Shadows of Summer

Happy New Year 2009! Hey, the days are getting longer again, and I am very much looking forward to Spring, believe me. This winter from hell on the Island has to end sometime, right? RIGHT?!! The time changes in a couple of months, and I am counting on warm weather. You hear me Mother Nature? I am COUNTING on warm weather.

It is snowy, gloomy, cold...well, you know what I'm talking about, it's everywhere right now. I went outside the back door to take some photo's of the snow damage the weather has done to our Plum, Quince, Saskatoon and Cherry bushes and nearly had a pair of Chickadees landing on my head. Gee but they are friendly little guys. Flew up to within a foot of me. I stood as still as possible, shivering because I didn't have my coat on, and tried to aim the camera at them without moving. The good news is, I got a couple of great shots of the inside of the overhang over the step. Finally managed a blurry one of the two little tykes sitting on the clothesline.

Then our resident Hairy Woodpecker landed on one of the uprights holding up the overhang and squawked at me. He flew over to the feeder and I managed to get some shots of him, albeit not very good ones, but you can at least identify that it is a Hairy Woodpecker. Even got one of a Towhee picking up seeds from under the feeder.

Just so no one forgets what warm weather looks like, I have re-posted some of my Summer Garden Boat photo's up above. I need that today. I need to look at bright, warm sunshine and beautiful flowers. Green grass and tree leaves. Not the weather report that says more snow and colder temperatures like the -8 forecast for tonight, sigh.

Enough about the weather. Really, enough.

I'm not baking anything today, although I am tempted. I mean really, how many loaves of Brioche does one truly need? I did find a recipe for Eggnog Bread I am going to try, and I still want to make a Pull-Apart (aka Monkey Bread) in my new breadmaker. Also want to make breadmaker cheesecake. Found a recipe for mixing up the ingredients in the machine, then pressing pause partway through the bake cycle and putting the graham crust on top of the cheesecake, then finishing the bake cycle. That way, when you invert it out of the pan, your graham crust will be on the bottom. Clever idea in theory. In practice? Time will tell. Worth a try though.

I am considering making something with some of my frozen peaches. That is truly a taste of summer for me, a sweet and juicy peach. Hmmmmmm...maybe a Peach Crisp, that would be good. Served with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream, or perhaps a dollop of whipped cream. Yes, I think that is what it will be today, Peach Crisp. Can't you just taste it's sweet/tart flavor, with a hint of butter and cinnamon and that crisp topping? Oh Yum!

Or I could make an Apple Raspberry Crisp. Or a Peach Raspberry Crisp. Ohhhhh, how about a clean-out-the-freezer crisp? Blackberries, Raspberries, Peaches, Blueberries, Strawberries...I have Cherries and Plums too, but, not in this crisp, that's too over the top for a simple dessert like that. Ok, no, let's just go back to the plain old Peach Crisp. That's what I'll make.

Of course, there is always tomorrow. And the next day and the next. Raspberry Crisp. Then Blackberry Crisp. Then Strawberry Crisp and Blueberry Crisp. I know Cherry Crisp is delightful, and I am sure Plum Crisp would be too. Gosh, a week of Crisps. Well, no, um, gee that would be way more than a week of crisps, we certainly wouldn't be eating a Crisp a day. Ok so then, how about a Crisp a week, that works.

I'll let you know how it turns out. I can just taste it, sweet, tart, bubbly, buttery, cinnamony, crispy...

...yeah, I know.

BITZ!