Down is Warmest

Day Twenty-six - Thirty Days of Thanksgiving

Last night we were hit with the first winter storm as an arctic blast blew down from the north. We weren't snug in our new weather tight townhouse, no, we were on the road north to Minnesota to take care of some things at our old house. Right into the blast of the storm.

Today I'm thankful for down filled parkas, and down comforters to sleep under. Nothing beats it for lightweight warmth.  

What I Read in January

Entry from my journal last year - "Thursday 30 January 2020 Next year I'm just going to block out January and February with the label "Hibernation" and settle in with a stack of books and movies, stay in my jammies all day and not worry about trying to accomplish anything."

While I haven't actually stayed in my jammies, I have worn sweats a lot (to stay warm) and not gotten a whole lot done. Here's what I've read so far this year:

1. The Memory Painter by Gwendolyn Womack -- A fantastic book that I couldn't put down!

2. In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan -- I know I'm late to the party, but very informative.

3. A Cup of Comfort for Inspiration, Ed. Colleen Sell -- Many good stories.

4. How to Raise an Elephant by Alexander McCall Smith -- The latest installment of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, always a delight.

5. Miracles Among the Rubble by Carol R. Gray -- Memoir of a British woman who took humanitarian aid to the former Yugoslavia region experiencing civil war.

6. The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson -- Decluttering encouragement

7. Longbourne by Jo Baker -- Pride and Prejudice from the servants point of view; while the period details were the best I've ever read, I didn't care about the characters until the second half of the book, and found it to be a very put downable book (unlike The Memory Painter which I stayed up half the night reading!).

We're in the second week of a deep freeze here in southern Minnesota. We keep asking each other "Why did we move here?" Thankfully TopDad has only two more years until retirement; then we can leave during the winter and escape the bitter cold.

What have you been reading lately?

Last year I read 136 books; 30 were new-to-me fiction, 21 non-fiction, and 85 old friends (books I've already read). This year I set a goal to read a non-fiction book for every fiction. I have stacks of non-fiction that interest me but I don't seem to get to them. So far this year I'm doing better. And I plan to share what I read each month to keep me honest.

Winter on Wednesday

The forecast blizzard began early Monday morning and lasted until late Tuesday night. It seems unusual only because we've had unusually mild winters for a few years. This, though, is more normal.

Tuesday night view from our front door.

Dandylion did all the shoveling of the walks and driveways.

Wednesday morning views from our front porch.

Cold Weather, Hot Food

The frigid winter is still very much with us here in Iowa. We got teased with a few warms days, but then the arctic blast returned along with another dusting of snow.


How about a chili recipe that warms the whole body?

Slow-cooker Black Bean Chili:

1/2 - 1 lb. pork or chicken, cut into bitesize cubes (I use whatever pork is on sale, buttefly chops, or country style ribs; I use chicken breasts.)

16 oz. jar of thick chunky salsa

3 15 oz. cans black beans (or equivalent from dry) drained and rinsed

bell peppers - the original recipe calls for 1 medium red; I use whatever I have on hand and make it more colorful with red, orange, yellow and green peppers.

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker, cover and cook on low for 4 - 6 hours, until meat is done (shorter for chicken, longer for pork).

Serve with cornbread muffins. You can also garnish with a dollop of sour cream, and or grated cheese. I like it sprinkled with Parmesan. It is also delicious served over brown rice.

This is a delicious alternative to the ground beef, red bean chili, in fact, I prefer it!!