Our low temperature Sunday morning was 23F, and the high for the day was about 30F. Yesterday morning the low was 40F, and the high for the day was about 52F. This morning the low is 50F. We're supposed to get rain today. I guess December is like that. That's why one of the major themes of the 12th month is food. And by December 2004 we were pretty much settled in.
Food like the roasted turkey above, with a stuffing of chestnuts, prunes, and smoked pork lardons.And French cheeses. To my palate, soft cheeses taste better in winter. The three on the platter
above are: un camembert, un neufchâtel, and un chèvre demi-sec.
A fir tree (un sapin) in winter in our back yard
Foods like pizza that cook in a hot oven are good in winter too — the oven helps heat up the house.
The last photo shows what our yard and our first vegetable garden in Saint-Aignan looked like in mid-December.
The grass was green, and the greens growing in the garden were too.
P.S. The Télématin news is reporting this morning that the current covid surge is just getting worse. An example is the city of Rouen, north of Paris in Normandy. There, paramedical and medical services are overwhelmed by people suffering with of covid or wintertime flu. I think it's time to put our masks back on.
I have a friend with covid but not a bad case. Hopefully we'll stay safe. Everyone is masked for hospital and most doctor's visits now and that may be the new way of protecting one another from the viral illnesses.
ReplyDeleteE., I took some of these pictures when you and L. were here with B. and C. in early December 2004. Good memories.
DeleteAll you winter food looks delicious. I was thinking about going to Rouen in January, better rethink that.
ReplyDeleteBettyAnn
BA, you'll have to play it by ear. Things might improve. Merry Christmas to you.
DeleteThat turkey looks great. Yes, masks are probably making a comeback.
ReplyDeleteIf memory serves, I believe that turkey was one I ordered ahead of time from a butcher in Saint-Aignan. At the time, I remember thinking, I said it was the best turkey I had ever eaten.
DeleteI've never given masks up when i am out and about. Especially during the cold weather the mask actually keeps my face warmer! An extra bonus! One of my friends reported in french class this morning that her maladie (illness) required her to finally go to urgent care - the result was they recommended she use thera-flu but in our entire city there are so many that have needed that product - the shelves are empty. None to be found.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that bothers me about wearing a mask is that my glasses fog up and I can't see much. Good for you for wearing yours when you're out in public.
DeleteLove your photo of the sapin in your yard!
ReplyDeleteI think that those strings of frost are spider webs that are frost-covered.
DeleteLots of people sick here too. That cheese tray looks fabulous, and I'm not even hungry. -- Chrissoup
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours, Chrissoup.
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