Snow On Red Lantern
Tag Archives: Weather
… and It Is Still Snowing
Manhattan is in the midst of the snowstorm moving through the midwest, with about eight more inches of snow predicted before the end of the day. Here’s a quick photo from earlier this morning.
Stay warm! If you must go out, drive safely!
Phlox in the Winter Garden
On sunny winter days, I sometimes enjoy walking around the garden and remembering the colors, fragrances, textures, sounds and activities that fill it in other seasons. Here are a few photos of remnants of fragrant phlox that I took yesterday. Despite getting my socks and shoes full of snow, I am glad that I went out into the garden then, because with frigid temperatures moving in, I won’t be out there at least for the next few days. Stay warm and have a lovely weekend!
Autumn’s Chill
Along with bringing down a lot of leaves, yesterday’s winds ushered in a drop in temperatures. Brrr! It was only 16F. here this morning. If I didn’t have to rake this afternoon, I would stay in and do some baking. Maybe tomorrow : ) Have a lovely day!
Not a Pumpkin
One of my goals for this morning was to photograph some of the pumpkins that I have arranged in the yard so that I could have a nice end-of-October themed shot to share on the blog today. But once I got outside, I succumbed to the temptation of photographing my roses which, by the way, are enjoying the cool weather and occasional rains. (They came through last week’s snow just fine – thankfully!) Here is a picture that I took of Marilyn Monroe, dripping wet on this gray morning after last night’s rains. Enjoy! Have a lovely day!
Snow Falling on Roses
Just three weeks ago, I posted a photo with the title Summer in September. How quickly things change. Today started out with cloudy skies, turning to a mix of rain and sleet, then rain and snow, and just a little bit ago turned over to snow. I am hoping that it doesn’t nip the roses. We have a garden wedding tomorrow! Fortunately, the forecast is for sunny skies and 66 degrees F. in the afternoon.
Have a lovely day!
Chocolat Chaud (French-style Bittersweet Hot Chocolate)
The other day I was reading J. A. Brillat-Savarin’s The Physiology of Taste and his discussion of chocolate gave me the greatest craving for a rich cup of chocolat chaud. As we have been experiencing cool weather here in Manhattan, Kansas the past few days, the timing was perfect; but, of course, being Kansas, the weather is supposed back up into the 80’s by mid-week. That’s how it goes here. I hope that you are having a lovely autumn! Enjoy the recipe!
Chocolat Chaud
6 oz. best-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 c. boiling water
about 2 c. warm milk
cinnamon sticks for garnish
optional other ingredients & garnishes: brown sugar, Chantilly Cream, cinnamon sugar, chocolate curls
Directions:
1. Place chocolate in a 2-qt. sauce pan over low heat. Pour boiling water over chocolate. Stir until smooth.
2. Gradually stir in 2 c. of the warm milk. Taste. If the flavor is too strong for you, stir in more milk to taste. If desired, stir in a bit of brown sugar.
3. Once you have reached the desired flavor, continue stirring until smooth and hot – but not boiling.
4. If you have an immersion blender, whip the hot chocolate until frothy. Ladle into warmed serving cups. Garnish each with a cinnamon stick. If desired, top with Chantilly cream, cinnamon sugar and/or chocolate curls. Bon appétit!
Note: As with just about anything you make, the are a number of ways to make chocolat chaud. Some recipes omit the hot water. You can use more or less milk if you desire. (About 2 cups of milk is the minimum that I like to use without having to sweeten the beverage.) If you have the patience to wait, after you have warmed the hot chocolate mixture and balanced the flavors, remove it from the heat, transfer to a glass container and allow it to sit for several hours in order to thicken. Return chocolate to clean saucepan, then gently warm mixture and continue with step 4.
Summer in September
It is supposed to be around 90 degrees F. here in Manhattan, Kansas today and tomorrow, so I needed to water the garden this morning. I was just captivated by the light and had to take some photos. This is Crape Myrtle Royalty soaking up some sun and water.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Inside + Masala (Chai) Spices for Tea
It is cool and dreary here today in Manhattan, Kansas – the kind of day that makes a person want to stay inside and curl up with a good book and a cup of tea. So, I made some Masala Spice Tea. Hmm, wonderful!
Masala (Chai) Spice Blend
7 T. granulated sugar
2 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
2 t. ground ginger
2 t. ground cardamom
2 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. ground allspice
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground black pepper, optional*
Combine sugar and spices in a 3/4-cup glass jar. Close the lid and shake the jar until ingredients are well blended. Store at cool room temperature.
Suggested Uses: sprinkle on top of buttered toast, or on top of muffins or coffee cakes before baking; use instead of sugar in Chantilly Cream, coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or hot cider.
* The black pepper yields a hot flavor that works well in coffee, tea and hot cocoa; but I omit it for use in baked goods, hot cider and Chantilly Cream. If you are not used to hot flavor in your beverages, the pepper might become an acquired taste.
To make Masala (Chai) Spice Tea
2 c. water
2 T. + 2 t. Masala (Chai) Spice Blend
2 T. + 2 t. Assam or Darjeeling black tea, Jasmine green tea, or Honeybush herbal tea
2 c. milk, almond milk, or soy milk
Bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Add spice blend and tea leaves. (It your tea is bagged, leave it in the bags because the crushed tea is more difficult to strain.) Stir in milk, almond milk, or soy milk. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Strain tea into a warmed pot and then strain again into warmed tea cups. Enjoy!
A Word A Week Challenge: Unexpected
Thank you to A Word In Your Ear for issuing this week’s A Word A Week Challenge …Unexpected.
When visiting the Adirondacks recently, I was surprised to see how high the water was at the lake on which my relatives live – 3 feet above normal for this time of year. This photo is of a neighbor’s dock, or rather, where the neighbor’s dock should be; the dock itself is submerged under water.
A Taste of Morning 