Welcoming the Winter Weather

This year I'm quite happy to welcome the winter weather.  I look forward to days spent in front of the fire with the boys - learning, crafting, playing, reading, baking.  We've already got icicles hanging from the roof tops and snow on the ground. 

This is the first year in many that we haven't had to be pruning trees, raking leaves and collecting nuts at this time of year so I've had some time to knit instead.  When I finished my first pair of wrist warmers I quickly realized a second working pair would be necessary.  First I had to finish a pair for a birthday present and then I set to making another pair for myself.  After being teased by W that "these fingerless mittens are brilliant, mum...except me fingas get cold.  It sure would be nice if these mitts had fingas knitted onto 'em" (all in a strange sort of cockney type accent) I decided I would make an extra long pair for myself - sort of wrist/knuckle warmers. 

I'm pleased with the way they turned out and, by the looks of the weather, I finished them just in time.  I also managed to use up most of three skeins of yarn from my stash too. :-)

And, seeing as how there is snow on the ground and a definite chill in the air it seemed like an awfully good time to get the crock pot out - that way when we do have to go out at least we get to come home to a warm and delicious smelling dinner in the house.  This is the first time I've tried making this in the crockpot, it's a sort of black bean enchilada. 

I basically mixed up the ingredients I would use for black bean chilli - black beans, a jar of my canned tomatoes (plus a couple very ripe tomatoes I needed to use up), spices, and the veg on hand (zucchini, green pepper, corn and red onion this time) and layered it in the crock with some corn tortillas which needed to be used.

I did three layers and ended with tortillas on top.  I put the lid on and cooked at high for about 3 hours but would normally use low heat if we were out for longer.  Just before we were ready to eat I topped it with some of my canned salsa and with grated cheese and put the lid back on for 5 minutes so the cheese could melt.  That's it.  We served it with guacamole.

Love having dinner cooking away while we are doing other things and, even better, there is enough left over for dinner tonight if I cook up some squash to go with. ;-)