Happy Cozy Season!

I’ve got a merry lil simmer pot brewing on the stove. Clove-studded orange, Sweet Cinnamon Spice and Cinnamon Apple Spice herbal teas, 3 cinnamon sticks, a sprig of fresh rosemary, 3 bay leaves, and a small handful of dried cranberries.

Just finished some Chai Spiced Black Tea. I have the day off today. The cat is presently all snuggled up on the reclining sofa, on top of the homemade knit blanket.

Plenty I could get done at home, before bedtime, but I wanted to check in first. Thinking about all the festive ways to stay warm this year, and on the flip side, trying to enjoy the outdoors even as it gets cold.

We had our first official snow in the wee hours this morning, but I had thought I saw flurries awhile back. Today, very little of the snow stuck around. It was supposed to rain in the early afternoon, but I’m not sure if that actually happened.

I slept in until the alarm went off at 11, and didn’t check outside super often. I did, however, brush the little bit of lingering snow off my windshield first thing, just in case temps dropped, and the melting snow froze to the glass. That’s never fun to scrape off.

Already got a little tidying done. It’s easier with a simmer pot going, I think, improving the vibe of the home. I suppose turning the heat on would be nice, too, but I’m gonna hold off a bit longer. The low electric bills have been very nice!

I never really got around to making anything semi-homemade for dinner, but I have decided to contribute a Frugal Gourmet Apple Pudding both for Thanksgiving, and for the potluck at work on Black Friday. One for each occasion.

It’s a baked pudding, made with applesauce. Very few ingredients. Crust is optional. You can otherwise make it in a baking dish. But I decided on a graham cracker crust.

I’ve made it before, but not in a long time. In the margins around the recipe, I found penciled notes I’d made about a variation I had tried, I think when we were short on whipping cream (substituting a bit of egg nog and whipping cream).

I could certainly make it at home. I would just need to find my grater, to zest the lemons. Or borrow my mom’s zester.

Stay warm, my friends, and count your blessings.