Good Food and Pleasant Company

Milder today, only -5C, and the wind has died down, but we are expecting a big snowfall overnight. The grandkids are here for a sleepover and I joked with them that we might be snowed in but they took me literally and got a bit freaked out. They are finally happily ensconced in front of the TV with the fire on, so I think the worry has passed!

    I went out for lunch today with the group I've joined to learn Mah Jong. We met at Casa Deluz, not for Spanish food, as you would suspect from the name, but for Dim Sum. We had a huge feed (really too much) and were there from 10:30 to noon; each dish is just $3 until 11:00 a.m. Lots of different dishes I had never tried before and most I liked. There were lots of leftovers which we divvied up - I got an egg tart - so good!

At last a quiet moment. They decorated the tree for me.

The end of the meal. We are all stuffed!

The desserts  - and, of course, lots of green tea!

Half way through the meal and still lots left to eat.

Sooo cold!!!

   It is barely winter and already I've had enough of it! The wind today was straight from the North Pole and so strong that I raced from house to car and back again - and I had neglected to wear my boots. The snow was piling up really fast. I hate to think what tomorrow morning will bring. In any case I will have the battery for the snowblower ready to go as I have a brunch date at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow.

   I accomplished quite a bit this morning - got my passport photos taken ($30, ouch!) and the application in the mail, Got to Mah Jong class just a bit late, and then an afternoon of Bridge. I played with Pauline but, even though we had some good hands, I think Bonnie and Dianne came out on top. A very slippery drive home - thank goodness it wasn't too far - and then home to effectively hibernate until the storm dies out.

   I didn't feel like cooking tonight so I've defrosted a few shrimp and will have them with leftovers from yesterday. There's also the jam turnover as a treat!

A Frustrating Search

   Yesterday, while at tennis, I got Hendrina and Carol to fill in the `references` section of my passport application. It is amazingly easy to get a new passport here - you just fill out the application and mail it in with your old passport (they will return it if you want it, which I do) and the payment of $160 (for the 10 year version). However, the hard part has proven to be getting a passport photo. Not any old photo will do - it has to be from a licensed photo shop. I knew of two places that did this but today I found that both have gone out of business. So tomorrow begins the search for another source. Wish me luck!

   After coming home from my shift in the kitchen at the Senior`s Centre (not much action so I closed up at 2:00p.m.), I set about making a couple of dozen sausage rolls for the party at Petronella tonight. This is my signature dish for pot luck parties and I had already made a batch for the Monday party. However, I didn`t get to try any of them as they went so fast so tonight I have made more. I had enough puff pastry left over to make a jam turnover and some cheese straws, which I ate right out of the oven, they were delicious.

    It was bitterly cold today and, although the thermometer reading was just -7C, the wind was so cold and strong it felt more like -17C. It`s not supposed to warm up until Saturday and (oh, joy) will also produce snow and freezing rain! I may just stay in all day.

These should go over well at the party! I will save the jam turnover as a treat for myself.

Here and There

   Tennis this morning with Carol, Hendrina and Joan. We played hard but stopped a bit early as Hendrina had to leave. I drove Joan to the bus stop on Don Mills - she has a long bus ride home but it was on my way.

   It was rather chilly this morning and a wind got up in the afternoon. I managed several chores after tennis - the library first then picked up a new spray bottle (for Windex) at the dollar store. Finally croissants and a poinsettia at the grocery store. In the afternoon I hit the bulk food store to replenish the dried fruit that went into the plum pudding and Christmas cake, and also more bread machine flour. Tuesday is Senior's discount day. Last stop was Wal-Mart for some seed bells for the birds. I will hang them on the hooks on the front porch where my hanging baskets go in the summer. It will take the birds a few days to find them then they will be well used.

  I am going to try to make falafels for dinner tonight as I bought a mix at the bulk food store. I will have them with a piece of salmon and cabbage. Stay tuned!

Later:

I got 8 falafel balls for just under $1. They were tasty but a little spicier than I usually like!