Baby, it's cold outside...

This morning, I am writing you sitting by the fire in my wood stove. Our new little house it perfectly sized, wonderfully decorated, and beautifully set amongst trees and hiking trails. However, there is no central heat. And, for those of you that believe that one does not need heat living in Southern California, let me tell you that you are wrong. It gets cold in the canyon...

So that means that every morning and every night A and I stoke (isn't that a wonderful word?) the wood stove with ash, pine, or almond wood and cook something yummy to warm up our core while the fire heats up the house. There is something very "pioneer" about heating up the house with something delicious in order to warm up your body. Even though I complain, I kind of love it.

This blissful long weekend we have very little plans other than a dinner out and a couple of errands to run. With temperature in the 30's at night I can promise you our kitchen will be buzzing. I'm thinking about making a soup I came across in one of the Christmas cookbooks my mother gave me. If you need a new bible in your kitchen, I suggest anything from Mark Bitman. He's my hero and is quickly becoming A's as well. However, this woman really knows her way around soup too. So many options! Thank god I'm out of that teeny tiny kitchen of our last apt. It was nice in the beginning, but not meant to be.

Stay warm this weekend friends! I know most of you in the EST are much colder than we are out here. I hope you have more than a little wood stove to keep you warm!