A Winter Walk ~ February Thaw

Hi! It's the February Thaw, tah-dah, winter's version of "Indian Summer".

Oh what a difference a week makes. Many of us went from single digit temps to this week's balmy almost-60 degrees. Yesterday I  set aside projects and housework and headed down to the beach to see what was going on.

It takes a true beach lover to discern beauty in this wintry landscape. The high winds last week brought down many of the beautiful tall beach grasses and sent the birds off and away to more hospitable areas. It's hard to find color or beauty but there is peace and calm instead. [sort of...]

Even the sand is ugly, marred by footprints and the deep gouges from the trucks' tires, that black line on the horizon.

On the boardwalk, I looked down as always...

...seeing the tiny tracks of the hidden residents of the dune.

Amusing how they follow our man made path.

Up close there are beautiful patterns, berries and weeds to admire.

The red berry and single thin grass stem centered themselves and drew this perfect circle.

But then as I approached the open beach, ahead loomed the huge work trucks.

They are so big and loud and scary. I  know they are doing good work, but I kinda hate them. The winter peace of my beach is mauled and shattered, starting dawn, through til late afternoon.

They've made themselves quite the little city out here: porta-potties, office trailers, a wind break truck, massive stacks of supplies, and SUVs galore.

The big trucks have created, uncaring, a deeply dug and ugly highway in the empty winter sand.

The ruts are deep and wide, and for me, with my sometimes hip pain it was hard to step down into the knee deep ruts then climb back up--again and again. Or--jump over, step over? Hahaha. It was too big a workout for me, I admit. I was very exhausted by the time I reached water's edge, had a brief panicked moment, could I manage the walk back home?

I stood and studied the waves, regrouping.

This is nice, isn't it.

So far the truck invasion has not damaged the ocean itself.

The shoreline is very barren, though.

Only a few bits came home in my pockets.

An angel wing shell, a red berry, and a washer for my oh-so-weird washer collection.

This collection is new and eccentric in an unattractively hoarder sort of way, I admit.

So strange, but starting at Christmas, every day when I walked Mo, I'd find a washer or a lugnut or a weird metal piece. I couldn't resist, I'd bring them home. Finally I started threading them onto an old piece of chain. There's one on the dunes that I can't reach, but it's painted bright turquoise. I can see it! I want it.

Found objects. Coin of the realm.

Do you find odd small objects? Do you bring them home? I passed up this treasure trove, below. Four big sturdy bushel [5 bushel?] baskets. They were waterlogged and too heavy for me to carry. The bases are wonderfully useful round wooden disks, 5/8" pine.

Once scrubbed and dried for months I use them for artwork and to cover my large  bowls of herbs.

Later Mo and I enjoyed the ''warm'' day.

We found, despite the 5* days, that the daffodils are bravely peeking out about 2 " already! So hopeful.

Indoor paper whites, after one week:

love


lizzy


gone to the beach...

 ***these photos were taken by a neighbor who I do not know and published on a local website. It seems our beach is graced with a snowy owl! I'm surprised because of the truck havoc. And I would dearly love to see the owl in real life.

Photos by MK.

The Winter Kitchen

Happy Weekend! Happy Groundhog Day!

 Hi, are we seeing a bit of  a warming trend?

I just walked Mo and it's 13 degrees. He seems to like the cold if the wind is still, but I'm pretty sure it's not too good for little ears and feet to be out too long.

One of my best ways to make the cottage at the beach cozy in the winter is to plan dishes that use the oven. I suppose it's not such an economy, but just as in the summer we crave cold crisp salads, in the winter we love something nourishing and HOT.

One of our favorites is roasted vegetables.

These are so versatile. I buy whatever I see in the market, whatever looks colorful, fresh and appealing. In this case, roasted ''baby'' [pretty big babies!] sweet potatoes, parsnips, tiny cipollini onions, and green cabbage.

 You do need to time these vegs as some cook  much faster than others. I plan 45-60 minutes for the sweet potatoes and parsnips, at 375*. Since the sweet potatoes were so big I cut them into sections similar to the size of the scrubbed parsnips [2'' x 3''?].

Coat very lightly or spray with olive oil. Parchment makes a good pan liner---I was out. Season to taste, with garlic, salt and pepper, caraway or fennel seeds. Or cinnamon and ginger instead? Hot paprika and curry?

