The news is alive with snow predictions. Now two things happen when I hear snow is on its way. Firstly my heart rate quickens and I become more excited than a kid who has just been told Santa is halfway down the chimney. The second is my mind thinks mmmmmm mulled wine and comfort food.
On the last snowfall I came in cold and satisfied after rolling through the crisp untouched snow a ball until it grew to a snowman followed by having a snowball fight with my kids and the neighbours grand kids. I had paused at the holiday home next door, glanced at the sparkly white, uninterrupted carpet of crisp snow and dreamed of making snow angles in the untouched blanket. The fire was crackling when I got in and the marshmellows a toasting by three red nosed and happy children.
This time Im even more excited. Because for the first time since the February earthquake I have a working oven. So today I have prepared. Lemon drizzle cupcakes are cooling on a plate (minus 7 that got eaten straight away). Sponge as light as a snowflake laced with tangy lemon encrusted with sugar and dusted to perfection. A lemon tart is also cooling, I plan to have this tomorrow as I watch the magic of floating white fluff dancing down from the sky.
Theres lots of lemons around and they are so versatile I love them.
Fresh lemon juice in a hot toddy when Ive got a cold, the sweet and sour mix of lemonade the kids make, squeezed over calamari, beef noodles or a salad, the zest dried and added to sugar to make cake dusting the possibilities are endless. Its even great for cleaning! I keep the skins with the squeezed flesh still inside. Slice them layering them in jars with chilli, coriander seeds, bay leaves and salt, squishing them down to let the remainder juices flow. I'll give the jar a shake each day for three weeks until they are preserved. Perfect for adding to Moroccan dishes or curries.
The day will start tomorrow with warm cinnamon rolls. They are so easy to make. Making up a batch of bread dough with a dollop of maple syrup in it. I knock it back after the first rise, dust wit flour and roll out to a rectangle, then smother it with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll it up and slice it into sections. You simple need to butter and flour a big pan and arrange them in with a couple of inches in-between each one and pop it into the fridge until the morning. They will rise nice and slow in the fridge and can go straight into the oven in the morning. I like to give them an egg glaze before they go in to a 150degC oven. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown, take out and let cool slightly. Drizzle icing over while still warm and enjoy. TOP TIP: to keep the bread nice and soft I put a small mental bowl in the bottom of the oven while its heating up and then throw in 4 or 5 ice cubes when the rolls go it. They steam away and keep everything soft and moist.
I guess even though I now live in a Country with Christmas in summer the associations with cold and celebrations are strong for me. Im currently trying to resist rummaging around in the loft to get out the fairly lights and Christmas CD's! I cant promise if it snows tomorrow you wont find me strolling up the road singing "Im Dreaming of a White Christmas".
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