And just like that, another year begins…and for those of us in North America, the year begins with a long spell of hibernation. I love this time of year, my nesting instinct works at full throttle and I find myself joyfully planning large family meals and quiet nights indoors snuggled up on the sofa.
This January I will be….
Celebrating the 12th Night. Before I serve my last glass of mulled wine of the season, I will be cleaning, mending and storing my Christmas decorations. I love decorating for the holidays, but I also adore having my home returned to normal.
Catching up on my letter writing and celebrating National Letter Writing Week. Santa was kind enough to stock up on my pens and stationary, and with the long winter nights ahead I have great plans to put pen to paper and enjoy the time-honored tradition of sending letters by post.
Serving oatmeal at breakfast to celebrate National Oatmeal Month. What is not to love about oatmeal on a brisk winter morning? Oddly it is the least eaten food in the world despite the well known nutritional benefits of this hearty food. Our house is split between the traditional salt and butter bowl and the modern brown sugar bowl, and this January I will be hunting for new twists to serve and keep my family eating oatmeal all winter long.
Feasting on Celeriac. We first discovered celeriac whilst weaning our first child, since then it has been a staple winter vegetable in our kitchen. Celeriac, also known as celery root, has a taste that is similar to a blend of celery and parsley; it can be used in many dishes especially where its celery-like flavor is called for. When buying celeriac, be sure to choose only those with firm and small to medium-sized roots, as the smaller the root, the more concentrated the flavor. The Daily Meal has a great number of celeriac recipes to choose from; among my favorite dish is celeriac mash…so yummy! Pop over to the Daily Meal for some great celeriac recipes. …it would seem I am doing a lot of eating this January, thank goodness for big wooly jumpers.
Delighting in National Bubble Bath Day on January 8th. Some of you may recall my last post on ‘when mummy needs a bath’…there is nothing quite like a hot bath, with essential oils, candle light and the house all to yourself to enjoy those relaxing moments of peace.
Sorting my taxes…yes it is that time of year again and I have a lot to learn about the US Tax system so I am starting early to ensure that I make the spring deadline.