I Like Winter

There I've said it. I know I should love summer given I live in a little tropical paradise but it just doesn't do it for me. Who needs heat when you can generate your own menopausal hot stuff? Sunbathing with a hole in the ozone layer as big as a country ... I don't think so. Flies, sandflies (why do they always fall in my wine glass??), mosquitoes. Yeah right, bliss.

Give me winter anytime. It has all my favourite things.

Boots. I love boots and in winter nobody cares I wear them every day. Not such a good look in the summer I'm thinking. This year has been a bonus boots year with some gorgeous Clark's ones and then the little slutty ankle boots ...

Flannelette Sheets. Now who doesn't just love them? Cosy, cosy, cosy! Especially when you can hear the rain on the roof and you're snuggled in your bed with flannelette sheets wearing your flannelette jamies.

Big Fluffy Socks. Especially good when worn with boots. (see above). Or with flannelette jamies in your flannelette sheets (see above).

Wet Wild Sundays. Nobody minds if you stay home in the warm when it's raining outside. In fact it's almost compulsory. Nobody insists "it's a lovely day for the beach" or "shall we spend the day in the garden?". No, the only expected activity is the dash out to the mailbox to get the Sunday paper and then it's a fast track to the couch with a crap movie on tv, coffee in hand and a cosy throw rug ... and Big Fluffy Socks. (see above).

Rugby. Considering I know absolutely nothing about the rules (apart from head high tackles are a no-no) I still love this game especially internationals. Dinner with Leonie & Les, wine, Big Fluffy Socks (see above), big screen tv, the haka, 30 men running around a field with small shorts on and if you're lucky the occasional fight .... bliss. And you get to yell and swear at the tv as much as you want to and nobody minds one little bit.

Vegetables. Winter vegetables yum! I know, I know, with the world the way it is you can pretty much get anything any time of the year but silverbeet, pumpkin, potatoes, leeks, broccoli etc, well they're winter food! So there.

Soup. Ok so on a Wet Wild Sunday (see above), wearing your Big Fluffy Socks (see above) what could be better than a big bowl of Vegetable (see above) soup with some Vogels toast?

Speaking of which, off to the kitchen I go to put a pot of soup on and perhaps a Hunza Pie? A winter Sunday ... I'm in heaven. Wish you were here!

PS. Hunza Pie Recipe - Barb, Katie might like this especially with all the gorgeous veges at PrairiErth Farm

HUNZA PIE

3 sheets shortcrust pastry

1 cup long grain rice

½ tsp salt

2 bunches silverbeet

1kg pumpkin, roughly chopped

Pinch nutmeg

Salt & pepper

3 cups grated tasty cheese

1tsp mixed herbs

3 tomatoes, sliced

1/. Preheat oven 160C. Line dish & bake pastry blind for 10 minutes.

2/. Cook rice in boiled salted water. Drain well.

3/. Discard tough stems from silverbeet. Chop & lightly steam over a medium heat in covered

saucepan.

4/. Cook pumpkin in saucepan with a little water until tender. Drain & then puree with nutmeg, salt

and pepper.

5/. Sprinkle one third of cheese & ½ tsp herbs over pastry. Cover with half the rice.

6/. Place all silverbeet on the rice & then another 1/3 of the cheese.

7/. Cover with pureed pumpkin & then the remaining rice.

8/. Top with sliced tomatoes & remaining chees & herbs.

9/. Bake 35-40 minutes until golden brown.