12 Jul 2015

it's so cold

Four degrees in my kitchen in the morning. Get in, make breakfast, get out.

It's so cold right now in my kitchen that:
  • my real honey, kept in the pantry, has set rock hard - I can't even scrape a portion off
  • my olive oil, also in the pantry, is thick and cloudy
  • if I take something from the freezer in the morning, and sit it on the bench to thaw out for dinner, chances are it won't have defrosted
  • creaming butter and sugar in a cold stainless steel bowl sets the butter hard again. Last weekend, I had to rest the bowl on a hot water bottle on my lap, and sit in a sunny spot of my living room, to keep the butter soft.
Ah, the joys of cooking in a cold Hobart kitchen!

My back yard and vegie garden, blanketed in a heavy frost

 An icy pyrethrum plant
Frozen broccoli

18 comments:

  1. Wow e, it seems it is cold everywhere. Very grey here today with a howling wind. A great day for some cooking and reading. Stay warm. x

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    1. that's exactly what I did - made a warming curry for the week ahead, then settled in on the couch with books, magazines, and cups of tea. you keep warm too, jane.

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  2. Cold here too, in the Barossa Valley in South Australia, only 9deg.C yesterday. I'm loving the rain though as we are well down on our yearly total so far.A great day to stay inside by the fire. Stay warm.

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    1. hello heather and welcome to dig in. anything less than double figures is difficult! a fire would be perfect. as would rain - my area doesn't get a lot of rain, just a tease every now and then.
      you keep warm too!

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  3. Anonymous12 July, 2015

    Oh dear! What is it about frost? We have had two frosts in Auckland back to back which is rare. But apparently, the days have been magic! I am in Melb where it is raining cats and dogs. Whoops! The cold kitchen doesn't sound good either ...

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    1. at least after a frost you get a lovely sunny day. we've had quite a few here already. but oh for rain! proper rain and not just a spit which is over by the time you think "its raining..." :-(

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  4. Brrr, chilly indeed, stay warm. CJ xx

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    1. thank you CJ. I shall head over to your lovely blog, i'm sure you have wonderful sunny English countryside pictures to cheer me up :-)

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  5. We get pretty cold here, but just outside. I don't think I've had my house quite that cold before. Even when my furnace when out in the middle of winter, I bought space heaters and heated with electricity for a few days.

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    1. ah,i should explain ... my kitchen is on the non-sunny side of the house - lovely and cool in summer, but obviously not so good in winter. it's not practical during the week to heat it - by the time the space is warm, i'd be out of there. i do heat it though on weekends, when i'm likely to be spending a few hours cooking.

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  6. Brrrrrr that is cold! V cold in Melbs too but I was able to cream butter and sugar successfully! Keep warm.

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    1. ha, the hot water bottle was a desperate but winning innovation. from now on perhaps i'll stick to 'melt and mix' recipes! thanks hon, you keep warm too xx

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  7. I love the way our seasons are reversed. Currently a summery 20C and drizzling with rain over here! Think of the good that the frost is doing out in the garden :)

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    1. morning anne! yes I love getting my summer hit from you and people like CJ and garden deli. keeps me sane and hopeful!
      yes, I remind myself that brassicas love the frost!

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  8. Wow, it does look very cold! Over here, my honey has set, but at least I am still able to scoop it out! :)

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    1. hello leaf! yes I was surprised how rock hard the honey had set. I ma guessing that's because it's so pure? it's a very small 'homemade' pot from a friend of my parents. I could zap it in the microwave, but I think it will be a good sign of warming weather - when my honey liquefies :-)

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  9. I can't compare but we have even had really cold weather in Brissie! I would still rather live in Hobart though because it's one of my favourite places :)

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    1. it's been very cold right across the country, hasn't it.
      once you accept the cold here - and make sure you have decent heating - really, Hobart is not so bad :-)

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