Thanksgiving

Well, it was a snowy start to Thanksgiving week in Michigan.

But then that all melted and I got down to the business of cooking for family.

It was pretty much the usual things one makes. The (beloved?) green bean bake. Our sweet potatoes and apples. My best-ever gravy. My favorite, the cranberries. 

Plus, this pumpkin cheesecake. 

I was happy to be near the very lovely English Gardens, where I got this poinsettia (a pink more unusual than the photo shows) and two amaryllis, which I planted for my parents.

The radar says it's raining

but it isn't. Mysterious.

It's Spring, so here's some asparagus soup.

And something I've wanted to try for some time: brown bread a la The Cheesecake Factory. Molasses + honey + cocoa powder + espresso powder = that color and flavor, pretty much.

And because one of my sisters asked about my new stove, here it is. Same as the old one... minus the cracked cooktop, of course.

February

Two days without snow—but now, a lot. Eight inches? More? Something like that. School is canceled, which is almost unheard of.

Here's some roasted butternut squash soup with curry. Sweet and spicy. With an attempt at fancy decorating...

And another loaf of the very delicious wheat germ bread.

The Long Winter

It's snowing. Again.

Anyway!

Here's yesterday's bread, a wheat germ loaf that is maybe The Best Bread Ever.

And for dinner, lemon & feta risotto, which never really photographs that well, alas, but was very good. And some sautéed spinach. Again, not the most photogenic, but pleasing nonetheless. Unlike the snow, which, though also not that easy to photograph, is—sigh—not that pleasing either. Yes: pretty... for a while, but then—.

And here's my helper, dutifully watching while I shovel the driveway yet again. I don't know why I bother since the roads (hills!) are treacherous here so I'm not going anywhere, but one likes to feel like one could, maybe.

Another snowy day

It's snowing. Again. That's all there is to say about that.

I've got some wheat germ bread in progress, but for now: croutons made from the harvest grains bread and chunky tomato soup. Why chunky? Because I didn't feel like puréeing it. Messy. Also, I like the actual tomatoes still visible. Seems hearty, and appropriate for a cold day.

To the finished soup, I added a little buttermilk blue cheese. 

As for the snow, I guess I can say this: the flakes are movie-sized but coming down a tad faster than they would on the big screen. 

Oh, and it rained all day

I meant to say that. And maybe the rain accounts for the porridge. Both out of a fairy tale.