Complaining Winter Random Bites

Warning:
This post contains mostly complaining.

Is it almost spring yet?

I feel a little nuts stuck inside with this long stretch of cold weather.

It's my least favorite season here in NJ.....winter (in case you haven't noticed).

Cold, grey days and nothing growing in the garden.
No fresh herbs in my pots and no local produce in sight.

My rosemary bush died in these freezing temps and I actually had to BUY rosemary yesterday for the first time in years.

15F degrees is not for me.

I know everyone on instagram thinks the snow is so pretty.....but I don't ski, and I shovel my own walks and driveway, so I am mostly miserable.

My skin is dry, my hair is flyaway and I miss being tan.

The older I get, the more I hate it. I see why old farts move to Florida and Arizona, at least for the winter.

I live in the Northeast, so I guess the only thing to do is travel somewhere warm and drink a lot of wine.
(no wonder alcoholism is so rampant in Alaska and Russia).

You might want to click out now, so I don't bring you down any more.

So what's a girl to do?
I make the most of the season by going out to dinner a lot ;)

Bundle up warm and take day trips to NYC and fun places to keep my spirits up and maybe a trip to Miami if I am lucky.


Some local NJ restaurant bites:

We tried the beautiful new biergarten in Jersey City HUDSON HALL.

What a great space and even better food, with a real chef turning out amazing short rib goulash and the best hot pretzel I have ever had.


Truth.


and I loved the roasted cauliflower with apples! This place has great cocktails too, so if you are not a beer lover, there are plenty of options.


I make a lot of stews and soups during the hibernation months.
One for me, one for the freezer.


I made this delicious chicken artichoke soup with some leftover thighs. The original recipe is for a slowcooker (which I don't have).....so I adapted it for my Le Creuset Dutch oven. Pretty simple. So good.


I also do a lot of baking in the winter (as you know by now).

I made a delicious Normandy Apple Cake from Sophie Dudemaine's Sweet & Savory Loaves.


Really nice with the creme fraiche and Calvados.


and I must have a vitamin deficiency, because I CRAVE spinach in the winter.


I must have it everyday.....usually in eggs, but sometimes in this salad w/ citrus and feta from Nigel Slater's beautiful book TENDER.

I also made this beautiful spinach and artichoke frittata with chorizo and mozzarella....it's my new favorite.


Ok, this girl will stop bitching now.

52 days till spring.

Stay warm.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I'm with you Stacy, I DESPISE cold weather.

We moved to South Carolina from the East years ago, however, missing all the good food....so life is a trade off!

I love your blog. You are so honest and funny.

Stay warm and I hope you keep blogging and posting cake recipes.

Nancy in S. Carolina
Carole said…
You are so funny!

I am one of the "old farts" who moved to Florida years ago and have no regrets!
Come join us!

That apple cake looks delicious, will you be posting the recipe?
Katie C. said…
I agree with you. This weather is the pits! We’re not happy and the cats aren’t happy (unless the fire place is going full blast). I want to bake but I just rejoined WW (again, sigh) so I have to plan for treats. I would rather plan for my glass of wine, whine? There is one recipe on the Skinny Taste blog that I want to try: yeast less bagels! I just need to get some Greek yogurt but that means I have to go outside and it’s cold and I hate it - see how that just wrapped around and I’m back to square one with you?
Stacey Snacks said…
Katie C.
I am laughing!

I know what you mean. It was so cold last week here in NJ, below 10F everyday.....I ordered my paper towels, detergent and cleaning supplies on Amazon Prime Pantry.......I could not imagine walking thru that huge COSTCO parking lot with that wind whipping my face!!!
I am such a baby!

Stay warm!
Stacey
Unknown said…
Hi Stacey, Well, I hope this will help. After 4 years in Florida, I happily left in November. Now, I have to admit I did not originate in Northeast or move there, although I have lived in a lot of those states and Canada. So, I have felt the real cold. I returned to Virginia, my birthplace. I could not be happier, even though it's been pretty cold here. To me, It was misery in Florida 4-5 months a year. To go outside to walk your dog at 8:00am and the heat hits you so you feel like you can't breathe and then dread taking the poor pup out again at midday is awful. Evening isn't much better, with the sun down. You dread parking more than a few feet from anywhere you go. You will be sweaty when you get to the door. Palm trees provide little shade, so going for a walk doesn't happen. Even the Floridians joke about how they stay inside, like northerners, just at a different time of year. A pool can provide relief until late June when it's went to 86 degrees and kept climbing until mid September. Maybe if you live on the ocean or very close it is a pleasant experience. I did not have that. Oh and they can't wait to wear a turtleneck, jeans and boot! So much, that on a cool 75 degree day in December, you will see that outfit often! Oh and you might miss The Four Seasons! I just wanted to give another perspective on this. Because most people won't say it down there. But in the years I lived there, I met quite a number of people leaving. Maybe the Snowbirds have the best idea!
Stacey Snacks said…
Pamela,

I have 2 friends that moved from NJ to South Florida......they say the summer is unbearable....so one actually went to Salt Lake City for August and LOVED the fresh air minus humidity.

