Christmas time is in the air...

[beboots]

Oh my goodness, guys, there's snow on the ground. D:

Note: only a slight exaggertion.

Actually, this photo is from my trip to Quebec city last February, and as such... well, it's a photograph of a snowdrift of snow accumulated over the course of five months in an extremely humid (and thus rainy/snowy) region. But damn it if it isn't how I feel about the snow on the ground outside. It's barely there, just like a light dusting of powdered sugar, but... it makes me want to hibernate.

 Other than that... things have been crazy hectic around here, lately. I've been studying like crazy for my History of Ireland class, trying to get some work on my research papers and the Domesday Book paper, keep up with readings and stats and French translation assignments... plus, you know, trying to take a break every so often so my brain can recuperate. D: I'm getting chunks of homework done, but my stress levels won't go down for at least a few weeks, after I've finished my midterms and handed in all of the paper proposals... then I get sit down and focus on my research papers. Finally. I just want to get them over and done with...

On a different note... oh god, what have I been doing outside of homework? Not much. A bit of reading, a bit of writing (again, not much). We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner last night (yes, we have early thanksgivings in Canada - our harvest comes so much sooner, because of the cold weather!), which consisted of a delicious giant turkey (leftovers for a week! Huzzah!), stuffing, mashed potatoes, caramelized carrots, broccoli in a cheese sauce, and pumpkin pie for desert. OMNOMNOM.

Anyway... sorry for the short post, but I've really got to get back to my homework... D: See you guys later, when I pop my head up for a breather! When I do, I'll try to share with you some interesting history stories that I've run across while studying... I'm thinking of the awesomeness that is the life story of Hugh O'Neill... because what's a rebellion in Ireland without an O'Neill?

Oh, yes, I remember what I was going to say, now! Whoever it was on my friends list who reccomended the Brendan and the Secret of Kells movie? And providing the free download? You are pure awesome. I loved it to itty bitty pieces. The music! The (slightly innacurate) history! :D The beautiful animation (in the style of illuminated manuscripts, people!)! This was one seriously gorgeous movie.

 

Comments

[anyjen.livejournal.com]

Boy, that picture... that sure is a heck of a lot of snow. O_O

Don't get too worked up over the early snow. If you start now, what will you do when it's the middle of winter? Leave something for that very, very white Christmas that is coming to Canada a couple of months from now. ^^U

(though I know how you feel. Snow is very pretty but it sure can be troublesome...)

And man, but that Thanksgiving dinner description made my mouth water. And I'm barely three weeks into my diet... >_<

I seriously have to start digging up my yummy diet recipes soon, or I'm going to go mad. There's only so long you can go on salads and steamed vegetables... time for my onion chutneys, pumpkin casseroles and low-fat meatloaves to enter the scene...

(no chance of being able to send some of that turkey attached on an e-amil, is there? :P)

[beboots.livejournal.com]

I've been considering going on a diet myself... but it's hard in my house - we who love meat so much. D: I'm just about average weight, but last winter I gained fifteen pounds, and I didn't lose it all in the summertime, and I KNOW that I'm not going to get much exercise this winter either... So I feel like I'll have to go on a diet. I've been doing my best to eat smaller portions, but it doesn't always work.

I have found this awesome recipe book, though - "Tea: More than 80 Delicious Recipes" by Sarina Jacobson. Essentially, it's a recipe book filled with recipes for things that will go well with different kinds of tea (it has chapters on snacks and tea preparation techniques from England, China, Japan, India, Russia...) BUT it also has a chapter on cooking WITH tea. Like, actually putting tea in recipes. Like, you can make delicious sauces for fish and lamb and stuff with it... one of the recipes is called "Roobios Couscous with snow peas and Shitake Mushrooms" - essentially, indian tea flavoured couscous. :3 I'm going to try making it soon...

I tried to attach some turkey to an e-mail for you, but it just got my screen greasy. Sorry. :(

[anyjen.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I know what that's like. I can't go on a diet at all unless I'm alone. I'm just bad at having yummy food in the house (or seeing other people eating yummy food right in front of me) and not eating some... or a lot of it.

So when I'm with other people, it's: we all go on a diet or none of us do. This usually translates into my family eating very healthy when they come visit me, and me eating very badly when I visit them...

(Funny thing is, when I go on a diet, I usually have to increase the amount of meat I eat. I don't dislike it, but I don't love it, either, so I end up not bothering with it and getting very low amounts of protein in my diet as a result. My problem is carbs... I'm a sucker for sweet things. >_<)

That recipe book sounds amazing. If you happen to come across some low-calorie, easy recipe, do share! I love tea. ^__^

Oh well, at least you tried. ;)

(would you believe me if I told you that I've only eaten turkey once in my life?)

[beboots.livejournal.com]

You've only eaten turkey once? Well, I suppose it is a North America thing... It's delicious, though. :) I really only have it twice a year, though: at Thanksgiving and at Christmas. Other than that, for white meat we normally go for chicken.

Our family is weird, though - my dad hunts quite a bit, so we always have loads of venison in the house. THAT stuff is delicious too - it's just that we have it so often, I'm jaded to it's taste...

And I'll definitely share some recipes with you! :D I just made some of the scones in that book, actually... they give a basic recipe, then they have like eight extra types that you can make, just by adding a few different incredients at certain steps - like cheese & chives, allspice, double chocolate, walnuts...

[anyjen.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not just a North America thing. You'd be surprised how many contries like to have a big, fat turkey on their tables for the holiday season. Most of Latin America's countries aren't on that list, though. We prefer lamb or pork or a good "asado" (Argentinean-style barbeque), though mainly it's cold dishes on our tables at Christmas since it's the middle of summer for us. ^^

The only time I had it was when my sister (who lives in the states for a few years) cooked one during Christmas a couple of years ago.

I've never tried venison, but that may be because we'd have to import it. Where I grew up, we did have amazing trouts in our rivers (huge things, one fish would feed a party of ten) and I'd get thoroughly sick of eating "corderito" (baby lamb) at every special occasion. There's something in the grass in Tierra del Fuego which makes lamb get a very delicate taste. Unfortunately, it's very fatty meat and I was always stuck with the task of doing the dishes afterwards. Trust me, it's no fun scrubbing plates for six (or more) people (plus any implements used in cooking and serving it) that were totally smeared in that fat. Once it cools down, it's totally disgusting. -_-