Winter has arrived with a vengeance to the Washington, D.C., area. We're expecting a bit of snow today, then will go into the deep freeze for the rest of the week. Mr. AOW has entered winter hibernation. Venison chili (Love my crock pot!) with cornbread are on the menu here for the foreseeable future.
When icicles hang by the wall, ___ And Dick the shepherd blows his nail, And Tom bears logs into the hall, ___ And milk comes frozen home in pail, When blood is nipped, and ways be foul, Then nightly sings the staring owl, ________ To-whoo; To-whit, to-whoo, a merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
When all aloud the wind doth blow, ___ And coughing drowns the parson’s saw, And birds sit brooding in the snow, ___ And Marian’s nose looks red and raw, When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl, Then nightly sings the staring owl, ________ To-whoo; To-whit, to-whoo, a merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
4 ounces (1 stick) room-temperature unsalted butter 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 6 ounces dark rum 3 cups boiling water Fresh orange juice
DIRECTIONS
Beat butter, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg with a mixer on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Combine 2 tablespoons spiced butter with 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) dark rum in each of 4 heatproof glasses. Pour 3/4 cup boiling water over each, and stir. Top each with a squeeze of fresh orange juice.
1 stick unsalted butter, softened 2 cups light brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg Pinch ground cloves Pinch salt Bottle dark rum Boiling water
DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Refrigerate until almost firm. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture into 12 small mugs. Pour about 3 ounces of rum into each mug (filling about halfway). Top with boiling water (to fill the remaining half), stir well, and serve immediately.
~ Emeril Lagasse
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/hot-buttered-rum-cocktail-recipe.html?oc=linkback
I-66 was like the ice capades this morning, and my commute almost doubled...but it beats burning vacation days by staying home....no matter how much I'd like to be sitting by the fire right now.
When men were all asleep the snow came flying, In large white flakes falling on the city brown, Stealthily and perpetually settling and loosely lying, Hushing the latest traffic of the drowsy town; Deadening, muffling, stifling its murmurs failing; Lazily and incessantly floating down and down: Silently sifting and veiling road, roof and railing; Hiding difference, making unevenness even, Into angles and crevices softly drifting and sailing. All night it fell, and when full inches seven It lay in the depth of its uncompacted lightness, The clouds blew off from a high and frosty heaven; And all woke earlier for the unaccustomed brightness Of the winter dawning, the strange unheavenly glare: The eye marvelled – marvelled at the dazzling whiteness; The ear hearkened to the stillness of the solemn air; No sound of wheel rumbling nor of foot falling, And the busy morning cries came thin and spare. Then boys I heard, as they went to school, calling, They gathered up the crystal manna to freeze Their tongues with tasting, their hands with snowballing; Or rioted in a drift, plunging up to the knees; Or peering up from under the white-mossed wonder, ‘O look at the trees!’ they cried, ‘O look at the trees!’ With lessened load a few carts creak and blunder, Following along the white deserted way, A country company long dispersed asunder: When now already the sun, in pale display Standing by Paul’s high dome, spread forth below His sparkling beams, and awoke the stir of the day. For now doors open, and war is waged with the snow; And trains of sombre men, past tale of number, Tread long brown paths, as toward their toil they go: But even for them awhile no cares encumber Their minds diverted; the daily word is unspoken, The daily thoughts of labour and sorrow slumber At the sight of the beauty that greets them, For the charm they have broken.
The next three or four days will be cold but there isn't any serious snow expected. Only seen a couple inches this year and that disappeared when it hit 55 the next day.
Duck, We were having a mild winter -- until today.
Bad call by the weatherman and some of the school systems. Gridlock for hours, so much so that nobody could get here to help me. **sigh**
For hours now, I've been working on keeping the wheelchair ramp passable (Throw rugs help!) and finally have the Hyundai and the van cleared off. Temps drop into the deep freeze tonight, so whatever is still on surfaces is going to freeze as hard as granite.
2 cups ice cubes 1 ounce vodka 1 ounce gin 1 ounce rum 1 ounce tequila 1/2 ounce Triple Sec 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 cup cola, or to taste 2 lemon wedges
DIRECTIONS
Fill a cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Pour the vodka, gin, rum, tequila, Triple Sec, and lemon juice into the shaker. Cover and shake vigorously to combine and chill. Pour the mixture, ice and all, into 2 glasses or beer mugs and top off with the cola. Garnish with lemon wedges.
