Well the blizzard of the century did not hit us....we spent the day waiting, watching, and in the end there was pretty much nothing. As we linger in the final days of January I begin to dream of spring. The snow will slowly creep away and reveal the anxious new sprout of spring. The fresh sharp points of green against dark soil and small patches of white snow are brilliant and magical. To satisfy my gardeners soul I look at images from last years soil.

Rosemary and thyme

Euphorbia and plum trees

The lovely and graceful blue flax

the front rock garden

The grey summer border.... I study last years images trying to remember where I tucked in the fall bulbs, what should be moved, what could be added. Now are the days of seed catalogs and ambitious ideas.

The Making of Cheese, Bread, and The Importance of Rural Mail

When you live deep in the country (the nearest corner store is half an hour away), rural mail becomes your life line to the outside world. I must confess I am addicted to ordering books online. The local library is outdated and the selection of books being offered up is meager....I have already taken out pretty much everything on gardening, cooking, and crafting that has caught my eye. As a result of book boredom I have taken to just buying books. My new acquisitions are: "Artisan Cheese Making at Home", by Mary Karlin. Now I am heady at the prospect of producing sharp cheddar, creamy brie, dry and delicious Parmesan. The book is rife with mouth watering photos, that make everything look both enchanting and attainable... oh and somehow mess free. I will order some supplies and see how that goes for me.

I have already made simple fresh goat cheese with a recipe from "The Little Paris Kitchen" by Rachel Khoo, which turned out creamy, delicious, and extremely easy! I used organic goat milk and rolled the finished cheese in cracked black pepper and lemon pepper.

The other book that was delivered by my fantastic rural postie was "Baking by Hand", by Andy and Jackie King. Once again this book is filled with luscious photos of crusty bread, sweet treats, and floury hands. I already have a sourdough starter that was a wedding gift (I got married in September) that came from Dawson City in the Yukon. I am not a stranger to bread baking, but I felt my repertoire need an injection of inspiration. I am inspired, but with inspiration always comes desire,... proofing bowls, croissant rollers, maybe a nice wooden peel?

And finally... (I do not want to be one of those people who fills their blog with pet photos), but I got a new old kitty yesterday...I think he is super grateful to be out of the frigid Maritime winter weather, he was a stray that was living in a friends carport, and their house was already filled with three felines.

He is currently shut in my studio till I can get him a check up with the vet after the holiday, he has a bad case of ear mites which I am soothing with sweet almond oil and a nice old fur coat to sleep on.