Warmth!

I had to see it to believe it.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

The goats like to huddle together for warmth. In the picture is Firefly, Junebug, Ladybug and Butterfly (her face is hidden.)













The sun!!! And sunshine over the barn. Looking forward to having sunshine in the house. Maybe my I'm-apathetic-about-everything-feeling will go away. Of course, the Happy Light and massive amounts of Vitamin D should help t0.

TTFN

Gingerbread Cookies

I love ginger. Ginger candy, Ginger cake, ginger as a secret ingredient (perfect in chicken soup) and gingerbread cookies! They are THE perfect holiday cookie. This recipe is adapted from Saveur magazine. It is originally from an old bakery in Stockholm, Sweden.

This article was first published in Saveur, Issue #125

3 3⁄4 cups flour

3 tsp. ground cloves

3 1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 1⁄2 tsp. ground ginger

1 1⁄4 tsp. baking soda
I also put in a 1/4 tsp. salt
11 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1⁄2 cup golden syrup or dark corn syrup (I used light corn syrup with a dash of molasses)

1⁄2 cup heavy cream (I used whole goat's milk.)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt, if using; set aside. In another large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and golden syrup using a handheld mixer set to medium speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, 1–2 minutes. Add the reserved spice mixture and the heavy cream in 3 alternating batches, beginning and ending with the spice mixture, until the dough just combines. Transfer dough to a work surface, divide in half, and shape each half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 1 hour.







2. Heat oven to 350°. Unwrap 1 disk of dough and place on a floured work surface (preferably a cooler one). Using a rolling pin, roll dough to a 1⁄8" thickness. Cut out cookies using the cookie cutters of your choice and place cookies 2" apart on parchment paper–lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, re-rolling scraps. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until browned and set, about 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Enjoy!




Now I just need to figure out a gluten free recipe.

TTFN!

First Cold Snap

It's been nasty cold. My brain has frozen. I'm questioning my sanity to live in a place like this, and do what I do. And I grew up here! Worst part is, it's only going to get worse. Sometime this winter, it will be -55F and I will still have to get up and milk goats. I will just keep telling myself that I am tough.

Looks Like Winter's Here to Stay...

Though the sun is out with full force right now! It's about 40F, and the eves are dripping.
I took these photos yesterday. I'm not quite used to it being winter yet. But I already have my lobens (winter boots) and my parka out. My summer clothes and shoes are almost put away for the next six months or so. Winter up here lasts for about that long. I call the seasons winter and not winter.










I have gotten a few more things up on my Etsy shop. I hope to put more up soon! I have told myself that I must put all the items that I have photographs for up before I make any plans for bizaars.

First Snow

It snowed last night; first time this fall. It's strange waking up to a suddenly changed landscape. I think I want to move in with my friend who lives in Florida. I can't face summer being gone just yet.

No Snow Yet...

It still hasn't snowed. But I'm not complaining! These past few days have been gorgeous. It had rained and frozen on Friday night, but Saturday was clear and almost sixty degrees. It feels like September, though all the trees' leaves are gone.
The goats unfortunately have been wrecking my unprotected greens. They are also the only green things around anymore. But I harvested most of the rest of the garden on Saturday, except for some carrots. It will have to be snowing before I take those in. The plot and beds look lonesome. But this is their time to rest, and mine too.

Poem for Solstice

Dawn and dusk merge to
one, whether the days are short
or night never comes.

Happy Winter Solstice!

Today the sun rose at 10:58 am and set at 2:30 pm. There was six hours and thirty-two minutes of visible light. Tomorrow will be nine seconds longer. Not a lot, but an improvement.
It's been negative twenty below or colder for most of December. The holidays make the lack of light and cold easier. The goats and I have been stuck inside most of the time. I feel so blah. I can't seem to get anything done. The cold and dark seem to seep inside my head and I can't think straight. I'd prefer to hibernate most of the time.

TTFN!

Winter Cometh

Winter settles like
a default setting. Once here,
it's always been here.