Renewal and Winter Treats

Hello and Happy New Year! Christmas is behind us and it can seem like only Winter is ahead. However, there’s also a feeling of renewal and a determination to do better in the coming months. This keeps the cold miserable days in perspective and enthuses us.

I was inspired to write a poem to sum up these feelings.

A New Year

The old year is behind us.
It's time to look ahead,
A time of hope and mindfulness
And other paths to tread.

A sense of renewal fills us
With determination to do better.
We set out fresh and more ambitious,
We'll do things to the letter.

Success is not the issue here,
It's our intentions that really count.
They drive away regrets and fear
And our human weaknesses surmount.

So embrace the new and be glad.
Be glad and full of cheer,
forget the past and don't be sad.
Rejoice in the promise of another year.

Even on these colder days it’s a pleasure to walk around the garden, We’ve had some frost since Christmas so I snapped a few treasures,

When the frost melts it leaves diamond drops which are just as lovely to see.

The first few snowdrops are showing their dainty heads and the hellebores are so beautiful when the flowers open. There are many different versions of this lovely plant.

Bare branches have a beauty of their own. Lichen on twigs shows up more clearly around this time and is lovely to see. It’s neither a plant nor a fungus and is said to be a sign of clean air. Whether or not it really signifies clean air I enjoy seeing it in the garden. Often, remaining leaves have glowing colour to enjoy too.

I’ve sorted out my seeds. I won’t attempt any sowing until Spring except for tomatoes. I will start my “Roma” tomatoes in late February in the house. They need a lot of consistent warmth to germinate and plenty of light to grow. I keep them on a south-facing windowsill and turn the seed trays at least twice a day. If this isn’t done they will struggle towards the light, become long and thin and they will not develop into sturdy plants. It’s also important to give them space. Two or three seeds to a plug are enough, then should be thinned to a single strong seedling.

Most of us will feel a need for healthier food after the indulgences of the season. That’s certainly true for me with my chocolate madness. I’m enjoying the vegetables from the garden. Winter vegs are comforting as well as nourishing and I have a small selection to use. The parsnips are at their best, so are the sprouts. These benefit from a bit of frost. Safely tucked away in the polytunnels I have celeriac, parsley and leeks.

I’m also reducing meat meals. Lentils are good cooked with a selection of vegetables in a little stock. Warming, nourishing and simple. I prefer red lentils. I like the way they dissolve into the stock and thicken it. Delicious just as a stew or mopped up with some crusty bread.

I buy frozen, deliciously sweet cherries which are easy to defrost and keep their shape, texture and flavour. I defrosted some of these and added mandarin orange bits and small pieces of peeled apple. I drizzled a little ginger syrup over them, stirred and left them to stand for a few minutes. Absolutely delectable and refreshing. Such a treat after rich foods.

I’m thinking it’s the ideal time to defrost my summer strawberries and make jam. It’s not difficult and tastes fabulous on hot buttered toast. There’s not much pectin in strawberries so I add some cooking apple to the pan to help it to set. I will say more about this when I make it.

May be knitting or sewing until I’m active in the garden again. I might have to re-cover a chair. I’m hoping it won’t be tricky. It’s a favourite and I haven’t seen anything suitable to replace it so I may just as well get on with the job. Might attempt a bit of cleaning first to see if I can improve it.

Since writing this post we’ve had snow overnight. Very wet and slushy so I’m not venturing out to take photos. It’s melting quickly and very slippy underfoot. Will have to give our garden birds a bit of extra food to help them to keep warm.

Meanwhile, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with good food and happiness and you feel full of enthusiasm for 2025. With you again in two weeks time. Bye for now.