Buttered and Bright
I'm typing this to the sound of clanging and hammering outside, as my husband works on some secret woodworking project in the freezing cold. The winter is a difficult time for me. As someone without a driver's license (I KNOW, OKAY!) it's hard enough to get around even in decent weather, but cold weather makes it near impossible for us to go anywhere. By the time we're all done getting on our coats, hats, gloves, leggings, scarves and boots, someone- nay, a couple of someones- always needs to use the bathroom, or has a problem with their socks, or can't seem to find a glove or a boot. And then we're out, finally, and everyone is too cold or too hungry or too tired. One of the kids throws a handful of snow and it hits another kid on the cheek and it's all over. Ten minutes later and we're all back where we started.
The only solution I see is to "fun" away the frigid cold. If we can't go out, we can pass the time indoors and make it all worthwhile until we can pry off the wooden boards from the windows, thaw our pipes and venture out into the springtime once again. Some use this opportunity to go on vacation. This is great, if you can afford it. Birds fly South for the winter and some people just NEED to go. But, if you're like me, with limited funds and many young 'uns with pressing needs, there are many other ways you could create warmth in your own home with just a little bit of planning and some creativity. Here are a few that we employ in our house!
1. MUSIC
Music is a fantastic way to lift your spirit and prompt you to dance and an excellent method for generating and locking in warmth. Whether the music is live in the form of an actual instrument, or it's simply being played from a device, whether it's got catchy lyrics or is strictly instrumental, music warms the blood, draws family together and creates a sense of togetherness and fun with very little effort or planning! I turn on music all the time in my house, during all seasons, but it's especially helpful in the winter months when my kids are going stir-crazy and have an incredible amount of pent up energy that needs a creative outlet. Music also somehow manages to quell silly arguments and put everyone in a good mood!
2. STORYTIME
There are many benefits to reading out loud to your family, between generating an interest in an array of topics, encouraging other family members to read and fostering a sense of bonding, reading together is a great family activity, especially if you have family members who love a good tale but aren't necessarily too keen on reading it themselves. At bedtime, I read to the whole family. We're currently in the middle of "By the Shores of Silver Lake" from the "Little House" series. It settles my kids while entertaining them and gives them all kinds of things to think about as they drift off to sleep. It also helps with delayed gratification, as they learn to be patient and wait for the next installment the following night. Of course that doesn't mean they don't beg for another chapter every night...
3. GAME NIGHT!
It's no secret that games are a fun way to pass the time, especially on long Shabbat afternoons or on particularly rainy days. The winter can be quite long and tedious. Arranging game parties can make it less dull and throws in an element of challenge and friendly competition at a time when things tend to be moving quite slowly and unless you're real serious Canucks you don't engage in outdoor sports. And let's face it, even Canucks can use a break every now and then! Make it even more exciting with cute themes, party stuff you might have around and some snacks! Playing games with kids is a great and easy way to include them with the adults. I find taking adult games and child-proofing them is a great way for everyone to enjoy playing while kids can exercise their brains a little. With just a little creativity and planning, you can make lots of adult-oriented games geared to the smaller kids n your house. For example: We take the more difficult routes out of Ticket to Ride and leave in the very simplest ones. The concept of going from Point A to Point B is a very simplistic one that children of all ages can understand. If they can count and they know their colors, there's really nothing keeping them from playing with you! Once they've mastered the simplest routes, put the next level back in!
4. TURN ON THE OVEN (OR STOVE!)
It always comes back to food, doesn't it? Making it, plating it, serving it, eating it. It all generates warmth of one kind or another. Aside from the obvious heat of the oven, cooking or baking with family members and friends brings everyone together and creates a sense of communal responsibility. It allows for people to connect easily and in a non-threatening environment. It's also a practical and useful way to pass the time! Most of us need to cook anyway, why not turn it into an event and make it an enjoyable and fun part of the day? Kids especially enjoy working with their hands, scooping, pouring, dropping things into bowls and pots, mixing and other simple tasks that seem designed for little people. And who doesn't love sitting around a table, with a full belly, telling jokes and swapping stories? After it's all done, turn the cleanup into a game and take turns washing dishes and clearing the table. "Boring" tasks are way more fun and endurable when done together! My kids might be the odd ones out, but they honestly love doing the dishes (I attribute this partially to the fact that I used to sing at the sink, so they came to associate this task with enjoyment, and partially to the fact that I have alien life forms living in my house).
