Even if I had wanted to get up at 4 a.m. to see the full lunar eclipse I wouldn’t have been able to see it because we got snow and the sky was clouded over. Oh well.

Today has been a mix of lolling around and cooking, cooking, cooking. It the one time of year I cook as many of you know. But Bookman still helps out because, well, I tend to put together such elaborate solstice menus I need help to make it all happen. Here is what we had today:

That’s hot and sour soup bubbling away on the stove. It came out sooo good. Add a splash of hot sesame oil when serving for a nice kick and a runny nose.

So much chopping this year! On the plate going clockwise starting with the rice: rice (heh), sweet and sour Chinese tofu balls (homemade sweet and sour sauce on those babies!), spring roll (wrapped in rice paper with carrots, bean sprouts, cellophane noodles, ginger, garlic, and red bell pepper), and “chop suey” (that’s what the recipe called it but while we used the spicing we played with the veggie combination: bamboo shoots leftover from the hot and sour soup, water chestnuts leftover from the tofu balls, garlic, onion, broccoli, purple cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts and bok choy). It all came out so yummy.

And of course, there is dessert:

That’s a chocolate mint cupcake with chocolate mint “buttercream” frosting and chocolate ganache drizzled to make it pretty.

It’s been a marvelous day topped my a marvelous feast shared with my marvelous Bookman. I am one very lucky and grateful girl.

And while the winter gets colder for the next month and half, the sun shines bright and clear in the frigid air and the days get gradually longer, making the cold more bearable. Nature’s way of compensating.

Happy Solstice Everyone!