A Cold Day at Home

Well, it's up to three degrees out there now. The kids are working on their e-learning, I'm writing about France, and the pets are bored.

I ended up with a crockpot at our family White Elephant this Christmas. We have an upscale White Elephant. There's a $20 max, but some motivated family members hit the post-Thanksgiving sales. 

I've used a crockpot about three times in my life. By the time I figure out what I want for dinner, I usually need a fast-cooking method, not a slow one.  But this one is so cute, and today is so cold and I've been wanting split pea soup for a while.

Lovely, isn't she?

I've been thinking and writing about France so decided to have socca for breakfast. Socca is a salty chickpea flour pancake. Recipe: one cup chickpea flour, one cup water, a tablespoon of olive oil, and a teaspoon or two of salt. Pour it into a skillet. I tilt it around for a thin pancake. Flip. You can spread it on a cookie sheet too and bake it, but I prefer it in a skillet greased with plenty of olive oil. I eat it with tomatoes, just because.

I should have used an orange or red plate. Next time.

This is what I'm avoiding today, except for the many times I've taken Pepper out today. She's having some digestive difficulties. I won't say more. We desperately need a way to access the back yard that doesn't involve five steps from the side garage door to the gate. With more snow, we could build a tunnel, igloo style.

In the bleak midwinter

I bundled up and took Pepper for a walk yesterday when it was a balmy eleven degrees. She got excited today when I got out my camera, perhaps thinking we were going out to photograph the winter wonderland.

Pepper's happy stretch.

Most Christmas decorations are still up. I think the lights and decorations should stay up through the end of January. January in Indiana needs light and cheer every bit as much as December. And we're in the season of Epiphany.

Goodwill snowmen. Cute and cheap.

Both the above snowman and the cow below were found on the floor, on their backs, victims of the kitties' nighttime romps in December. Both made me laugh.

I inherited this guy from my mom when she was downsizing her Christmas decorations. He cracks me up. Especially when found on the floor, legs splayed.

 Now, a cup of Earl Grey tea and back to schoolwork.

School stuff.