5. SOAK UP SOME COLOR (SORT OF...)
I'm not encouraging anyone to jump into a vat of paint and turn themselves into a canvas (but please, if that's your thing, by all means), but I AM encouraging you to get into an artistic mode and create some color when all you can expect from Winter is neutrals and grey grey grey. Now, you might be the kind of person who adores a subdued palette and that's cool, but if you're like me and you LOVE color, that can make you sad real fast. If you can't pick roses, draw them. If you can't see the vibrant green of fresh grass, paint it. Find small trinkets around your house (resist the urge to shop!) that pop and display them out in the open. That unidentifiable thing with foam shapes and glitter glue that your kid made in school? Find an empty frame, or some white tape as a makeshift border or have it go au naturale and hang it up on your living room wall. Maybe it doesn't really go with your decor, maybe it's a little flamboyant for your taste, but not only will it add some color and excitement to your home, it'll make your kid get all warm and fuzzy inside and feel like a budding Picasso. And we could all use more of that kind of warmth!
6. LET THE SUN IN
Sun? In December?? As if... No, really. Not only do I throw open the shades all over the house to let the natural light in, I'll let you in on a little secret: Sometimes, when I'm really in the mood, I throw open a window or two in the dead of Winter just to air out my house a bit. Not for a long time. Just a few minutes, enough to shock the room with some cold air and freshen it up a bit. Then I close the window and go back to hibernating again... Now, there's another way to draw the sun in and it's from a pretty familiar source: Citrus! How awsomely awesome is it that smack in the middle of when things are looking so dreary and bland we are blessed with produce that screams sunshine and all things bright and cheerful??? If you can't think of a way to incorporate them into your dishes, buy a couple of lemons, or oranges or limes anyway and just stick them in a bowl on the table for an easy, natural centerpiece. Once they are in plain sight, you'll find you're suddenly using them to squeeze onto salads, or slicing them up and putting them into water or tea (or coffee!), or simply roasting them and then deciding on what to do from there. And of course, you can always preserve them so you can benefit from their sunny goodness all year round!
If you've got any other tried-and-true free or cheap ways to stay warm and have fun during the long and drawn-out Winter months, let me know!
For this recipe, I decided to combine a few of the above elements (color, citrus and cooking!) and create a dish that exuded warmth all the while being quite light and filling.
Winter-Inspired Buttered-Citrus Salmon with Greens and Granola (serves 4)
Ingredients:
4 salmon fillets, skin on or off
4 Tbsp Butter
8 tsps fresh lemon juice
4 tsps fresh lime juice
4 slices or sections of blood oranges
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4-5 cups mixed greens such as baby spinach leaves, arugula and/or romaine
2 tbsp granola, either homemade or store bought
1/2 red onion cut into thin half moons
Dijon Mustard, for serving
Instructions:
1) On each salmon fillet, sprinkle 2 tsps lemon juice and 1 tsp lime juice. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
2) In a medium sized cast-iron or other heavy bottom skillet, heat half the butter on med-high. Just before it begins to smoke (it's okay if it does just slightly) add the fillets in batches of 2 at a time, skin side up. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, then gently flip making sure not tear the tender flesh. Cook an additional 3-4 minutes more, or until thoroughly cooked through and still moist. *If even more cooking time is needed, continue cooking skin side down. Alternatively, finish in a preheated oven on 350 until desired doneness.
3) While fish is cooking, arrange about a cup of greens on each plate. Transfer salmon to the prepared plates. Top with red onion and granola and squeeze a wedge of blood orange onto each piece. Serve with a spoon of mustard, if desired.
Enjoy and Stay Warm!
