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I ran away from teaching to the country to grow veggies. There are also some chooks and a pair of troublesome goats who were so much trouble they had to go! My simple green life isn't always as simple or as green as I'd like...but I keep trying!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Winter Wednesdays #1

How modern of me! I have become redundant before the packaging has been recycled.
Well...what I mean is that I wrote today's post yesterday and it started like this:

Recently, a fellow blogger, Veggiegobbler, chastised me for having a countdown to Winter on my blog.  Well, I too used to hate Winter but I am trying to live in sync with the seasons and to value what each has to offer.  So I am starting a series of posts called, Winter Wednesdays, hoping I will be able to encourage Veggieglobbler, and others like her, to find some joy in this chilly season.

I must have sent vibes to Ms Veggiegobbler because her post today is about how she has decided to embrace Winter and she has listed five good things about it.  

I think I will still do this series...I am sure she will lose her resolve and need encouragement.  My invitation for you to join in still stands:

You can join in too, if you like.  
On Wednesdays you could also put up a 
Winter Wednesday post and link it to mine.  




Our house is heated by a very effective slow combustion wood heater in the lounge that warms the whole house.




I love the sight and sound of the fire as it crackles and burns and the click, click, click of the flue as it heats and cools....the sounds of winter. 

But the fire also provides us with a Winter treat that we look forward to every year...

Roast Spuds!

We choose big spuds for this, scrub them, 
wrap them in tinfoil and place them among the coals.
 We push any logs to the side 
and rake out the hot coals for the tatties.
It takes an hour to cook them, 
turning once (re-raking the coals at turning).


Then we just unwrap, 
squish them into a bowl 
and add toppings of our choice!

Toppings:

Always
sour cream.

In combination with any of the following: 
baked beans, 
pasta sauce, 
sauteed bacon, 
cheese, 
avocado, 
baby spinach, 
rocket, 
diced tomato, 
grated carrot, 
cold peas,
spring onions,
fresh herbs,
salt and pepper
whatever takes your fancy.

Best eaten whilst sitting 
in front of the fire and watching it burn.

(You can cheat and cook them in the oven, or microwave if you don't have an fire)

18 comments:

  1. What a good idea! I never thought of cooking potatoes in the coonara!
    I'll see If I can link today's post to yours...

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  2. some of my fav things about winter are..that it is a chance to slow down..the rest of the year is full on but winter rain and cold force you indoors...I like the close family time it brings to the family..You have to have winter to get to spring and I like Spring.

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  3. Great post Hazel. Love the look of your fire. Here in Qld it can get a little cold at times and I have to say I love the cooler weather. I really think it's the novelty of it though! Love those roast spuds too.

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  4. We have a wood stove that we use in winter and although it is a bit of work, I do love it. I haven't put potatoes in the fire before, but I have cooked on the top of it. I love that winter allows for extra reading time. I am missing that right now!

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  5. I love all the seasons for the unique qualities. When you get to my age you value them like old friends.In my part of the world Winter means delicious wood fires, wood cut from our own trees, dead of course,soup, casseroles and wonderful light, artists' light and this year watching a delightful pair of twin kittens grow up.It also means tanks filling up for Summer as we're not on the mains so it's not all play and fun! I'll be over later for some spuds!

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  6. Yum, yum, yum! We've never cooked in our wood heater *gasp* but this will be changing now after your spuddy post, thanks for the shove.

    We had a cracker frost this morning, always something to enjoy..so long as we're rugged up and the frost tender plants were covered the night before...oops!

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  7. Lose resolve, me?! Hmph!
    I have already thought of a sixth thing to love about winter inspired by my children... making dragon's breath on the frosty morning walks to school. When I was a kid I remember saying that we were smoking - fortunately my kids have not yet been exposed to cigarettes and have better imaginations that I did.

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  8. Alright, I too will attempt to get into the spirit of things, even though technically, I detest winter.

    I love that in winter I get to wear my lovely wool dress.

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  9. Happy Winter Wednesday Hazel. I just edited my recent post to link to yours.

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  10. Luckily you have a nice warm house to welcome your family to. I am sure they will love the potatoes too.
    Your Barb photo is very artistic Hazel. I have lots of childhood memories of barbed wire. I retrieved a piece when our fence was replaced, for an artistic use!

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  11. The roast spud looks rather tempting - not sure if I could have sour cream and baked beans all in one go.

    If I'd known you were going to have a Winter Wednesday I would of taking a photo of the great frost we had this morning. I'll attempt to join in too.

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  12. Your potato-cooking idea reminded me of when as kids we used to cook potatoes in the embers of a garden bonfire. We were lucky enough to have a grass badminton court in our garden, and we would put the spuds on to cook while we played badminton. By the time we were exhausted, the spuds would be ready. No aluminium foil in those days, so we always had to scrape off a bit of ash!

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  13. Left over chili con carne is divine in roast spuds.

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  14. Looks absolutely delicious! Warming meal on a cold winter's day, yumm!

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  15. The potatoes.....yum! How helpful of you to encourage her to think positive thoughts about winter. I love wearing sweaters, hot tea and coffee in the morning while watching the chickens, apple pie {or any flavor for that matter}, our pellet stove and slowly braised dinners.
    :) I'm in the heat of summer here!!
    Staci

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  16. For some reason I always think of Australia as warm most of the time if not all the time. Living in Northern Ireland often feels like Autumn/Winter much of the year, constantly waiting for a bit of summer. I am a big fan of all seasons, do love a fire going and sipping hot drinks!

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  17. Dear Ms Dene,

    Thank you for your kind invitation which I have accepted.

    http://greeningtherose.blogspot.com/2011/06/winter-wednesdays-1.html

    I still don't love winter but I do love soup.

    Frostily yours,
    Rose

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  18. Great idea Hazel, I need all the encouragement I can get this time of year!

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