I agree with you about having 4 seasons....it is very nice, and I would def miss it.

I am just in a complaining mood ;)
I am happy most days! no matter what season it is!

xo Stacey
I love all the seasons except winter, I can't stand wind chill, ice and dirty snow. This old fart might become a snow bird for 2 months a year when retirement sets in just to get through the bitter cold. But hey, I'm excited it's suppose to hit 50F onThursday!
Mom said…
Worst Winter in remembrance. I am an outdoor girl too. Stir crazy here in Louisville, KY.
Trigirlpink said…
“Alexa, what’s the temperature outside right now?”
Currently in Concord it’s -4 with cloudy skies. You can expect a high of 11 degrees with partly sunny skies today.
Arghhhhhhgh. :-(
Anonymous said…
Hi Stacey!
I'm in a grumpy mood too! Just digging ourselves slowly out of the minus twenties... and thirties and I won't even talk about wind-chill factor it would give you nightmares! And the snow that my inner child used to welcome got awful swear words out of the old fart winter made me become. I must be getting old! Although my head tells me: "Not yet!", after a good shovelling (I too, do my walk and driveway myself) my bones reply: «Don’t lie to yourself girl! Feel this? That's where you're at!".
I love winter, always will, but since the city of Montreal forbids us to use our fireplaces in the name of pollution, I find Old Man Winter more and more difficult to live with!
I too long for the warmth of a sun kissed beach somewhere, anywhere! In the meantime, I count the days too, Spring can't come fast enough! Can't wait to get my hands smelling of good fresh earth again! This time of year, I long for the smell of tomato leaves...
Hang in there Stacey! Spring will triumph eventually... The worst is behind you!
As for me, couple more snowstorms, couple of more minuses at least until mid-march and then... I will be out of the hole too! Boy this was/is a long and cold winter!
Stay warm!
Marie
Stacey Snacks said…
Montreal Marie,

Can you get a gas fireplace???? I can't believe the city won't let you burn wood!! I get not burning COAL!

We have a real fireplace, but only use it on weekends, when we want a little ambience.

We LOVED Montreal this summer, but I can't imagine your winters.....
Stay warm!

51 days till spring!
xo Stacey
Stacey Snacks said…
Trigirl Pink....

We were at a friend's for dinner the other night and my husband asked Alexa "Who is the best food blogger?", and she replied: JULIA CHILD.

;)
Mom said…
After several years of allergic flaky winter skin, I went to Sephora and bought a recommended product that worked amazingly well on my winter skin. I have used it every winter for the last 5 years: Cane+Austin 30% Miracle pads. I usually use one pad a day, early in the morning several hours before applying make-up. For me this truly was a miracle product and totally cured my winter skin. I use it only in the winter.
Eleanor I. Cook said…
I am totally with you on all accounts! Let's go somewhere warm now!
I am reading your post at 7am with fan on industrial force as it is summer in Australia. Real summer. I live on an island only 20 minuets from the mainland by ferry. We do get sea breezes but some days they are late. Counting the days to Autumn. Lol.
By the way your apple cake with vanilla is such a hit in my household I have to make it every second week.
Stay warm.
Bebe said…
We’ve had mid-70s weather until rain hit. Rainy today. We need it badly. Some slides and negative effects in burn areas of SoCal, but the rest of us are happy for the plants and the parched soil

Are recipes available for the apple cake and the frittata?

Thanks for all you do. You deserve a little whine time...
Stacey Snacks said…
Bebe,
The apple cake is too long to post......and I did post the artichoke frittata in instagram, but for you, I will post it again:

1/2 stick Spanish chorizo, chopped
2 shallots, sliced
6 eggs
1 tbsp sour cream or creme fraiche
a jar of artichoke hearts (not marinated), drained and halved
big handful of leafy spinach
handful of fresh mozzarella
s&p

I cook the chorizo, spinach and shallots for a minute in avocado oil, then add in the whisked eggs and cream. Season w/ salt & pepper.

Lay the artichoke halves and mozzarella on top.
Cook only until the frittata is set, then transfer to a 375F preheated oven and bake 10 minutes.
Slide out of pan and slice.

I've made this twice in a week! So good!

xo
Bebe said…
Thanks, Stacey. That frittata has many things that I love…

As for the cake, don’t worry about posting a long recipe. is there any particular ingredient or technique that sets it apart from other French apple cakes?

Happy Wednesday…
Trigirlpink said…
Haha! So funny! I used to wait tables at a restaurant here in Boston called Legal Seafoods. Julia and Roger (Berkiwitz) the owner were good friends. She would come into the particular restaurant I worked at to have lunch with him every so often. She was tall!
Stacey Snacks said…
Mom,
Thank you for the Cane Austin pads recommendation!
I am reading the reviews on Sephora, and they sound too good to be true!

I will order them now!

I will keep you posted. Thanks again!
Stacey