I'm Back in the Kitchen Again

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have a confession to make. Other than making cookies I really haven't cooked anything since November. December is just too hectic with work for any culinary adventures, I basically survived on poached eggs with swiss chard, pasta, bagels, and food other people made for me.
I suppose that explains why in the last week I've gone completely apeshit in my kitchen.

Last Sunday it was the chicken and rosemary dish from back in November for my Lady Friends who came over for Downton Abbey (which I assume you all are watching).

On Monday these baked sweet potatoes with sage.

Friday was Brussels Sprouts and Apples (Choux de Bruxelles aux Pommes) from my new cookbook, When French Women Cook, which was a present from Miss A. Dick. An interesting dish, not entirely sure I'll do it again, but who knows! I think I still prefer sprouts roasted to any other way of preparation.

Saturday, pasta with Pepper and Tomato Puree (Pates a la Fondue de Poivrons), again from the French Women book. It's delicious, but the directions to allow the 8 juliened peppers to cook down until the skins fall off, then fish all the skins out is a bit ridiculous. Do you know how longs it takes for peppers to reduce to pulp? A long ass time that's what. And then picking out 1/4" slices of pepper skin? After three hours, it was 8 PM, I was starving, the skins were still on the peppers and so I just put the damn stuff in my blender and pureed it. An old French woman may be spinning in her grave but hey, I was hungry!

Yesterday Miss Ashley came over to watch Downton and we feasted on rosemary and potato pizza...

...with a salad of blood oranges, red onion, walnuts and white balsamic vinaigrette. Swedish chocolate crisp cookies and biscuits for tea.

Today, I threw together some of Molly's scones for breakfast as I took down my wee tinsel tree. I didn't have lemons to zest so I doubled the amount of crystalized ginger and added 2 Tbs of marmalade. They're as good as when Miss Linda makes scones. Well almost as good...her mere presence adds 5 bonus points.

I also changed around my kitchen a bit, I moved the clock from the rack to above my new cabinet. And this little guy, Consul the Educated Monkey, came home with me from Ohio and now can do my calculations for me!

Why yes Consul! 3x11 is 33! He was a Christmas present (last year) from the Aunties!

And my 1900's poster has been relocated to above my stove where it gaily watches over my kettle. Boil kettle! Boil!

We finally got some proper snow, 6"-8"! And after walking about in a thin shirt last Friday it was nice to wear winter appropriate clothes again!

It called for some Serious Boots to be bought. I've had waaay too much fun splashing through puddles of slush and clambering over snowdrifts in these suckers. 

You know it's cold when the condensation from the radiator freezes as the outside of the metal window is so cold! But I'm cozy and warm inside with tons of food and hot tea. Huzzah!

(Of course I have so many left-overs in my fridge I don't have to make food again until Friday, so who knows what I'll have to talk about next week!)