One annoying thing about the winter is that my car, that runs on recycled cooking oil, has to switch to diesel. When it is really cold the oil solidifies and the car will not start… oh dear.
A positive thing about this part of the winter is that Johns beer and Pepsi (which he cannot give up no matter how many lectures I give him about fake Pepsi sugar destroying his liver) are shifted to their own natural chiller on the verandah, at least until it starts to freeze. I on the other hand am shifting inside. I completed my chores this morning in a snow flurry.
I once lived in a house in NZ that had a box that was built out from the kitchen wall on the cold side of the house. It had little windows of very close mesh to keep the bugs out and protruded from the outside wall about a foot, while standing about two feet high, catching all the cool breezes. I accessed this little cold box from inside the kitchen through a small carved heavy wooden door. I want one of these old cool boxes for my kitchen. But I cannot remember what it is called.
Anyway enough of the rambling, lets think of something cheerful.
Jessica is a lovely girl residing at Misty Maple Farms. She has llamas. I want a llama. I want a peacock too just for the record. Jessica has been kind enough to pass on the Leibster Award to me. But, Oh dear my computer is being naughty and won’t let me load the actual award. Ah well. The most important thing about this award is that we thank the person who remembered us and pass the mantle on to 5 more bloggers.
Thank you, Jessica. Your writing is lovely and your outlook on life is wonderful. It is always a pleasure for me to visit your farm in my blog travels.
Now for my famous five. I have decided to collect a group of people who I think would have fun if I sat them all down at the same table, for a most unusual dinner. These bloggers all work with the land one way or another. They grow food to eat. And they are all new to my table and maybe new to you as well. I know the Leibster award does not have any requirements but each link will take you to the dish that I would love them to bring to our cyber award dinner.
Naturally I shall host the award dinner here in front of the fire. Well we have to, because my car won’t start in the cold and Daisy just will not be harnessed to drag the dray. Selfish cow.
So here is my guest list. These five are the recipients of the Leibster award. The logo is on Jessica’s page so zoom over and grab it to display on your pages. I hope it behaves better for you. It is a slippery bugger.
Promenade Plantings does her gardening on what could simply be described as an allotment, but a bigger more comprehensive plot of land. And she has beautiful plants. She loves to grow. I was hoping she could bring her fried green tomatoes. I know they are out of season but this is a cyber dinner party. We can do whatever we want.
Marcus from Country Woodsmoke might cook up a pretty wild smoked salmon in the kitchen. You have to see this. He also has a pizza oven. A real one!
Lynda on her Farmlet is going to bring the tortillas for our dinner. Well, there is no theme, I am just picking out my favourites!! And Our John loves tortillas.
Willow Archway are coming to have a long hot bath. They are as far off the grid as you can imagine. Just let them soak. Oh what the heck, let the dogs soak as well. We will drag in another bath for them and poke food under the door.
If we can entice Jean away from her barn renovations, (although she is a bit of a self proclaiimed brat,) I am hoping she will bring apple pie. I will supply the freshest cream ever!
I will pick a huge fall green leaf salad. The last of the greens before the winter. They are very crisp this morning. I do not know how I can grow greens here in the deep winter. I hope we don’t all end up with scurvy, you know how i am with supermarkets!
Oh no, I have forgotton the potatoes! I cannot live without my spuds! Maybe my mystery guest will bring some. He is not getting an award you understand, because he already has one, I just cannot have a dinner party without his potatoes. I am using him for his potatoes and witty repartee! Shame on me!
Oh no AND I forgot the wine. Whats that Daisy? Wait, hush everyone, Daisy has a suggestion. Speak up! Alright, Moo Up then!! Pedantic Cow. Ok I’m back. Just for Daisy we will have another mystery guest. If he brings the wine. ‘He is not getting an award either Daisy, he gives you way too much attention as it is.’ But I do love a feisty pinot gris.
Just imagine.
Kettle’s on! Cuppa anyone! Oh and by the way I made this copper kettle when I was 13. And it still holds water. Soon there will be a big pot of chilli cooking away on this woodstove, next to the copper kettle. What a life!!
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
85 responses to “All friends bright and beautiful! Cuppa anyone?”
If you aren’t obliged to battle through bad weather to look after your beasts, there are many compensations to winter, not least the cheery fire in your stove:
Kindling
A friendly word
for the start of warmth.
Splinters, shavings, chips of oak,
chopped sticks and kinked twigs
then serious timber a handspan thick.
The catalyst, a fizz of sulphur,
prelude to atavistic pleasure
in spits, sparks, flames,
and quietly glowing cinders.
I love the idea of your dinner party – please may I come if I promise to bring champagne?
That thingie with the mesh sides is called a “meat safe”
or it was in my Gran’s day, and here in France they have something similar called a “fromager”.
A meat safe, you are so right, i remember it being called a safe now.. fromager sounds so much cooler.. They are such a good idea for the cooler months. Love love your poem and…you also love the fizzy scent of sulphur! so do I!..I fixed your typo. I hope people fix mine. Champagne!, well of course you can come! just imagine.. c
Congratulations on the award C – very well deserved! I do love the way that you are paying the love forward too.
