hoppin john

 I can’t believe it’s Sunday already… the time is passing at a ferocious rate, even though we haven’t been up to much since Wednesday. I think I’ve been to the grocery store and that’s about it for outings - pretty exciting life eh!

We did have more snow which required a snowblow. It covered the crust from the last freezing rain so it’s been good for snowshoes again :-) Yesterday we even caught some sun while we were out. It was like traversing a white universe filled with brilliant stars. I’m not sure if Adia and Lupa see the beauty but they sure have fun in the fluffy snow!

It has been unseasonably warm which means Lupa comes in from outside encased in snow, some of which will come off with the whisk, but the rest melts off all over the house. The air is dry though so it evaporates off the floor quickly (I wish I could say the same for my socks!).

It started snowing again this evening… all day the sky was heavy and grey like a dingy wool blanket. Even the grow lights had trouble burning through the gloom… another day for hibernating. I did get out for a tramp around the field. It’s hovering around freezing so the snow is packing down well - might even be able to walk with boots tomorrow!

Do you ever marvel at the stark whiteness of a marshmallow? I was surprised to hear they are often made with egg whites and of course gelatin - not a vegan treat at all! 

I haven’t cooked anything new for a while so tonight I made ‘Southern Hoppin John’ which is just black-eyed peas, brown rice, bacon, green pepper, celery, onion, and some spices. When I opened the instant pot, I thought there might be a mistake as it looked like it had already been eaten! Ugh. I thought I’d remove it from my recipe stack but after a few bites (and a bit more salt), I upgraded it to a ⅘. Easy comfort food, although not super healthy with the bacon but it does have legumes 🤪 

Lupa has made a learning leap! She is finally expanding her search for the toy and is even looking on top of the sofas and around corners. She’s looking longer and harder and using her nose. I’ve started using a cue which might be helping at this point - I should probably have started using it sooner. Progress!

I forgot to mention in my last post that it was Lupa’s one year ‘getting day’! She’s come a long way from the days when I was nearly in tears with frustration and exhaustion, when fantasies of putting her in a box marked with ‘free’ by the side of the road churned in my head! She’s turned into a pretty good pup, at least for some things.

The pillow saga continues… I’m mostly used to the brick except when I’ve got a bit of insomnia… is it worth the struggle? Not sure.

Awesome!

“a universe of sparkling snow”

“Lupa finding her toy in hard spots”

“magic butter maker (once I figured it out!)”

“a tart apple”

“cookie tins for $0.44!”