Back to normal

There is a problem with going grocery shopping only once every two weeks. It means you need to make a menu and a corresponding shopping list, unless you want to be frustrated by non-available ingredients while cooking, or are good at improvising (aka a true chef), and that would not be me. So, last time I made menus and went shopping, it was cold, even during the day. But the weather has changed its mind about winter and of course it has that right.

Today it is in the lower 70's, and the sun is shining brightly. And we are having split pea soup tonight. Made in the Dutch style (we call it "snert") with smoked sausage. It recalls childhood memories of going for a walk in the "woods" (this is suburban Amsterdam) in snow and entering a farmhouse restaurant complete with shutters and a thatched roof, the fragrance of wet clothes and snert wafting out as you opened the door.

Good thing is, the greens in the garden mostly survived the frost and tomorrow we may be having a chicken salad.

Meanwhile, the house is wearing Christmas lights, and I decorated the tree and put out some favorite Christmas memories. It is still strange to get ready for Christmas in such lovely weather.