I would love a cuppa, milk no sugar please oh and I love the copper kettle you made!
🙂 Mandy
Thank you mandy, milk no sugar just like me..the copper kettle loves winter, it can come out and sing!! c
Wow thank you cecilia, am blown away that you enjoyed my blog enough to give me an award 🙂
It means a lot to me that lovely people such as yourself actually read what I write.
It’s a real compliment from someone who’s blog I enjoy reading so much, it sounds like it would be a group of lovely delicious food too.
Cheers
Marcus
I was torn between your salmon and pizza in the pizza oven, I keep poking that pic of yours in front of John hoping that maybe he will make me one!! c
Maybe one day eh! It really is easy enough to build 🙂
Well done on getting the award yourself too, much deserved for such an entertaining blog.
I think I might just bring a bit of both then, and maybe some of my cider when that’s ready, we can all have a drink or two 🙂
Cheers
Marcus
You guys can compare ciders, that would be fun!!
Congratulations on the award, Cecilia! You are most deserving – you always have a delightful blog! And I applaud your choices for your dinner party!
thank you Phyllis, these awards are good opportunity to show new pages to each other.. c
Oh, MORE new friends! How wonderful! Congrats on the award, and the dinner party theme…
….I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that ‘s’-word…it’s too soon for that.
Stay warm – that cozy fire and a pot of chili are just the thing!
Just a flurry hon, phew! c
Congrats on the award.Remember when men used to destroy their livers the old fashioned way, with alcohol? Oh, I know terrible thing to say! Great photos too!
terrible, terribly funny too.. c
I’ll have a llama in my backyard, a peacock on the front porch and a bowl of chilli with Daisy any day! we’ll moo up a storm together! 😀 you made a teapot when you were 13? wow they just don’t teach crafts like they used to these days huh?
My Dad was a boat builder, so he had all the stuff.. Thanks Andy! how are you going to fit a llama in your tiny flat!!? c
mmmm!! good point, dang! guess i’ll have to get a house with a nice big backyard huh! 😀
Well done, Celi. Funny thing – Promenade and I live fairly near-ish to one another. A small world that pretends to be larger than it is. 🙂
the blog world is a small world, well give her a yoohoo next time you see her passing by your gate, just kidding, I am sure you are not that close, i went to Hastings once, on a train to the seaside and I almost froze to death. loved the old boats though. Didn’t see Prommy though.c
Congratulations, C! And I ADORE the cyber dinner party theme. Love it! Maybe once I’ve rehabilitated our tiny plot of city land, I can join you all with some of The Stickbug’s heirloom, organic San Marzano tomatoes. He loves tomatoes, and I love good company! We’ll just sit over by your gorgeous stove and listen to y’all chat 🙂
Bring your books, Daisy will mind the kids! c
Love your kettle, and you’ve described such a cozy scene as always!
Thank you saffron, I really hope you are feeling better .. c
Well done you on the award, I love coming here for a catch up, I never quite know what I’ll be reading about. And that’s the way I like it. One thing I do know is that it’s always entertaining round here, so this cyber dinner will be a real feast of great food, wine (bonus) and mashed potatoes, oh, and by the looks of it great company (I get to meet her majesty Daisy Queen of the cow shed). So thank you Cecilia you’re a sweetie, you’ve made a grey day a sunny one 🙂
And you made a kettle?! I just made **** pottery at school 🙂
You are welcome prommie, I made the copper kettle in my Dads workshop actually one summer holiday, he was a boat builder. And wow, we should give Daisy a coronation day.. she certainly is the queen!! c
🙂 Yup Queen Daisy has a ring to it! I can just see the pomp and circumstance of the cow shed, with the chickens, dogs and cats in attendance on her Maj…… Have a great day!
What a lovely post! I’ve so enjoyed reading about your life and who you would have for dinner and looking at your wonderful photos. It all sounds just wonderful. And you made that pot? Amazing. In awe.
Thank you Katherine and welcome, your pages are so lovely..
That is the best looking wood burner that I have seen, but the kettle puts it into the shadows. That is a very cool kettle which is a very cool oxymoron.
Oxymorons are my favourite morons.. Thank you Roger. c
Congrats on the award and many thanks to my lovely Daisy for inviting me to the table! I’ll most certainly bring the wine and plenty of it. 🙂 Hope you had a great weekend!
I had a great weekend and now i really wish we COULD all have dinner, Liz could bring the pudding!! c
Brilliant post! Congrats on the award and I am looking forward to checking out the other blogs. But you see…you´ve done it now mentioning the cyber dinner party. Good thing you didn´t put a date and time or you´d have been invaded by a flash mob of blogging fans with their faces pressed up againsy your farmy windows and pushing Daisy out of the way to get to your table!
can you imagine the mayhem, and noise, we would have such a fine time! A flash mob of bloggers!! The mind Boggles! c