2 quart pitcher 1 cocktail shaker 1 pot freshly brewed Constant Comment 4 lemons, 3 cut in wedges, 1 juiced 2 oranges, one juiced, one sliced into half circles 4 jiggers Meyers light rum 4 jiggers Tanqueray gin 4 jiggers Stolichnaya vodka 4 jiggers Orange liqueur 1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar 8-12 large fresh-picked sprigs of mint
DIRECTIONS
Brew the tea, let steep, then chill Fill cocktail shaker halfway with crushed ice Add various liquors, and shake vigorously Transfer chilled tea to pitcher half-filled with ice cubes Add the citrus juices and stir in thoroughly Add the sugar and stir thoroughly Add the blended liquors, stir thoroughly Chill full pitcher till ready to serve Pour over tall glasses loosely filled with ice cubes Garnish with lemon wedges, orange slices, and sprigs of mint.
After one or two of these you won't care whether it's summer, winter, spring or fall. You will be floating like a lily on a lake in some exotic land of peace contentment and great beauty. Just be sure you don't have to go to work the next day.
Colorado's foul weather of last week must have blown eastward. Finally, we're back in north of 30 degrees. We were below zero, which is way below the norm for those of us nestled at the base of the Rockies. Despite what people may think, it doesn't usually get that cold here, although the past few winters have been bitter.
SF....you're blaming Colorado's weather on California? :-) It is so unbelievably gorgeous here today everybody's talking about it...the ocean is SO blue, the mountains are crystal clear; as if it had just rained, which it has not. Weird. It could be a bit cooler for my taste, but, it's L.A.
I'm thinking those Harvard professors who are now upset their ACA premiums have gone up and are saying Obama Care isn't working after all must be feeling QUITE the freeze at Harvard, huh? ;-)
"Harvard University is requiring faculty to pay more out of their own pockets for deductibles and co-pays. Essentially, when they interact with the health care system, they’ll pay a little bit more than they used to — 10 percent of the total charges until they reach the out-of-pocket limit of $1,500 for an individual and $4,500 for a family. Meanwhile, their annual deductibles are rising to $250 and $750, respectively."
Surprised they're whining. It's a good deal less than the 60% or so that's often bandied about by the fringe right.
Ducky...they apparently voted to repeal Obama Care!!...they finally found this bill exactly what "the fringe right" has been saying for years. All because their precious selves had to pay $20 copay. By the way....what's "Right" without being "fringe?" :-) You make me proud to be what you'd consider Fringe.
SF...ya, I know. It just seemed a stretch when talking about the weather! And you can't KNOW how many great conservatives we have around here...we elected Deukmejian (a king among men, and I know because he grew up in my dad's house), Pete Wilson, even Arnold masqueraded as a Rep until his wife got to him!
That many Harvard professors are whining about the terms of their health insurance policies is surreal. I can't imagine that those terms work a hardship on the professors and their families.
Lisa, oh, yes...much better plans. They just don't work.
I'm still trying to wrap my brain around De Blasio calling NYPD disrespectful and then our seeing his wife wear JEANS to church to a funeral ...and one that's televised and wrought with all kinds of traps by the media. Talk about disrespectful.
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__ When icicles hang by the wall __
ReplyDeleteWhen icicles hang by the wall,
___ And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,
And Tom bears logs into the hall,
___ And milk comes frozen home in pail,
When blood is nipped, and ways be foul,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
________ To-whoo;
To-whit, to-whoo, a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
When all aloud the wind doth blow,
___ And coughing drowns the parson’s saw,
And birds sit brooding in the snow,
___ And Marian’s nose looks red and raw,
When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,
Then nightly sings the staring owl,
________ To-whoo;
To-whit, to-whoo, a merry note,
While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.
~ William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
From “Love’s Labor ’s Lost,” Act V. Sc. 2
Noses in the D.C. area are definitely going to be red and raw for the next few days.
DeleteMaybe the cold weather will kill all the influenza viruses!
That's a cheery good thought, and probably quite true.
DeleteWarm muggy weather turns Nature into a virtual septic tank capable of nurturing plagues.
Just love all your pussies
Their coats are so warm
I know you won't hurt them;
They'll do you know harm
So, sit by the fire
And give them some food,
And they'll want to warm you
Because you are good. ;-)
~ Father goose
Snowing right now -- probably not enough to prevent the resuming of homeschool classes after this wonderful Christmas break.
ReplyDeleteHOT BUTTERED RUM
ReplyDeleteINGREDIENTS
4 ounces (1 stick) room-temperature unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 ounces dark rum
3 cups boiling water
Fresh orange juice
DIRECTIONS
Beat butter, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg
with a mixer on medium speed until combined, about
1 minute.
Combine 2 tablespoons spiced butter with 1 1/2 ounces
(3 tablespoons) dark rum in each of 4 heatproof glasses. Pour
3/4 cup boiling water over each, and stir. Top each with a
squeeze of fresh orange juice.
