oh, come let us mash potatoes

light snow, mild - temps minus 2

Another picture perfect day as we approach Christmas. The forecast here is for good weather, which is great since my brother Doug is coming Christmas Eve, and two of Michael's son's are arriving just after Christmas. Hope the weather's good chez vous.

We got up early and headed to the Cowansville hospital where Michael had a stress test (for heart). All terrific - thank heaven. To celebrate we went to The Station for breakfast. Then back to the village to do a big Christmas shop. Oh, my God. The trolley was overflowing. Vegetables, treats, pannetone (which we consider a staple), fruit, treats, vegetarian stuff for Doug. Cranberries to make the sauce. Sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, butter, milk, treats, sour cream.

I suddenly realized, in the middle of the night, that I hadn't done any holiday food shopping. Or food thinking. Or planning. Or cooking. the IGA in Sutton was packed - and we seemed to know everyone! We stopped and chatted with Joan, Emilita, Charles, Wayne and Shirley. Then there were a lot of people we only had time to wave to. Very fun, really. It feels like what it is - a community.

After the shop we went around distributing gifts and thank you cards. That's always fun. Then off to visit a neighour with a gift and have a chat.

Then home. And cooking. Just now have had time to sit in front of the fireplace, Joan Sutherland's Oh Holy Night on the stereo - and relax. Sweet potatoes made (maple syrup is the secret ingredient), and regular mashed potatoes done. Always feels better when they're both done - quite labour intensive (at least for me, who 'cooks' peanut butter sandwiches).

Oh, Lise sent me her Sucre a la creme recipe. She said she'd made her grandmother's a few years ago - took a very long time. And then found another one, made it, and frankly saw no difference - so she's sending you the 'new' one. Here it is:

My Assistant Lise's Sucre a la creme

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup whipping cream

Stir together in a large microwavable bowl and microwave for 10 minutes, stirring twice during this time. Remove from microwave and let sit for 5 minutes. Using an electric mixer, beat for 4 minutes and poor into either a parchment lined loaf pan (for thickness!) or a 9x9 square pan (lined also). Put in refrigerator to cool completely and then remove from pan to slice into squares. It does crumble a bit, but those crumbs are payoff for making it.

Enjoy!

Hope your holiday season is enjoyable and not too hectic. To be honest, I get fairly anti-social at this time of year. I love peace and quiet and am looking forward (now that those potatoes are mashed) to doing not much of anything except eating and sitting by the fire.

Speak to you tomorrow, I hope.

sucre a la creme

beautiful blue skies, cool, minus 7

A perfect, perfect, perfect winter day. Makes my heart sing. Had breakfast at Nick's, then bought bananas at the Cinq Saison (Trudy loves them and we're out at home), then jumped in the car and drove back to the country.

As we got further and further along the autoroute there was more and more snow. Clearly the Townships got far more than the dusting in Montreal. Arrived home about 1pm. Unloaded the car, and Lise showed up - with her Christmas basket filled with treats!!! We put on the kettle, cracked open her gift of home-made preserves (pickled beets - my favorite...but also jams and relishes) and home-made sweets, including truffles, butter mints and Sucre a la creme - the three of us devoured them. And Lise told us the story of having the sucre a la creme at her grandmother's when she was a child, christmas eve. After dinner and games, everyone was exhausted. The girls (11 children and all their children) would get the few bedrooms. Lise remembers eating the sucre candy (which is like maple fudge) and climbing the stairs - and looking back down to see all the men and boys asleep on the floor in front of the woodstove.

She herself hasn't had the candy for decades, but decided this year to dig out her grandmother's recipe and make it. I have to tell you, the sucre a la creme candy was fabulous. But the real joy was seeing Lise's face as she ate it. Almost brought tears to my eyes.

Christmas is like that, isn't it. So keen with memories, triggered by tastes and smells, by carols. And often unexpected things. I had a moment like that taking Trudy out after her dinner. It's dark now early, of course. Pitch black by 5pm. we decorated the tree this afternoon and as I left I turned and saw the tree through the living room window, and Michael sitting by the fire. And heard King's College Cambridge singing Oh Come All ye Faithful. Then I turned to trudy, and we walked through the crisp, still night. Snow smells, you know. There's an unmistakable fragrance to it. Clean, fresh. if I was blindfolded I'd know the scent of snow. And it was cold enough it creaked underfoot.

There was half a foot of fresh, fluffy snow on the trees, balancing there - and a bright moon. You should see moon shadows on a field of fresh snow. It is breathtaking. And I was reminded of the deep peace I always felt as a child on quiet winter nights, walking on snow under the moon and stars.

Other things remind me of christmas. The smell of cinnamon and nutmeg. Mandarin oranges. Shortbread. Egg nog.

Michael and I don't exchange gifts anymore. We have no needs. No wants. We already have more than enough. What we give to each other at Christmas is peace. And I thought that was enough, until I tasted Lise's Sucre a la creme! Now, I'd like sucre a la creme, and peace for Christmas. In that order.

Before I go, one more thing - Happy Birthday Marjorie!!!! (Ha, bet you thought I forgot!!)