Woke up to freezing temperatures but brilliant sunshine this morning. So much for it being the first day of Spring! We lost the sun before noon and had snow flurries (at one point a blizzard for half-an-hour) for most of the afternoon. Now the sun is back (4:00 pm) and everything is starting to drip. Shovelled the first layer of snow but will leave the rest to melt, hopefully by the weekend.
A couple of posts ago I had documented how my spring bulbs were coming along. Now they are once again poking through a layer of snow. It's amazing how they survive several thaw/freeze cycles with only a little damage to their leaves. It will still be some time, however, until we have flowers. Winter has felt unnaturally long this year!
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| After today's snow |
A few days ago I made a batch of chutney that I think will be a staple in my fridge. It's a chunky mix with just the right elements of sweet and sour. I had it last night with a baked breaded Basa fillet and enjoyed the contrast to the crispy fish. Quinoa casserole and steamed broccoli rounded out the meal. Quite a gourmet experience! Here's the recipe.
I had to cook it for quite a bit longer than specified to get the required consistency, however I did have it on a very low simmer (scared of burning it!). Also, I used brown sugar as I like the slightly molasses flavour you get with it.
Winter Fruit Chutney
3/4 cup quartered pitted prunes 1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup quartered dried apricots 1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 onion, chopped 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tart apple, peeled and finely chopped 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped drained, seeded, canned tomatoes
1/4 tsp. each black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt
In saucepan bring prunes and apricots and 1 cup water to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes.
Stir in all other ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 50 to 60 minutes or until thickened. Fill sterilized jars. Store in fridge after opening.
Enjoy!
Judy sure knows how to pick a good ski day! Brilliant sunshine but still cool temperatures so we had slightly fast, icy conditions in the morning which softened a bit by noon without becoming mushy.
Elliot and Natalie were on their second and third days ever of skiing, respectively, and did amazingly well! The hills at Uplands are just their speed and they became more confident on the chair and the slopes as the morning progressed. Bonus: it was "Customer Appreciation Day" with tickets at half price. Uplands is only 20-30 minutes from both our homes so we had plenty of skiing and were home in time for lunch, tired but exhilerated.Here they are at the top of the hill on their first run. Natalie: "Let's go!". Elliot: "I'm not sure about this". But by the time they reached the bottom of the hill, you can see his expression says. "That wasn't so bad". Later we took a break and continued for quite a few more runs before heading home. Better to quit while they were having fun than wait until they'd had it.
Cold but sunny today so I decided to get my bike out of winter storage (upside down on a sheet of plastic in the garage), checked tire pressures (with thumb) and set off for a trial run. Roads were dry but had to watch for icy patches.North wind in my face going out but at my back coming home, utterly exhausted and sweating! I am definitely out of shape, and that was after only a couple of kilometres. Knees are complaining already and will be stiff tomorrow.
As you may know I had a broken fibula in the fall (long story - suffice to say I was chasing James, uphill and down, and on the "down" slipped on wet grass and heard the bone crack as I landed - crutches for 3 weeks). While recovering and not walking too well, the doctor suggested swimming or cycling for exercise so I did take the bike out a few times before the weather put a stop to that. I hope to get more use of it this year.
A few days ago I made a batch of chutney that I think will be a staple in my fridge. It's a chunky mix with just the right elements of sweet and sour. I had it last night with a baked breaded Basa fillet and enjoyed the contrast to the crispy fish. Quinoa casserole and steamed broccoli rounded out the meal. Quite a gourmet experience! Here's the recipe.
Cold but sunny today so I decided to get my bike out of winter storage (upside down on a sheet of plastic in the garage), checked tire pressures (with thumb) and set off for a trial run. Roads were dry but had to watch for icy patches.North wind in my face going out but at my back coming home, utterly exhausted and sweating! I am definitely out of shape, and that was after only a couple of kilometres. Knees are complaining already and will be stiff tomorrow.
As you may know I had a broken fibula in the fall (long story - suffice to say I was chasing James, uphill and down, and on the "down" slipped on wet grass and heard the bone crack as I landed - crutches for 3 weeks). While recovering and not walking too well, the doctor suggested swimming or cycling for exercise so I did take the bike out a few times before the weather put a stop to that. I hope to get more use of it this year.