~ Martha Stewart
ANOTHER VERSION of HOT BUTTERED RUM
ReplyDeleteINGREDIENTS
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch salt
Bottle dark rum
Boiling water
DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Refrigerate until almost firm. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture into 12 small mugs. Pour about 3 ounces of rum into each mug (filling about halfway). Top with boiling water (to fill the remaining half), stir well, and serve immediately.
~ Emeril Lagasse
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/hot-buttered-rum-cocktail-recipe.html?oc=linkback
Got anything for brandy? I don't have an rum on hand.
DeleteCopy and Paste into Google:
ReplyDeletehttp://cocktails.about.com/od/brandyrecipes/tp/10-Classic-Brandy-Cocktails-To-Try.htm
I-66 was like the ice capades this morning, and my commute almost doubled...but it beats burning vacation days by staying home....no matter how much I'd like to be sitting by the fire right now.
ReplyDeleteCI,
DeleteI believe it!
I made an administrative decision and canceled today's homeschool classes.
Heh....my girls homeschool never gets a snowday...Bwaahaahaaa.
DeleteCI,
DeleteThey have plenty of homework to do. I just posted an assignment.
_________ London Snow (1890) _________
ReplyDeleteWhen men were all asleep the snow came flying,
In large white flakes falling on the city brown,
Stealthily and perpetually settling and loosely lying,
Hushing the latest traffic of the drowsy town;
Deadening, muffling, stifling its murmurs failing;
Lazily and incessantly floating down and down:
Silently sifting and veiling road, roof and railing;
Hiding difference, making unevenness even,
Into angles and crevices softly drifting and sailing.
All night it fell, and when full inches seven
It lay in the depth of its uncompacted lightness,
The clouds blew off from a high and frosty heaven;
And all woke earlier for the unaccustomed brightness
Of the winter dawning, the strange unheavenly glare:
The eye marvelled – marvelled at the dazzling whiteness;
The ear hearkened to the stillness of the solemn air;
No sound of wheel rumbling nor of foot falling,
And the busy morning cries came thin and spare.
Then boys I heard, as they went to school, calling,
They gathered up the crystal manna to freeze
Their tongues with tasting, their hands with snowballing;
Or rioted in a drift, plunging up to the knees;
Or peering up from under the white-mossed wonder,
‘O look at the trees!’ they cried, ‘O look at the trees!’
With lessened load a few carts creak and blunder,
Following along the white deserted way,
A country company long dispersed asunder:
When now already the sun, in pale display
Standing by Paul’s high dome, spread forth below
His sparkling beams, and awoke the stir of the day.
For now doors open, and war is waged with the snow;
And trains of sombre men, past tale of number,
Tread long brown paths, as toward their toil they go:
But even for them awhile no cares encumber
Their minds diverted; the daily word is unspoken,
The daily thoughts of labour and sorrow slumber
At the sight of the beauty that greets them,
For the charm they have broken.
~ Robert Bridges (1844-1930)
FT,
DeleteWhat a lovely poem!
Now, if only we didn't have to drive on this ice rink...
We have canceled today's homeschool classes. Gridlock and terrible road conditions everywhere in the immediate D.C. area.
ReplyDeleteHasn't been too bad tis year.
ReplyDeleteThe next three or four days will be cold but there isn't any serious snow expected.
Only seen a couple inches this year and that disappeared when it hit 55 the next day.
Duck,
DeleteWe were having a mild winter -- until today.
Bad call by the weatherman and some of the school systems. Gridlock for hours, so much so that nobody could get here to help me. **sigh**
For hours now, I've been working on keeping the wheelchair ramp passable (Throw rugs help!) and finally have the Hyundai and the van cleared off. Temps drop into the deep freeze tonight, so whatever is still on surfaces is going to freeze as hard as granite.
Perhaps you Bostonians could use a pitcher or two of Long Island Iced Tea, then, instead of Hot Buttered Rum? ;-)
DeleteRECIPE to FOLLOW
You could call it Cape Cod Crush if it makes you feel any better. ;-)
LONG ISLAND ICED TEA
DeleteINGREDIENTS
2 cups ice cubes
1 ounce vodka
1 ounce gin
1 ounce rum
1 ounce tequila
1/2 ounce Triple Sec
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup cola, or to taste
2 lemon wedges
DIRECTIONS
Fill a cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Pour the vodka, gin, rum, tequila, Triple Sec, and lemon juice into the shaker. Cover and shake vigorously to combine and chill. Pour the mixture, ice and all, into 2 glasses or beer mugs and top off with the cola. Garnish with lemon wedges.
