Woke up to about five inches of new snow, the world is lovely and white again. Sun shining and bitter cold. Seven (7) degrees and windy. Typical for January in New Hampshire.
Walking This Week
It’s been a mix of outdoor walks on The Morris Trail with the dogs and indoor walking on the Peloton for me. Winter is not the easiest of time to walk in New Hampshire. There is ice and snow and cold winds but there are also days of brilliant sunshine and bluebird skies that make one glad to be alive. The air is clear and while very dry – just check out the static electricity in your hair – it is so good to breathe it in deeply and cleanse your lungs. The woods have their own healing vibe as you can lose yourself in wondering just what little critters are hiding in the leaves or the hollows of the trees or maybe even burrows that you can’t see. What I can see is footprints. We now know we have a resident bobcat, thanks to a photo from our neighbor, and the hundreds of footprints that I see in the snow. The turkeys are everywhere as they are often on our road and I see their footprints in the snow on our walks. Of course there are deer prints as well but we haven’t actually seen any which is no surprise with three dogs in my company. The days are definitely getting longer but we are leaving some of the outside lights on the trees for a little while longer just to provide a little cheeriness at dusk.
January Things To Do
I spent a lot of time this past week working on a Petition with some colleagues. I have never been involved in local government but am now curious about it. I have friends who are select persons and on the school board and other town committees and I want to learn more about it. Along with doing volunteer work at our church Thrift Shop, I went to the library for a couple of hours on two days to help get a warrant petition signed. What I found fascinating was the mix of people who came in to sign it and they just wanted to talk. It was a very pleasant experience and gave me an opportunity to be at the library. We are very lucky here in New London to have a wonderful, welcoming library. My grandchildren have spent quite a bit of time there, I have not but that is going to change. When we first moved here we were in the middle of Covid and we didn’t go anywhere. I got quite used to that way of living. Now I need to get out more and see people.
Garden Club Animals
Can you guess what this is? A member of our New London Garden Club created it as part of a really fun demonstration of how to make animals out of plant, fruit, vegetable and any other matter you might have on hand. What an entertaining way to spend a cold January afternoon. I am always amazed at how creative this group is. They need people like me who can’t do that sort of thing but can appreciate it. There is a role for everyone, right? (Answer – a lion)
Cooking This Week
Bakc to basics and out came the Big Batch Adventist Soup Recipe once again. Our neighbor had some major surgery about two weeks ago and we have been providing soup and stew and easy to warm up meals for her husband to eat when he got back from the hospital. Nothing is better than a home cooked meal ready to warm up in a few minutes. We have made split pea soup and mushroom soup and now the vegetable soup which is my favorite.
Here is the recipe:
Big Batch Adventist Vegetable Soup from Blue Zones
INGREDIENTS
4 carrots, diced
4 to 6 stalks celery, diced
Big handful of diced shallots
1⁄2 cup sliced peppers (red or yellow bell peppers work nicely)
2 tablespoons olive oil 4 potatoes, large diced
4 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs oregano
1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon vegetable base
1⁄2 cup carrot juice
12 cups vegetable broth
Large handful of uncooked lentils and/or brown rice
2 to 3 splashes of white or rosé wine, or bourbon (optional)
1⁄2 the zest and all the juice of 1 tangerine or small orange
Handful of chopped flat leaf parsley (optional)
DIRECTIONS
In a large soup pot, sauté the carrots, celery, shallots, and peppers in olive oil over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.
Add all the remaining ingredients except the citrus and parsley to the pot.
Raise the heat to bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat for 45 to 50 minutes.
Finish by adding the citrus zest and juice, stirring to combine.
Add the parsley, if using.
*TIP: Customize this soup as you like! You can replace the lentils and/or brown rice with tofu, cooked grains, or pasta toward the end of the cooking time. Peas or edamame are also good additions.