After 2o minutes, open the oven, give the pan a shake. Add the onions and shake again to coat everything again w/ olive oil. Be sure to be stingy with the oil or the veggies will be greasy.]

In a separate pan, with a T of olive oil, add disks of washed and dried green cabbage. Flip them to coat with oil. Again season to your taste. Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning the disks over once.

This is a lovely side dish with chicken or beef; or as a component of a dinner salad, I esp like it with small roundels of warm goat cheese on baby greens. I also mix the veggies into various pilafs, farro is a current favorite. Also good on a baguette with honey mustard, or as a pizza topping...endlessly useful.

Any veg can be roasted, pretty much. Next week I hope to do tomatoes, whole garlic heads, eggplant rounds--and maybe fennel? Toss with whole wheat pasta, orchietta might be good, and fresh ground parm.

.............
Fruit Crisps

Another day I made a mixed fruit crisp. using this mix I found in the pantry drawer of  my fridge.

I had my heart set on the smells of baking apples and cinnamon! But found only one apple in the crisper. I also found  cherries, cranberries and dried apricots, so I soaked them overnight to soften them, drained and added a dollop of liqueur.

I used the crust as on the box, but used up some leftover pecan bits, just added in.

This was fragrant and delightful, though if I make it again I'll quarter the apricots because as they reconstitute they get kind of big, and I'll add oats to the  crumble topping of the crisp.

Served hot with a a little honey sweetened Greek yogurt. mmmm.

....
Artisan Bread

Then today and yesterday I finally made the very simple no knead artisan bread. HERE  I kept putting the project off because it's baked in a big dutch oven and I often need my dutch oven to prepare meals.

The dough is made up to 24 hours ahead. 4 ingredients! The house is so cold that the yeast didn't proof [nor does the recipe say it has to, just a habit.] The flour makes a sticky dough, more like spaetzle dough than bread dough. I left the dough overnight on the counter of my cold, cold kitchen. I was very surprised to see it bubbling and risen this morning. I left it, covered,  in the sunshine to continue whatever it does, til afternoon.

Once turned out, it forms a soft fragrant light round ball of dough. [lost the photo, too bad...]

Bake in a covered dutch oven at 450* [I have never had my oven that hot!]. For thirty minutes, then uncovered for 10 more. [no clue why the pan got those weird squiggles. My guess is the high heat erupted oils that have soaked into the unglazed cast iron rim, and the oils dripped down?

It makes a beautiful golden loaf of bread, maybe a bit too crusty for my taste---I need a better bread knife! I like a chewier crust, so next week I'll see how that is accomplished. Water in the hot pan I think..

Next time I won't wander off to the sewing room either: maybe I did the final minutes too long.

Easy fun, successful. Wow. a plus.

.....

Why was I wandering off to the sewing room? I wanted to finish prepping my January block, of "A Day in the Country": New Mittens---how perfect for January! --block one of set of almost vintage patterns, c 1993, by Sara Sporrer.

The patterns were a gift to me from my friend here, Penny. Hand carried all the way from South Africa! Her blocks are gorgeous,btw. I chose to reduce the size to 70% of the original. Aren't the woolly mittens adorable. I've always been a huge fan of Sarah Sporrer. This project dates from the time I was very influenced by my dad, who thought store-bought patterns were a crime. I'd see Sarah's designs at the quilt shop in Cape Cod, but he'd always pooh-pooh the very thought,lol. Well. Now it's my time to enjoy and have fun. I plan to make a largish throw, wool on cotton, with some cotton in the appliques and sashings too. I might even someday hang it up on my wall!?!
Thank you, Penny!

Have a great weekend and wonderful February [Already!?]

Mo doing a Puxatawny Phil impersonation.
"NO PEEKING!"

love

lizzy

gone to the beach......

"I can be a groundhog, mommy!"

"No shadow! Break out your flipflops!"

Seriously, on my way home yesterday afternoon, I saw a guy come out of the deli/ surf shop by the surfing beach---wearing shorts! Not a surfer guy either, a chubby hipster, hornrims, beard, pot belly.

PS This is an old photo I found, of a boat or ship ladder, beautifully greyed and worn. Driftwood. It was stuck frozen in the sand. I wanted to come back and bring it home for a quilt display piece. But when I returned the sand had shifted, and reclaimed its prize. 

My Pinterest board FOOD: HERE