It is light outside at 4:30 p.m. again.For years, this has been an important benchmark for me, this lengthening of the days. While I love the blue hour that descends upon us in early November, when the lamps inside take on a cozier glow against the lowering night, I also appreciate the first stirrings of spring that come in midwinter. The lighter skies as I head out the back door of my office toward my car, the red glow in the sky as February approaches, the pots of forced blooms at the local florist. The feeling some mornings that spring is on the way.
It is a false hope, an illusion. So? I relish it just the same.
January has been a crazy month, full of plans for spring and surprises. But I am sticking to my plan to eat more whole grains, even if my meals are not stellar enough to share with you here.
My husband has been the chef the past several weekends. That is fine with me.
But I am itching to get in the kitchen.
How is your winter going?
26 comments:
I too notice the days getting longer -- light enough for me to drive until 5:00 is one of my benchmarks. I've been craving soup, cooking soup, stockpiling soup, and writing recipes for soup. And shoveling snow! That pretty much sums up the first few weeks of 2008.
I've been enjoying the longer days and cooking comfort foods that take time and are so wonderful for freezing and leftovers. After some frigid weather we are enjoying a 55 degree weekend. Alas it will be in the 30 tomorrow again but it sure has felt good.
Hi Mimi, well its summer here and we still have had little rain. Getting worried.
When you mentioned the blue hour I thought of the famous Guerlain perfume " L' Heure Bleue " ! Maybe a shot of that will dampen the "cabin fever" my cousin in Minnesota tells me about.
Sending sunshine to you - will you send me some rain?
Lydia and Judy, your respective kitchen activities sound wonderful. I have been dealing with a lot of different things at my job - I am not complaining, mind you - and I have missed kitchen life.
Lady Jicky, I can sent some precipitation your way - it would be snow, but it would melt before it got there.
I must order some "L'Heure Bleu" sometime - I can recall seeing the ads for it years ago - a blue view of the Seine at dusk...
I've also noticed the days getting longer too, although we had a blizzard here today,which is thankfully letting up. I've also been cooking comfort foods such as beef stew and a good chicken tortilla soup, it's definitely the weather for those right now.
I totally have the winter blahs. We finally had temps in the double digits today and it was so nice! I sense that it is just spring teasing us, but I'll take it!
Eileen, we are about to get rain and then an ice storm. Oh joy.
Kristen, same here - I think we were in the uppers 20s for the first time in weeks.
I say enjoy the warmer days and keep making comfort food...
But I do love the winter. Cold cheeks and hot soups by the fire! I melt in the summer.
I wonder if I don't toally agree, Tanna - and perhaps I just don't realize it. I am always happier this time of year.
The only redeeming quality of winter to me is the comfort food it brings with it. I'm definitely done with winter now, and I'm not looking forward to the weather over the next day or two.
I've been biding the time by going over all the beautiful seed catalogs that have been trickling in. I can't wait to see green grass again.
I think it is the anticipation of what lies ahead that makes me enjoy winter, Erika!
I am not looking forward to the next few days, either.
Hi Mimi, I took a break from ark-building and made a big pot of chile verde. Super comfort food. It is cold and rainy and nasty here....and now my roof leaks. Argh.
The gradual lenghtening of days, just one month after the solstice, makes my heart grow light. When I can return home from a day of work and still be able to take a walk in the daylight - that's something!
I hope your work isn't getting you down, Mimi. I know you love being in your kitchen and I'm sorry that you're not getting the time there that you need.
Because of our 'position' in the time zone we have light until almost 6pm, even in December... What I love is having it light in the morning before 9 am. This morning it was light at 8:30. Heaven! One even feels like getting out of bed!
Don't know if I've quite realized the days are longer, except that I had to adjust the timer that turns on our lamps. Still, I often look at the winter solstice as a turning point, that the worst is over, in a way.
Winter comfort food remains on the menu: soups, pot roast, more potatoes than usual...love those carbs!
Be well,
CL
Along with lady jicky I will send you all some sunshine (but I don't necessarily want rain in return ;)). We are having a brilliant summer here in Auckland. It would be nice to roll in some of your snow for a few moments to cool down. I guess we always want what we don't have ;)
Hi Mimi - Southern California has been a quite rainy this year, but mostly sunny and beautiful. Our cold is not nearly like yours, so I'm gonna blow some warm sunshine kisses to ya!
I'm almost ashamed of talking about winter, since that word has a totally different meaning here in southern California! But it HAS been rainy and colder than usual. And I make a point of visiting my place in New Mexico in the winter, so that I can have that cold nose and warm food experience!
Mary Ruth, we had rain and ice and snow yesterday and today, bitter cold. Argh indeed.
Christine, my heart feels the same way! Lighter - and I know the bad weather is temporary and makes spring so much sweeter.
Katie, I look at the ET Web cam several times a day and it always amazes me how light it still is in early evening. Another reason to love France.
Carbs! Chris, I always sneak more into my diet in winter, at least until the worst is over.
Fiona, if we could only trade off a few hours in each other's climate for some relief - it would make winter more bearable for me!
Thank you, White on Rice! (Wish I were there!)
Toni, I am so envious!
I don't care if it's an illusion! Just the sight of those forced hyacinths at the local grocers is enough to make my heart sing! A cheap thrill, I say! For around $7 I can have the scent of spring for nearly 2 weeks! A small price to pay, till I can have the real deal.
I'm with you, Cyn. It smelled like spring in my office. Gotta get more this weekend.
I love it when my hubby gets in the kitchen. He's been on a bread-making kick lately, and he has made some amazing breads. Me... not so much cooking lately. It's nice to have a break, although this particular hiatus was instigated by a knee injury which was not so nice! But a bonus has been that time off my feet has meant more time to draw and read... which I have loved.
Blessings,
Christi
Charm & Grace Blog
That is a bonus for you, Christi, especially since you are such a talented artist.
Tonight, I am in the kitchen, though. It was inevitable!
I love that—"the blue hour." Lovely images in this post. My winter is going . . . OK. I feel like hibernating, like the bears, but of course I can't (so unfair!). Lots of soup. And today, K's chili, for the Super Bowl.
Lisa, hibernate is exactly what I want to do, too. Thank goodness for coming home to chili and soup and stew....
I'm glad to see the days getting longer -- but February is traditionally a depressing month for me. And this year there's one more day of it! We'll see...
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