One of my aunts, born in the 1890s, used to refer to all Christmas presents as Christmas boxes. They didn't have to be in a box. In fact a bonus in the pay would be a Christmas box. And Boxing Day was when an employer would hand them over.
So here's Maggie Rudy's take on the Christmas box sweater, knitted by grandma, with plenty of room for growth, tried on with dismay by the little mouse, while mom cautions him to say nowt, because she understands.
And today being a wonderful mild sunny day, walking happened. So did Christmas boxes from nature.
Here's one, a silver dime on a gold beech leaf
And here are favorite scenes, shadows falling on beech trees, that grey silk trunk like a drawing surface
This beauty appreciation is all very well, but first the inner woman was attended to.
The Christmas Eve cod steak was as good as I'd hoped - very. Lovely flakes, just baked enough. Cayenne pepper. Bed of spinach, carrots and scallions. Buttered boiled Yukon gold potatoes.
Years since I had decent cod. Locally, in the northeast US, the fish preferences of the population are more exotic than the north Atlantic fish I grew up on, in northeastern Yorkshire, cod, herring, haddock, skate. They're pretty rare.
But Misfits market has added in cold pack ordering which makes fish and meat possible in the Misfits box in addition to produce. This is my first trial of the fish option, expensive and worth it.
Then today came the planned cod cakes. Flaked cod, left from Christmas Eve, mixed with several veggies, Old Bay seasoning, egg beaten in, Panko breading, baked.
Fancy bit of Thai basil, growing in a pot in the kitchen, glass of ginger ale
Dessert was German tiny cookies and a drop of eggnog.
Speaking of potatoes, which we were back there,
here are Yukon gold potatoes, planted as peelings, growing like maniacs in a pot in the living room. Bringing the outdoors indoors. I did get a couple of accidental potatoes in a pot upstairs, so we'll see if these deliberate ones work out.
Not long before I can go on a witch hazel blossom hunt. Even before snowdrops.
It's all go!
Your festive fish meals look delicious! It's been quite awhile since I've had cod, or even fishcakes for that matter.
ReplyDeleteMaggie Rudy's mice are just the most enchanting things. How she manages to transfer such human and real scenes and emotions to her darling creations is magic. That scene with the sweater is too perfect.
ReplyDeleteYou know- I got an air fryer for Christmas and I keep thinking of things to do in it although so far I have not so much as made toast. It's a toaster oven too. Your cod cakes probably would have been lovely in it. I'll report in when I begin to experiment. Part of me thinks that it's such an unnecessary appliance but you know- a lot of people love theirs. So why not find out for myself?
Happy Boxing Day!
Me too, and it was great to eat fish not from a can for a change.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what an air fryer is, though I've read about people adopting them. Maybe they're a good alternative to firing up the oven.
ReplyDeleteLovely sunshine on your walk
ReplyDeleteA reminder of what outdoors looks like
The potatoes growing are a delight to read about.
Cod. Growing up in Newfoundland it was a staple of the diet. My grandfather fished for it for years and sold it, salted in the fall to the merchant. Love that fish. On this island, haddock is the fish of choice. However, my husband and I prefer cod, which we can get on occasion. It is always delicious.
ReplyDeleteCute mice. I bought some cod steaks from Costco, frozen. Guess I don't know how to cook them as they weren't as tasty as yours seems to have been.
ReplyDeleteMarie, yes, likewise here. We used to get fresh herring, sold in the street same day as caught in the nearby North Sea. Likewise mackerel.
ReplyDeleteit spoils you for fish that's been stored, shipped, frozen etc. My misfits was chilled not frozen. Which is probably why it was so good. A fairly short supply chain, I'm guessing.
Also the source was certified. A lot of commin white fish is labeled with a better name and sold more expensively. There was a big US Gov investigation of certain Japanese companies a while back, who'd been doing this routinely.
It pays to know what the fish is supposed to look like, I suppose.
How have I missed you blogs before? The little mouse with the oversized sweater is on point.
ReplyDeleteI used to have those very same Corel plates. And I kick myself that I gave the whole set away.
cheers,
Wilma
Your sunny winter walk and beech trunk shadows are lovely! I am continually amazed at your potato peelings success. And thank you for Maggie Rudy, again!
ReplyDeleteChris from Boise
Welcome here, Wilma. I hope you'll enjoy reading in here. I just found your blog snd I'm intrigued by your chosen country, such a contrast with the cold climate you left.
ReplyDeleteChris, Maggie Rudy has such an astute take on situations. I think you'd love those shadows on beech trunks. Every year I enjoy them again in the cold winter sun.
ReplyDeleteSo cute! Your fish supper looks great. My mouth is watering...
ReplyDeleteThe fish cakes came from your suggestion, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the UK so completely agree with all your fish memories. :) Skate was often the choice at the local chippy--beautifully fried along with the chips, all placed in waxed paper, then wrapped inside a thick roll of newspaper. Yum.
ReplyDeleteManaged to get to UK in October. While I was up in Argyll on the upper peninsula of the Firth of Clyde, I had Cullen Skink at a local restaurant. Oh my goodness...it was amazing. You would love it.
I must check that out. I'm familiar with the Firth of Clyde -- long marriage to a Glaswegian!but not with cullen skink.
ReplyDeleteMy mom loved skate, but I found it a bit bony and sweet.
Thanks for weighing in.
I must admit I laughed when I saw the oversized sweater - I had the opposite problem with the sweater I made for #2 grandie because it was almost too small. He can wear it for a little while but it's going to be a hand-me-over to his little brother before long. Now I wonder if little bro's fits AND if the one for #1 grandie fits. Lesson learned....make them TWO sizes too big!!!
ReplyDeleteAlways an issue when you're too far away to see how they've really grown.
ReplyDeleteArgh! Talking about spring bulbs already, and winter has just begun here.
ReplyDeleteI too miss herring, cod and haddock. I'm not sure what skate is, so I asked Google for the name in Swedish, and it gave me the same: skate. And showed a picture. Still no idea. Oh,well, of course I can get herring in all it's various preserved forms and I love that. But still, there's nothing like fresh caught fish, after all. And what happened to cod? Is it endangered or in very short supply or something?
ReplyDeleteAC, snowdrops are winter flowering, late January into February. At which point they are likely to be buried under snow, and will emerge later all finished, having bloomed and wilted while buried! But hope springs eternal.
ReplyDeleteInger, cod was fished almost to extinction by massive commercial net trawlers, and there had to be bans and limits on fishing it to allow it to recover. Small fishermen never had this impact, knowing their small catches were safe, but they were still restricted. I'm hoping it's reviving