“On a lone winter evening, when the frost has wrought a silence, from the stove there shrills, The Cricket’s song…” John Keats
Inspiration: In The Heart Of Winter… Tallin
I noticed winter’s frosty blanket
Outside my kitchen window
Everywhere and on everything…
It slows our pace and numbs our hands
It forces us to contemplate…
In the heart of winter, a warm dawn awaits
More below!
Posted in Grace & Gratitude, Positive Advice, Posts & Photos 2013
Tagged Change, creativity, Happiness, inspiration, life, mindful living, Musings, nature, Observations, poetry, postaday, reflections, Small Stones, Winter
“We cling to our own point of view, as though everything depended on it. Yet our opinions have no permanence; like autumn and winter, they gradually pass away.” Zhuangzi
Reflections: A Winter Eden... Tree meets home and snow...
Reflections: A Winter Eden... The family gathers in the snow...
Reflections: A Winter Eden... They look for bright berries...
A Winter Eden by Robert Frost
A winter garden in an alder swamp,
Where conies now come out to sun and romp,
As near a paradise as it can be
And not melt snow or start a dormant tree.It lifts existence on a plane of snow
One level higher than the earth below,
One level nearer heaven overhead,
And last year’s berries shining scarlet red.It lifts a gaunt luxuriating beast
Where he can stretch and hold his highest feat
On some wild apple tree’s young tender bark,
What well may prove the year’s high girdle mark.So near to paradise all pairing ends:
Here loveless birds now flock as winter friends,
Content with bud-inspecting. They presume
To say which buds are leaf and which are bloom.A feather-hammer gives a double knock.
This Eden day is done at two o’clock.
An hour of winter day might seem too short
To make it worth life’s while to wake and sport.
As Robert Frost aptly said, “You can’t get too much winter in the winter.” In lieu of words, of which I’ve said too much, I offer you pictures and poems on winter… Thank you for your kind and supportive words yesterday. Tomorrow I’ll resume connecting and commenting.
“Even in winter an isolated patch of snow has a special quality.” Andy Goldsworthy
Reflections: A Winter Eden... When ice meets snow...
Reflections: A Winter Eden... More deer do show up when it snows...
Reflections: A Winter Eden... The wind-chimes call us to see the height of accumulated snow
The Snow Storm by Edna St. Vincent Millay
No hawk hangs over in this air:
The urgent snow is everywhere.
The wing adroiter than a sail
Must lean away from such a gale,
Abandoning its straight intent,
Or else expose tough ligament
And tender flesh to what before
Meant dampened feathers, nothing more.
Forceless upon our backs there fall
Infrequent flakes hexagonal,
Devised in many a curious style
To charm our safety for a while,
Where close to earth like mice we go
Under the horizontal snow.
A curious thing happens on the way to meet winter from fall… The snow slows us down, the winds still our minds, and the starkness; the barrenness and the biting cold make us appreciate all that we see… Then we long for the lull to end so we can meet spring. More below… 
Posted in Love Life, Positive Advice, Posts & Photos 2012
Tagged Happiness, inspiration, life, Musings, poetry, Postaday2012, Postaweek2012, reflections, Snow, Winter
“Soup is a lot like a family. Each ingredient enhances the others; each batch has its own characteristics; and it needs time to simmer to reach full flavor.” Margaret Kennedy
Reflections: Staying Warm During Winter... Tom Yum Soup...
Reflections: Staying Warm During Winter... Vary Your Soup Spices and Flavors...
What are your favorite ways to stay warm in winter? During the winter time, we turn not only to warm clothing, well stocked fireplaces and heated homes, but also to comfort foods that nourish our insides and keep us warm and well fed. I love winter clothing; coats, boots, knit hats and gloves but better yet, I love hot soups. I enjoy eating a wide range of soups during the cold season and the best part is that we can also toss whatever left over vegetables and grain we have in our fridge in a pot, buy fresh vegetables and tofu which I do often, add some vegetable or chicken stock, and make a delicious quick soup. For this post, I’d love to share some of my favorite soups and, if possible, provide you with recipes to make them. Above is Tom Yum Soup.
Tom Yum Soup via AllRecipes.com
Prep Time:10 Min, Cook Time:40 Min, Ready In:1 Hr 10 Min, Serves: 4 -6 servings
Ingredients: 1/2 pound medium shrimp – peeled and deveined
12 mushrooms, halved
1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
4 cups water
2 lemon grass
4 kaffir lime leaves
4 slices galangal
4 chile padi (bird’s eye chiles)
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon hot chile paste
1 tablespoon tom yum soup paste (optional)
Directions: Trim lemongrass and cut into matchstick size pieces.
To make stock: Add the shrimp heads and shells to water, then cook for 20 minutes. Turn the fire off. Soak the heads and shells for further 20 minutes before discarding. Trim lemongrass and cut into matchstick size pieces. Add stock, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, chili padi, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chili paste to a pot and bring to a boil. After boiling for 5 minutes, add shrimps and both mushrooms. Cook for further 10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.
“It is impossible to think of any good meal, no matter how plain or elegant, without soup or bread in it.” M. F. K. Fisher
Reflections: Staying Warm During Winter... Chicken Noodle Soup...
Reflections: Staying Warm During Winter... Toss Your favorite Vegetables in a Soup...
Chicken soups come in all forms and people create their own recipes for them too. I love Matzo Ball Soup with vegetables and chicken stock with some chicken in it. Soups are great when we are not feeling well. I find that when I have a cold or begin to feel under the weather, a spicy soup like Tom Yum, a Mixed Vegetable, Chicken Noodle, or Chicken with Matzo ball soup does the trick in helping my immune system recuperate. Even though the pictures above are of a Chicken Noodle Soup, and a hearty Vegetable Soup, I have shared a Spicy Chicken soup recipe below. You can modify it by using fewer spices and skipping the sour cream…. What I love about soups is that we don’t have to be rigid with recipes, we can adapt and adjust them accordingly. Also, I use fresh not canned vegetables and we can swap items on the recipe lists. Do you have a favorite soup recipe? Don’t forget to check out one of my top favorite soups: The Carrot with Cashews & Ginger Soup… More Below.
Spicy Chicken soup via All Recipes.com
Prep Time: 15 Min Cook Time:30 Min Ready In:45 Min, Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients: 2 quarts water
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon onion powder
5 cubes chicken bouillon
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (16 ounce) cans chili beans, undrained
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
Directions: In a large pot over medium heat, combine water, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, onion powder and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken, reserve broth. Shred chicken.
In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Stir in salsa, diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, tomato soup, chili powder, corn, chili beans, sour cream, shredded chicken and 5 cups broth. Simmer 30 minutes.
Posted in Positive Advice, Post A Day 2011, Posts & Photos 2012
Tagged food, Happiness, inspiration, life, Musings, Postaday2012, Postaweek2012, recipes, reflections, soup, Winter
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