soup

Soup is pretty much a perfect meal for me. I could eat it daily for lunch, year round, but in the winter eating soup is a sure way to stay warm. Pictured above is Melissa Clark's Red Lentil Soup with Lemon, which I wrote about here a few years ago. Still a favorite, I put it back into a seasonal rotation; this time with extra carrots.

now it is december

Although many consider the solstice to be the beginning of winter, my less conventional but absolutely regional marker is the first snow. By that token, winter is here. We've had several snow falls and an abundance of cold, which has enabled the snow to "stick." The only way I'm going to make it through winter is to get a good attitude, even though my handsome husband says it is okay to be cold. So, I am attempting to make the most of nicer days (i.e., no windchill, sunshine) with longer dog walks. And, since oldest son has joined the Nordic team at school, I'm contemplating taking up cross-country skiing again.