Jacques of all Trades

It’s Groundhog Day? Again?

(Source: akalle)

This makes me feel better about DC’s wind chills in the teens.

(via It’s So Cold in Chicago, Firefighters Left This Warehouse Covered in Ice - Neighborhoods - The Atlantic Cities)

Hot soup for a cold night, this Chicken and Corn Chowder recipe from Bon Appetit via epicurious.  

We subbed half-and-half for heavy cream and loaded up on the potatoes, but otherwise went with the recipe…it tastes so delicious for a cozy night in, away from the howling winds!

• 10 bacon slices, chopped

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

• 3 medium onions, chopped

• 2 cups chopped red bell peppers (about 2 large)

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour

• 9 cups low-salt chicken broth

• 4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled seeded butternut squash (cut from one 1 3/4-pound squash)

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

• 2 16-ounce bags frozen corn kernels

• 1 cup whipping cream

• 4 cups diced skinned roast chicken

• 2 cups chopped green onions

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

preparation

Cook bacon in large pot over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.

Pour off all but 1/4 cup drippings from pot. Add butter to pot; melt over medium-high heat. Add onions and 1 cup bell peppers. Sauté until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add flour; stir 2 minutes. Mix in broth, then squash, potatoes, and thyme; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until squash and potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Add corn, cream, and 1 cup bell peppers. Simmer until corn is tender, about 10 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Add chicken, 1 cup green onions, and 1/2 cup cilantro; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle chowder into bowls; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup green onions and 2 tablespoons cilantro.

That was a cold bike ride into the office this morning. Apparently the wind chill was around 9.

Time for some new gloves.

saraplainandtall:

amycarr:

File under:  Photos I Wish I’d Taken

I would very much like to spend Christmas here. 

You mean in a Thomas Kinkade painting?

(Source: gennx3)

Frigid day in DC. I guess winter finally arrived.

inothernews:

Ice covered a car at a boardwalk near Lake Geneva in Geneva Monday. Overwhelmed by deep snow and harsh temperatures, some countries in Europe closed schools and struggled to run transit systems amid the deadly cold snap, which has also killed hundreds of residents across several countries. (Photo: Salvatore Di Nolfi / EPA via the Wall Street Journal)

Well, it may not feel like winter (still), but it was at least cold enough for a bracing bike ride home. I’ll take it.

inothernews:

THE GRAY    A house sat in Destne, Czech Republic, Thursday. Almost 100 mushers with some 500 dogs are competing in the Sedivackuv Long dog-sled race in the area. They have to compete in deep snow and freezing conditions in the Orlicke mountains. (Photo: Petr Josek / Reuters via the Wall Street Journal)

It’s winter somewhere…

Wintry stoops in Georgetown.

fotojournalismus:

Icicles cling to oranges in a small grove just after sunrise Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012, in Seffner, Fla. Temperatures in central Florida dipped into the 20’s overnight. Farmers spray water on their crops to help keep them around 32 degrees, protecting them from possible freeze damage.

[Credit : Chris O’meara / AP]

Yup winter is here.  Although it was nice wearing shorts all weekend in Southern California.

It appears that this will be the week in which I discover whether I have what it takes to be a cold-weather bike commuter.

Sami herders follow the migrations of the reindeer as they move across northern Scandinavia and Russia from their winter grazing grounds to cooler areas during the summer months. (via Reindeer Picture - Scandinavia Photo - National Geographic Photo of the Day)