Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 43: Warming Winter Breakfasts

I love breakfast - I often say that if I could only have one meal a day I would choose breakfast! This morning, as I wasn't working I made myself a warming breakfast of porridge with golden syrup, a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice, and hazelnut coffee. It was a perfect start to a cold Winter day. It started me thinking about hot breakfasts and how they are among my favourite Winter pleasures.

One of the things I love about breakfast is its versatility - you can eat sweet things, savoury things, or a combination of both. You can have hot breakfasts, cold breakfasts, cooked breakfasts, cereals, toast, pastries, fruit smoothies, eggs, pancakes... 

Although I love breakfast I'm not especially keen on a full cooked breakfast - bacon, eggs, sausages, fried bread etc. The only times I eat that kind of breakfast is when I'm camping - or for lunch. It always makes me feel like a bit of a weirdo when  staying in a hotel or a B&B because I'm usually the only person who doesn't ask for a full cooked breakfast! It's most people's favourite kind of breakfast (although as it's a bit time-consuming to prepare in the morning it's usually reserved for weekends and holidays). But there's no denying that it's a great, warming start to the day in winter.

My personal choice is usually cereal of some kind, and as well as porridge there are other cereals that can be consumed with hot milk in Winter, such as Weetabix or Ready Brek. You can ring the changes by adding berries or dried fruit and nuts, sweeten if necessary with honey, maple or golden syrup, and add a little luxury with some cream. Or how about hot buttered toast with honey or marmalade, or croissants or pain au chocolat straight from the oven all deliciously hot and flaky? Then there are pancakes or banana pancakes, omelettes and boiled eggs. Another of my favourite warming breakfasts is apple and sultana compote, served hot with a swirl of Greek yogurt, a sprinkle of granola for crunch and an extra pinch of cinnamon for good measure.

For breakfast drinks - tea, coffee, juice, herbal tea, chai, hot chocolate?

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 43

Warming Winter Breakfasts

Set yourself up for the day by having breakfast each morning. Your body needs to be properly re-fuelled after a night's sleep. Make a list of warming Winter breakfasts that you enjoy, and use it for inspiration on those grey mornings when you're not quite sure what it is you fancy. Try different breakfast recipes to widen your repertoire and keep things interesting.

As you eat, think about how you are nourishing yourself and taking care of your body, and give thanks to the Earth for providing delicious food.       

Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 42: Winter Promises

 

Winter Promises

Tomatoes rosy as perfect baby's buttocks,
eggplants glossy as waxed fenders,
purple neon flawless glistening
peppers, pole beans fecund and fast
growing as Jack's Viagra-sped stalk,
big as truck tire zinnias that mildew
will never wilt, roses weighing down
a bush never touched by black spot,
brave little fruit trees shouldering up
their spotless ornaments of glass fruit:

I lie on the couch under a blanket
of seed catalogs ordering far
too much. Sleet slides down
the windows, a wind edged
with ice knifes through every crack.
Lie to me, sweet garden-mongers:
I want to believe every promise,
to trust in five pound tomatoes
and dahlias brighter than the sun
that was eaten by frost last week.

~ Marge Piercy

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 42

Winter Promises

What do you dream of in Winter? What seeds are you planting - literally or metaphorically? What are you planning or anticipating? What are you looking forward to? 

Take the time offered by the in-between days of Winter to sink into your imagination - dream your dreams and nurture your wishes. Plan ahead with optimism and delight. Visualise in detail what you will cultivate next year. Then... take the first solid steps on the path to achieving your goal. Good luck!

 

Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 41: Winter Plumage

Many animals and birds change their pelt or plumage in Winter, to better blend in with their surroundings and/or to protect themselves from Winter weather. Being able to do so is advantageous whether they're predator or prey. Our human skin and hair doesn't adapt itself to Winter, but we do change the nature of our outer coverings - or clothes as we more usually call them!

The Scandinavians say that 'There's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes', and it's certainly much easier to cope with wind, rain, snow and hail if you are wearing the right clothes. I invested in a good coat in the sales at the beginning of this year - it's lightweight yet well insulated and waterproof and I have been extremely grateful for it on many occasions already. I'm now thinking about getting some waterproof over-trousers - using them in combination with my lovely coat and a pair of good boots I feel like I'll be able to take just about anything the Winter weather has to throw at me!

But we don't just choose clothing in the Winter to cope with the weather - we also use it to celebrate some of the things that make Winter unique. There's fancy dress for Hallowe'en, tongue-in-cheek Christmas jumpers, onesies to snuggle in by the fire, theatrical costumes for pantomimes or carol concerts, special outfits to dazzle at Christmas or New Year parties. We also wear clothing that reflects the image we want to show to the world in an effort to convince strangers that we are the person we'd like to be. And some of the time we wear the outfits we are required to by our job - uniforms, suits, protective gear, overalls, etc. 

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 41

Winter Plumage

What is your Winter plumage? How do you protect yourself from the elements? How do you stay warm and dry? Which clothes do you have to wear for work? What are your favourite Winter clothes? What is your favourite Winter outfit? What are your favourite accessories- scarves, jewellery, bags? What do you wear when you want to feel relaxed and cosy? What do you choose when you want to dress up for a special occasion?          

Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 40: The Ghosts of Happy Winters Past

 

As we move more deeply into Winter, do you find seasonal smells, flavours, sights and sounds trigger memories of Winters past? It's fascinating to me how strongly our senses can spark recollections, sometimes with an almost shocking immediacy. This is most often the case when the memory trigger is something you don't encounter frequently. As there are certain sights, sounds, aromas etc that you only tend to experience during Winter, coming into contact with them can bring back strong seasonal memories. You can use these sense memories positively to recall happy times in the past. They're also used in industries such as retail and hospitality to try to engender 'holiday spirit' - that's why we get bombarded with Christmas music at this time of year!

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 40

The Ghosts of Happy Winters Past

One of the first posts I wrote on the subject of Winter Blessings and Beauties was about Winter Senses. If you made a list of Winter Senses, you may find it interesting to use it as a prompt to help recall happy Winter memories. You may have fully-fledged, detailed memories of social occasions or particular locations, but tiny, vivid vignettes can be just as interesting and enjoyable to recall. For example there's a particular song that whenever I hear it, I'm taken back to a dazzlingly bright and very cold and frosty morning when I was driving to work. It must have been playing on the radio, because whenever I hear it I vividly remember the beauty of the frozen landscape, brilliantly illuminated by the light of the rising sun, and the way I felt both slightly resentful at having to be up and out so early in the morning and exhilarated by the cold air and bright sun.

Try writing down some of the good memories that come up for you in response to Winter prompts such as the smell of woodsmoke... the taste of a mince pie... the melody of your favourite carol...

If you have vivid memories of a special time you shared with family, friends or loved ones, try writing it out as a unique gift for them. You could handwrite it inside a special card, or type it up on the computer and print it out on fancy paper.   

Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 39: The Great Conjunction 2020

On 21st December this year we have an amazing chance to see a rare astronomical event, an extremely close Great Conjunction. Great conjunctions - when Saturn and Jupiter appear close to each other in the night sky - occur roughly every 19.6 years. This year however, they will appear to be so close to each other that they will seem to merge into one star. This type of Great Conjunction is much rarer - the last time they were this close was in July 1623. There's a theory that the Star of Bethlehem followed by the Magi was actually a Great Conjunction. Astrologically speaking, some believe that the Grand Conjunction of 2020 marks the beginning of the Age of Aquarius.

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 39

The Great Conjunction 2020

If the skies are clear enough, look out for Saturn and Jupiter in the days leading up to 21st December as they grow closer and closer to each other. The video above has useful information to help you spot them.

Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 38: Welcome the Spirit of the Green Into Your Home

The Christmas Tree as we currently know it seems to have originated as a custom in Germany before it spread more widely throughout the world. It was popularised in Britain in the 19th Century by Queen Victoria and her German husband, Prince Albert. Yet bringing Winter greenery into the home around the time of the Winter Solstice has been a custom among many, many different cultures through the centuries - for example, the Romans are known to have decorated their homes with evergreen wreaths during Saturnalia.

It's easy to imagine that in the depths of Winter, the plants and trees that remained miraculously green in the dying days of the year were seen as holding the life force that seemed so lacking in the rest of the natural world. No wonder people wanted to bring them in to decorate their homes during the festivities. I also like the idea that perhaps people wanted to invite the Gods and spirits of the green world indoors to partake in their Winter celebrations. If humanity was believed to be in relationship with a conscious, living world inhabited and animated by spirits, then it would be only natural to include these spirits in your family's and community's celebrations and rituals.

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 38

Welcome the Spirit of the Green Into Your Home

Bring in some winter greenery to decorate your home - be it in the form of a real Christmas Tree, a wreath of foliage, sprigs of holly and mistletoe or a vase of  assorted evergreen leaves. Know that the greenery you have brought in contains the Spirit of the Greenworld, and symbolises the vital, resilient life-force that perseveres through every obstacle and hindrance. Treat the Spirit of the Green as an honoured guest in your home and celebrate that bold, beautiful, determination and tenacity. Let it inspire you in times of hardship and darkness. 

Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 37: Candlelight

Candlelight... soft, warm, flickering, alive. Electric light may be clear and bright and much easier to read by, but somehow it lacks the atmosphere and ambience of candlelight. Whether you're aiming for cosy, romantic or relaxing, candles are definitely the way to go, especially in winter when their light and warmth brightens the cold, dark nights.

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 37

Candlelight

Cosy up by candlelight. Tapers, pillar candles, tealights... in candlesticks, votives, sconces or jam jars... dot them around the room or display them gathered in groups. Enjoy the soft honey aroma of a simple beeswax candle or choose from the huge variety of fragrances available as scented candles. Use a single candle as a focus point for meditation, or use many for a soft, diffused light. Explore candle magic. Create a regular relaxation ritual by lighting a candle each evening when you get home to help you switch off from daily stresses. Take a bath by candlelight. Make dinner a special occasion by eating by candlelight. 

And don't forget to read this to make sure you are getting the most out of your candles!