Cold and Snowy
We started the week with extremely cold weather. Unpleasantly so. The wind was blowing off the lake onto the shore right up the hill. We experienced something we hadn’t ever before because just this past summer we put in screens on our covered porch. The screens caught the frozen air and turned completely white. With the light behind the screens it cast a shadow of the giant Birch tree. Sort of an eerie screen scape but very beautiful too. I believe it is called hoar frost where moisture in the air freezes on contact because the air is well below freezing temperatures. We had two such mornings that turned our world into a fairy land of white on everything.
I did manage to get in two good long walks with the dogs and with my brother. The first one was actually really lovely despite the cold because the sun was out and kind of warmed you up a little. I was feeling very cabin feverish so needed to get outside for a good long period of time. Now I remember why I like being in South Carolina in the winter. No worries about falling on the ice and it’s usually warm enough to walk comfortably.
One thing I have learned from walking in the cold is that it is important to put on some skin protection on my face. A few years ago a wonderful esthetician gave me the cream that I use. Maybe it works because I have three complete strangers tell me in the last couple of weeks that I have beautiful skin. Hmmm- maybe they look at my silver hair and expect major wrinkles???
Travel to The Wedding
The highlight of the week was travelling to Woodstock Vermont for our nephew’s wedding. Such a magical place to be at this time of the year. The entire town is decorated for Christmas with each and every house looking very festive. The Woodstock Inn is truly beautiful and such a treat. John and I went down on Thursday so we could help my sister with preparations the next day. We stopped in Lyndonville, Vermont at The Lyndon Freight House for lunch. I was so pleased to be reminded that this place serves locally sourced and organic food, a very different menu selection, lots of healthy options and is reasonably priced. I am always pleased when I find a restaurant that serves healthy food. I had a wonderful Roasted Squash Salad with organic greens, feta cheese, dried cranberries and pecans with an apple cider vinaigrette. If you are driving up or down I-91 in Vermont, it is worth a stop. Click on the link to see more information about them.
In the lobby of the Inn is a giant gingerbread house. Yes, it is edible. You might be able to see where some of the children had tried to eat pieces of the cookies by the door. My great niece who is 17 months old, just loved the house and played there with my granddaughter with lots of giggles and squeals of delight.
A picture is worth a thousand words. You can just imagine it. It was so very special to gather with family and close friends to celebrate at this wedding. The nephew is my sister’s elder son. Family on both sides showed up to cheer them on. We had a wonderful rehearsal dinner at the Suicide Six ski area on Friday and then the wedding on Saturday. Lots of opportunity to visit and catch up especially with cousins who live on the west coast. This is our first Christmas without my mother so it was especially good to have this happy event to focus our attention on. I feel sure she was there in spirit. She loved the Woodstock Inn and would have truly loved being at this wedding if she could have been but we celebrated and told ourselves she definitely would have approved. We did it Gran style!!!
Holiday Hint
Hara Hachi Bu -Enjoy Food and Lose Weight With This Simple Japanese Phrase I found this article while reading during the week. Click on the link to read more about it. It really is simple, stop eating when you are 80% full, probably easy for anyone to do. Let me know what you think.
A Recipe to Share
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 large white onions, diced
3 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
3 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (42-ounce) container dairy free creamy tomato soup
1 teaspoon chili powder
3 (10-ounce) packages frozen “beefy” crumbles*, optional
*These are a vegetarian substitute for beef. I’m not a huge proponent of manufactured foods so I would probably use ground bison or ground turkey. This recipe is for those who want dairy free and meat free.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large (6-quart) cast-iron or enameled Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the “beefy” crumbles, if using, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the crumbles have thawed, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, soup, and chili powder.
- Stir well, transfer to oven, and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring every 30 minutes, until it cooks down to chili consistency.
Pictures from the Wedding
From left to right: William Hall, Heather & Nicholas Hall, Krista Hall Nero (my sister’s children)
And our beautiful family: Libby, Katie, me, John, Margot, Hadley and Jack.
We clean up pretty well I think. Have a wonderful week and enjoy your family and friends during the next busy few weeks.
Love Louise