November 23, 2011
Dear Friends,
Winslow spent the end of summer and the beginning of fall adding new cedar shingles to his grandmother's house, a job that has taken him through summer's high ferns to autumn's bright foliage...and will continue for much longer as he makes his way around the whole house.
The new, finished portion of the roof is indeed looking rather cheerful against a blue November sky. You can clearly see the difference between the new shingles in the foreground and the old in the background.
There are many other cheerful things to be found in the late-November sunshine...
There is a threshold in Tasha's barn where the darkness meets the whiteness in a moment of intense sunlight. The light was so strong our camera couldn't quite handle the contrast! What an uplifting experience to walk from the dark, chilly side of the barn into the warm, bright side.
On the porch, we found the remnants of candle-dipping...a copper pot full of wax candle ends, to be melted and reused next year, and a box (made by Seth Tudor) filled with wax-tipped dipping sticks.
In the Pantry, beeswax candles lie in a shaker box lid, ready to be our companions for the quiet, cold nights of writing and reading.
There are a few beautiful yellow ware molds used for Thanksgiving cranberry sauce in the kitchen.The original recipe for the sauce is in Tasha Tudor's Cookbook. Jen Tudor shared some tips on making your cranberry sauce a special success this year. Here's what she had to say:
"The Tudor family makes Tasha's cranberry sauce each and every year, sometimes not just for holidays! It's tried and true and tradition. However, I couldn't resist sharing some of these flavorful "additions" that you might add to the basic recipe.
- Use half chopped rhubarb and half cranberries.
- Add 3/4 cup honey instead of 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger and a cinnamon stick
- Add 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary while simmering and 1 tblsp. balsamic vinegar at the end.
- Use orange juice instead of water and add the grated zest of one orange.
Enjoy and from my family to yours, have a peaceful and thankful holiday."
Thanks for sharing, Jen!
As you head into the holiday (I'm sure many of you are busy in the kitchen already!), remember to take a moment and truly be thankful. What gifts of blessed beauty are within reach of grateful hearts...take hold of them.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!