It's Boston, FT.
DeleteDunkos iced coffee year round.
UNCLE GEORGE'S LONG ISLAND ICED TEA
ReplyDeleteINGREDIENTS
2 quart pitcher
1 cocktail shaker
1 pot freshly brewed Constant Comment
4 lemons, 3 cut in wedges, 1 juiced
2 oranges, one juiced, one sliced into half circles
4 jiggers Meyers light rum
4 jiggers Tanqueray gin
4 jiggers Stolichnaya vodka
4 jiggers Orange liqueur
1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar
8-12 large fresh-picked sprigs of mint
DIRECTIONS
Brew the tea, let steep, then chill
Fill cocktail shaker halfway with crushed ice
Add various liquors, and shake vigorously
Transfer chilled tea to pitcher half-filled with ice cubes
Add the citrus juices and stir in thoroughly
Add the sugar and stir thoroughly
Add the blended liquors, stir thoroughly
Chill full pitcher till ready to serve
Pour over tall glasses loosely filled with ice cubes
Garnish with lemon wedges, orange slices, and sprigs of mint.
After one or two of these you won't care whether it's summer, winter, spring or fall. You will be floating like a lily on a lake in some exotic land of peace contentment and great beauty. Just be sure you don't have to go to work the next day.
Colorado's foul weather of last week must have blown eastward. Finally, we're back in north of 30 degrees. We were below zero, which is way below the norm for those of us nestled at the base of the Rockies. Despite what people may think, it doesn't usually get that cold here, although the past few winters have been bitter.
ReplyDeleteBundle up and keep the fire going!
Nah, Thursday should be bitter but that's about it.
DeleteC'mon, can you at least inject some wit into your insults?
ReplyDeleteMan o' man I do not miss the winter!
ReplyDeleteJMJ
@SF,
ReplyDelete" it doesn't usually get that cold here,"
SSSHHHH !
I want them to think it's bitter cold here all year around !
Unfortunately, the Californication continues...
DeleteSF....you're blaming Colorado's weather on California? :-)
ReplyDeleteIt is so unbelievably gorgeous here today everybody's talking about it...the ocean is SO blue, the mountains are crystal clear; as if it had just rained, which it has not. Weird. It could be a bit cooler for my taste, but, it's L.A.
I'm thinking those Harvard professors who are now upset their ACA premiums have gone up and are saying Obama Care isn't working after all must be feeling QUITE the freeze at Harvard, huh? ;-)
"Harvard University is requiring faculty to pay more out of their own pockets for deductibles and co-pays. Essentially, when they interact with the health care system, they’ll pay a little bit more than they used to — 10 percent of the total charges until they reach the out-of-pocket limit of $1,500 for an individual and $4,500 for a family. Meanwhile, their annual deductibles are rising to $250 and $750, respectively."
DeleteSurprised they're whining.
It's a good deal less than the 60% or so that's often bandied about by the fringe right.
Ducky...they apparently voted to repeal Obama Care!!...they finally found this bill exactly what "the fringe right" has been saying for years. All because their precious selves had to pay $20 copay.
DeleteBy the way....what's "Right" without being "fringe?" :-)
You make me proud to be what you'd consider Fringe.
SF...ya, I know. It just seemed a stretch when talking about the weather! And you can't KNOW how many great conservatives we have around here...we elected Deukmejian (a king among men, and I know because he grew up in my dad's house), Pete Wilson, even Arnold masqueraded as a Rep until his wife got to him!
Who voted to repeal?
DeleteRight without being fringe?
DeleteThe recently passed Ed Brooke is an excellent example.
That many Harvard professors are whining about the terms of their health insurance policies is surreal. I can't imagine that those terms work a hardship on the professors and their families.
DeleteSalaries at Harvard...
DeleteSalary Average: $143,062
Low end is $75,000.
How about that Z? Poor liberals,if its good for us,its good for them
ReplyDeleteAnd they still have better plans than most of us
Lisa, oh, yes...much better plans. They just don't work.
ReplyDeleteI'm still trying to wrap my brain around De Blasio calling NYPD disrespectful and then our seeing his wife wear JEANS to church to a funeral ...and one that's televised and wrought with all kinds of traps by the media. Talk about disrespectful.
Z,
DeleteThey wore jeans? Are you kidding me?
Surely they had other clothes. It's not as if their wardrobe is skimpy, I'm sure.
YES! He would have done better if he'd said, "Bostonians Are Full of Beans."
ReplyDeleteMrs De Blasio definitely wore jeans..yup.
ReplyDeleteAmazing
But the cops are disrespectful :-)