Brrr! Chilly winds are blowing, and the small amount of snow we have seems to hang in the air and not settle anywhere. So far, in our second winter in our new home on Prince Edward Island, it's underwhelming, to say the least.

December 15 2024

We got our woodstove geared up, but it's nowhere near as much fun as at our old place, where I could sit in front of it and read my book. Our stove now is in the basement, which is almost inaccessible to me. There will be a few changes when the resident carpenter can get to them - like a handrail.

The new chimney (we had to have the masonry chimney demolished for safety reasons) is a Selkirk insulated steel chimney.

In other news, on the cooking front, I've been experimenting with gluten free baking. Some comfort food has been developed that has exceeded my expectations, like the bramble and apple crumble I've been working on.

Frozen blackberries and apples from the local orchard are the filling, and the topping crumble part is gluten free flour, a bit of sugar and butter cut in with a pastry blender, and a little oat milk to mix it up if you prefer a scone like topping, or a handful of oats to add crunch. Bake it at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, the smell of it cooking will bring everyone running. Top it with whipped cream, ice cream or whipped topping. Delish!

I'll see if I can hone in on the exact measurements so as to write the recipe down for you, stay tuned!

And finally, this is the last email of 2024, so we'll see you in the new year. Have a safe and happy holiday, solstice, whatever you choose to celebrate.