Baked Applesauce and Tea

The weather cannot decide what to do with itself.  The sun shines, but huge black clouds are chasing it and, for a while, they win and it rains and sleets!  Then it is 10 degrees warmer because the sun is back.  But it is clear that the thermometer is only really going in one direction, down, and we will have a killing frost tonight.  I am just as glad.  What few flowers are left are raggedy and worn, time for them to be put to bed in the compost pile.  However, I am left with one glorious nature picture.  A really brilliant maple, shining so brightly in the sun becomes back lit by the very dark clouds and suddenly, brightness is rendered in stark, glowing neon!  Just breath-taking.

The Downies seem to have settled their differences and peace is reigning in our little corner of the world, at least among the feathered.  The furred realm tells a different story - I have been feeding a stray, a really beautiful black male named Black Kitty - really creative, aren't I.  He looked terrible when I started 6 months ago, but now he is gorgeous.  He is very polite and just eats from his dish and generally either takes a short nap or goes right out again.  However, Sarah hisses, Bert swats, and Ernie whines at him.  Neurotic ol' Andy pretends he is terrified.  He ignores them all, being composed of heavy muscle while their laziness -es are pretty wimpy.

I made Baked Apples applesauce today.  I had only bland tasting apples, so as I added cinnamon and cardamom, I thought, hmm I bought these for baked apples, why not... So I added raisins, a little brown sugar and some butter.  Voila,  Baked Apples Sauce.  It's very good.   I had it with some chamomile tea and toast.  The chamomile picks up the apple and they play nicely with each other.  A fortuitous discovery.  If you make very strong chamomile tea and boil it down it makes a lovely addition to a custard, using some of it in place of milk. 

I also had a little leftover Lapsang Souchong and instead of milk in my scrambled eggs, I used the tea.  Just the nicest hint of smoke.  I also use it in beef stews, to replace some of the liquid.

A Lazy Tea Day

The Aar valley in Kanton Berne, Switzerland

I know I said I was going to fiddle with the Silver Leaf Tea from a few days ago, but the weather has turned cold and nasty and I really, really want some Yunnan Gold from Adagio.

When I am tasting tea, I feel I have to work at catching all the nuances of color, flavor, appearence, and brew parameters to give an adequate review and today I just don't have it. We have been seriously unpacking all morning, which means many decisions about where to put things and my brain is yelling "No more, I'll burst", so I am turning to an old friend.

I may even do as all the cats are doing - take a nap. They of course, had to run out first thing theis morning to see if there was possibly any vole they hadn't caught yet, when they , in turn, got caught in the down pour. Such cries of distress and abandonment! Such bedragglement! But after much drying and licking, they are all tightly curled in warm mounds - on MY bed. Maybe I'll just use the recliner. Cats!