Silver White Winters and A Short Rib Fantasy

My feet are cold.

Sometimes it's like that in a very old house,

especially when outside it is snowy and gray.

From our front porch.  I am in slippers; silly me.

 The Yankee in me is too stubborn to turn

on the supplemental heat in the conservatory.

I think I will retreat to the other side of the house,

away from our lovely glass room with its snow-covered ceiling:

to the parlor, where it's snug and warm(er),

and curl up in this chair:

 under this afghan: 

One of many from my Mother's knitting needles.

 and read.

Both my daughters left books for me to read

when they returned to their own apartments this week.

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 But first, a look out the windows on this snowy Friday.

From the sunroom, the obligatory shot of the stone steps up to the driveway:

Our last pumpkin is napping in the snow, waiting for its final mission.

We crack open our old Fall pumpkins and tuck them under bushes to feed little critters.

The one currently under the Forsythia is almost all gone now, so this one will be next.

I love looking out the dining room windows, watching the snow blanket the slope of our side lawn:

 This little window wreath frames our big hedge of holly:

 Different window, different wreath; pretty much the same view!

I love how these snowy days look like an old postcard, in black and white.

There's no color to miss if you turn the picture sepia:

Tomorrow, Saturday, I plan on tackling the Annual Put-Away of the Christmas bling.

With Howard's help.  Of course, tomorrow I also promised daughter Anne

to bring a settee and end tables to her, and go fabric shopping with her as well. 

Among the things to be packed away, this little vintage pillow cover I found on Etsy:

 It cost just a few dollars, and I fell in love with it.

 The wool stitching is beautifully done.

There are some great bargains to be found in Etsy's Vintage offerings.

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And now for something completely different . . . .

 Do you read Country Living magazine?

I do -- and have for years.

I pretty much skip over the food and recipes part.  I get Bon Appetit and Cook And Tell,

and don't pay much attention to food stuff in decorating magazines.

But this month?

Oh be still my heart!

 

  Red-Wine-And-Apricot Braised Short Ribs.

Now you have to understand how odd this is.

I have never made short ribs.

I didn't like them when my mother made them when I was a kid.

But something about this picture and this recipe are calling my name,

and I am making this dish on Sunday.  I've already invited my Dad to come and share,

and since I'm doubling or tripling the recipe, I'll be inviting others as well.

Why not join us?

I am going to take pictures as I cook, and serve,

and I'll meet you back here next Foodie Friday.

You make it, too, and we'll compare notes!

Recipe, shamelessly lifted from January 2011 Country Living Magazine:

• 3 1/2 pound(s) short ribs
• 4 clove(s) garlic, chopped
• 3 cup(s) dry red wine (such as Syrah)
• 3 tablespoon(s) coarse-grain Dijon mustard
• 2 cup(s) (11 ounces) dried apricots
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper

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Directions

1. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown ribs in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Add garlic to pot and cook over medium heat until browned, about 2 minutes. Add wine and mustard and stir, scraping up browned bits from bottom of the pan. Add apricots and reserved ribs and increase heat to high, bringing liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and simmer until ribs are so tender that the meat falls off the bone, about 3 hours. Skim excess fat from braising sauce. (Alternatively, after step 1, add browned ribs and all other ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low, following manufacturer's instructions, until ribs are so tender that meat falls off the bone, about 8 hours.) Serve meat and apricots in a shallow bowl with braising sauce.

Or, you can access the recipe online, by clicking here!

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And that's it for Friday from That Old House!

You can find other recipes and food stories at Designs By Gollum, where Michael hosts Foodie Friday.

There's always something wonderful cooking!  Click here to visit.

Cindy of My Romantic Home gives us a chance to play Show and Tell with our homes and gardens.

Visit her here for some lovely stories and pictures.

At Frou Frou Decor, it's Fabulous Friday Finds.

Click here to visit and see what treasures the creative people in blogland are unearthing!

 Have a lovely weekend, our second of this shiny brand New Year.
I spent much of today poring over websites about weddings.  As my father told me yesterday, from now until the day of my daughter's wedding, pretty much all I'll think about is that event. 
He's a wise man, my Dad, and married off 4 kids so he knows!  -- Cass