless you are in the southern hemisphere, then it’s the first day of summer!), a day worth celebrating if for no other reason than the sun will be coming back and the days will be getting slowly longer. Even though the coldest part of winter is still ahead, the growing daylight always holds the promise of spring.
Happy Solstice Everyone!
Ooh! I love seitan. I once tried to cook some I found in a health foods store, but I botched it horribly. Unfortunately, only one restaurant around here makes it, and I don’t get there too often. Is homemaid seitan difficult to make?
Yum! Mole sounds so good. You’ll have to send me your seitan recipe, I’ve never made it! We’re having homemade 10-bean soup, maybe plus gingerbread cookies.
Merry Midwinter! And congratulations on the new job!
I’ve never even heard of seitan, I’ll have to find some and try it out. Happy Solstice Day! I must be the one person on earth that really loves the short days and long nights.
The menu sounds yummy.
What time should I arrive?
[And Dickens and Waldo, so cozy they make me want to have a nap right now...]
Happy Solstice to you too!
Its like Spring in England, worryingly warm with no rain or ice for days, hopefully it’ll stay that way for a while. Here the whole country stops when it snows, I get to stay home as the schools shut even after an inch or so
Mmmm, gingerbread cupcakes! Waldo and Dickens are so adorable! Happy Solstice to all!
Hey Stefanie,
Congrats on the new job!!! Tubalis and all the peeps there will miss you a ton, I’m sure. Happy Solstice to you — stay warm! I was happy to read in this posting about the days starting to get longer now; very exciting. take care,
sarah
How comes your snow looks inviting but the stuff I get here in the UK just causes a break down of everything?
Always looks picturesque in the countryside but thats where it should stay! You can tell I am not a great lover of the stuff.
Happy Solstice – the gardener in me tells me it will now not be too loing before the green shoots start to appear – hooray!
Well done on your new job. And thanks for sharing your snow pictures. No snow here, but very grey and overcast. Most things ready for Christmas now, so time to pick a suitably seasonal book (I’m thinking of Wintersons ‘Tanglewrack’ as it looks quite magical and unlikely) and hope for lots of rectangular presents under the tree. Best wishes to you and your, see you in the new year!
Those kittens sure do look cozy! We’ve had an unusually cold and snowy winter so far too — I’m hoping this means a milder January, but who knows. I’m so happy that longer days on are on the way!
Happy Solstice! The dinner sounds wonderful, a great celebration meal. In that kind of weather, staying inside and feasting sounds perfect!
Your menu sounds wonderful! Were the cupcakes the ginger ones from Vegan Cupcakes take over the world? Those are so pretty.
It’s pretty darn snowy here. Two blizzards in one weekend (one Friday and one Sunday) means that I had to wade through waist high snow to get to the street so I could walk to work today. No sidewalks anywhere…
Happy Solstice, and please send some of that snow my way (freezing cold temps here, but No snow
!). And, umm…where are the recipes (most especially for dessert)?
bibliolatrist, seitan is super easy to make and it is lots cheaper to make than to buy. I will send you the recipe
Daphne, yum, bean soup and gingerbread cookies sounds delicious. I will email you the seitan recipe.
wil, thank you! And merry Midwinter to you too!
Carrie, seitan is very yummy. You can find it the cold section of the natural foods store. If you have a Whole Foods they very likely have it near their refrigerated tofu.
Cipriano, show up any time, we’ve got leftovers!
jgodsey! Thank you!
Katrina, I hope you get to keep your warm weather for awhile.
Sylvia, thanks! And the same to you and yours!
Sarah! Hi! Thanks!
Bob, snow that is not your own always looks inviting
Winter lasts a long time here. The snow won’t be gone until April. But if nothing else, winter teaches patience and endurance!
jem, I’ll send you some snow if you want it, we have extra! Enjoy your book and may there be many rectangular presents awaiting you
Dorothy, I’ve been hearing about all the snow and cold out there too. It is an odd kind of winter. We are also hoping that January will be more mild but we aren’t hoping too much.
jenclair, thank you! Yes, weather like this does not require any excuses for staying indoors!
Melanie, oh yes, that’s where the cupcake recipe is from, though they don’t look as fancy as the ones in the book since I just slap the frosting on them
I hope you get dug out of all that snow!
Emily, thanks! The seitan and mole recipe can be found in Veganomincon and the cupcakes are in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I suspect you would enjoy both of those cookbooks.
Happy Winter Solstice, Stefanie! So glad to know you are cozy indoors and with a lovely meal planned!
I am home in Seattle with my (18 year old) kittens. Mom doesn’t let them go outside, so they are happy to have me in the country to spring them for some exercise in the (snow-covered) yard.
I hope you are all having a Merry Christmas and finding much joy in the season.
litlove, thank you! It was a good day.
Bikkuri, my kitties don’t go outside but we keep talking about bringing in a pan of snow because they love the snow that comes in with the dog and on our boots. And thank you. I hope you and yours are enjoying the holiday and your time at home.
I’m a little late–but I hope you had a lovely Solstice! It seems fitting that it should be so snowy and white on the longest day of the year. It’s all downhill from here, right?! Stay warm!
Happy Solstice, Stefanie.
Danielle, thank you, yes it was lovely and tasty and you are right cold and snowy was very appropriate for the day!
Susan, thank you!