December 2009

It was a different Christmas here in Minnesota. Lots of shoveling and delayed plans due to the snowstorm.  I figured it was simply more proof that God is female, after all, Mary had labored all through the night and everyone thought they needed to come and celebrate right away. A good snowstorm is just what she needed to be able to snuggle down into bed with a newborn and go back to sleep. Let the celebrations and parties wait just one more day.

 Our lives are so busy that forced down time with one’s own family was an unexpected gift. I heard from so many folks that they simply stayed home and hung out.  Perfect!

The day after Christmas I couldn’t find anyone to go play with me. Sam, my youngest, was shoveling again, Dan, my husband, is healing a broken hip from a fall off his bike, Gail was hosting another family event. I was stuck going for my first cross country ski by myself. Driving up to the park on icy and snow packed roads I wondered about my choice of activity. Thankfully the ski tracks were in good shape and I was off to enjoy some silent time on the trail.

It took me a bit to find my balance on those skinny skis, downhill and telemark are my real passions.  I always feel like a novice on the trails and I never get the kick wax right so I struggle going up hills. But if felt good to be out and moving in the snow and cold.

For me, cross country skiing is about as close to kayaking as I can get in the winter. The natural rhythm matches the rhythm of the paddling stroke and I find myself settling into a moving meditation state as I kick and glide through the fields and woods. The ski trails track along one of my favorite paddling lakes and back waters so there’s a wonderful physical connection also. 

I felt great as I got back to my car. Kicked off the season and with all of our snow it’s sure to be a good one. 

 Merry Christmas everyone!

I have to admit that I wasn’t sure that I could pull this off, but our Christmas eve dinner was our local/organic meal of the week.

Chicken Wild Rice soup: local onions, celery, garlic, milk. homegrown chicken and chicken stock, Minnesota lake harvested Wild Rice and local dairy cream, milk and butter. 

Along with the soup we enjoyed strawberries and blueberries from the freezer, homemade salsa from garden tomatoes, sliced ham from our local pig, fresh buns from the bakery in town.

 Exceptions were the condiments for the ham, chips and of course all the Christmas Cookies for dessert. But I was pleased that I could put out as much as I did from the pantry and freezer.

Tomorrow is the solstice. I can’t wait to begin adding light to the day. 

A few weeks ago I began the Dark Days Challenge to eat locally and at the same time challenged myself to do something local outdoors each week.  This week we enjoyed the first snowshoe evening of the season. It was zero when I arrived at French Park in Plymouth, dark and cold. But the wind had died down so the evening had promise. Four out of seven women showed up to snowshoe. Hearty Minnesota women not disheartened by the cold weather.

We meandered down towards the lake. There was no moon so it took a little for our eyes to adjust to the darkness. Toes and fingers warmed up as we continued along the shoreline. We did have to change our path when we sank through some soft ice but no one got wet so we were ok.

In the warmer months we follow trails and paths when we walk or bike. This nite, with fresh snow covering the trails we simply wandered like children do when they walk about. We didn’t really have a destination or a plan, just enjoyed moving along on our snowshoes, breaking trail in the snow, catching up with each other and eventually ending back where we began.

I look forward to more evenings out on skis and snowshoes!  What have you been doing outdoors lately?

Today we lost only 3 minutes of light and tomorrow we start back towards longer days. yea!

 Dan is beginning to think he is a cook. I set up the veges and chicken in the pan with some olive oil and spices. Then I leave for work and he puts it all in the oven so that it is ready when I get home from work. The benefits of having a stay at home husband recuperating with a broken hip.  He’s really quite good a putting things in to cook!  Our local dinner this week was delicious:

home grown chicken, local carrots, potatoes and parsnip roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper and fresh local garlic.  local lettuce and tomatoes grown in hydroponic greenhouses, local blueberried picked and frozen from the summer. 

Two weeks ago it was 50 degrees and sunny here in Minnesota. Winter arrived this week with 5 inches of snow and below zero temps. Gotta love Minnesota!  This morning it was time to break out the winter walking gear:

Get a Grips for my shoes so I didn’t slip on the snowy pavement

Salomon goretex trail shoes with no rocker for the slippery conditions

Cloudveil Run Don’t Walk Tights under running pants

Cloudveil Run Don’t Walk insulated cami to keep my core warm

Cross Country Ski Windstopper gloves

Neck Gaitor

and of course my studded tips for my LEKI Nordic Walking poles

At the end of our walk our faces were frosted over from our warm breathe and it was indeed a beautiful morning of a new day.

A simple pasta dinner was our local dinner of the week.  I’ve been working late most nites, gotta love retail, so quick and easy was a necessity.  Dan browned the pork sausage from our local pig while I ran out to the barn and to let the dogs out to run. When I got back I added spices, frozen homemade tomatoe sauce and some home grown onions to make a meat sauce for linguini that I bought from the Farmer’s Market before they closed down for the season.  A Minnesota Honey Crisp apple on the side and it was dinner.

I spent Saturday all day on the bunny hill at Trollhaugen in Dresser Wisconsin. My job for the day was to help guide 20 children age 7 and 8 with 5 instructors through the beginner skiers experience.  The sun was out, the hills were covered with man made snow, the kyds were excited and it was a perfect day.

 Not everyone would consider working the beginner hill to be an enjoyable way to spend a day.       I have to admit to loving the progression from “never ever” to first turns.  There’s something magical to starting with a child who cannot even get into their ski bindings and a few hours later they are going up the rope tow and making turns down the beginner hill.  They may not be pretty turns and there’s only the glimpse of good control, but they have discovered balance in motion and they are skiing.

I always tell my new skiers that their first day is the best day of their life. Everything will be different by the end of the day on skis. They will no longer be simply Danny or Nikki, they will be skiers! They will have claim to something very special that not everyone has experienced.

I love making new skiers! It is one of the joys of my winters and it’s only just begun!

When we were in Washington in October I picked up some red beans from one of Laura’s favorite farms. I’m not necessarily good at doing beans from scratch but am eager to get more experience. I used a Manana Bean recipe out of the Santa Fe cookbook Laura gave me a couple of years ago using the beans, local onions and hot peppers from the garden. Dan grilled wild rice sausages from the pig we got last year and we sliced Honey Crisp apples to go along with it. Just the right amount of spice and sweet to satisfy our pallets this evening.

It’s finally winter in Minnesota. It’s been a crazy fall season with a cold and wet October, warm and dry November, and no snow up til now. Yesterday morning it was nippy cold for the first time and today Gail and I got up to the first real winter dusting of snow. Even my not so winter enthusiast friend had to admit that with the just past full moon shining it was a beautiful start to a Friday.

 It was also a good reminder to get out the winter walking gear. We needed warmer gloves, winter walking shoes, studded tips for the LEKI poles, and even a neck gaitor would have felt good in the wind. I never understand where my “get a grips” go during the summer months, I expect that all my winter stuff will simply be on the bottom of the basket by the door. But sorting thru the hats and mittens I obviously put some of my necessary items in a safe place. If only I could remember where…

We’ve also added some “winter” interval training to our walks. Lunges, skipping and double poling are all part of the norm as we attempt to get ready for the ski season. Last year we did lots of Cross Country along with all the alpine and we’re hoping for another good snow year. I can’t wait for the evening skis through the woods at the local parks.

Snowshoes and boots are ready, bring it on!