Winter Chill

I really feel I have not much to complain about - but this winter chill is so hard to get rid of! I live in a somewhat mild climate - far-northern California woods, a low sort of mountain range, actually the Southern Cascades, but also called the Klamath Siskiyou Mountains. There really isn't much snow here and when we get a few inches it melts. So who am I to complain about winter chill?

I live in an insulated cabin. I spend most of my time in a corner of my bedroom typing my heart out on this computer... for cash. Got to do it... this is my only income. Well, my dearheart spends most of his time on the opposite end of the cabin next to the woodstove. Thankfully he creates the fire each morning and takes care of all the firewood issues. That warms up the cabin and a bit of it eventually makes its way back to me.

Meanwhile - Brrrrrr! My little space heater (one of the tiny ones) really doesn't keep me quite as warm as I'd like. Solution: bundle up. I'm about to go put on my sweater so I can quit complaining about the winter chill.

Cooking Adventures in the Winter Kitchen

I love cooking during winter months when it is cold and dismal outside but bright and warm in my cozy green-walled kitchen. A pot of water for pasta will warm up the house, or a pot of beans, or soup.

I've already started my annual soup-making. During summer I don't bother but when winter hits - and today IS the winter solstice - I love to make soup, cook my own pinto beans for refried beans, and warm up the kitchen the natural and fragrant way.

I don't use my oven much anymore for several reasons: first, my baked goods are delicious and I eat too much of them, which isn't good for me. Second, the propane way out here in the country is expensive and hard to replace. Third, I haven't lit that oven in so long I'm a little leery of giving it another try.

I do, however, love to use my cast iron skillet which resides on my stove or over the sink on it's hook - where I dry it after each cooking/frying episode.

During winter it doesn't matter if I generate too much heat. Heat is always welcome!

Another thing I love about winter in this cabin is the cast iron cooking stove that sits between the living room and dining room. We've got a fairly traditional-looking Franklin-type stove and it has plenty of cooking surface on top. At times we cook there instead of on the propane stove. It is like a flash to the past and actually an excellent place to cook a meal while the fire merrily burns beneath, warming the entire cabin.