As winter draws to a close here in the Southern Hemisphere, with, as I have already reported, many signs of spring all over the place, there is still time to list a few cosy things for colder days.
1 Hot chocolate
I always love the idea of hot chocolate, of curling up with a good book, a blanket and a mug full of goodness, but rarely does it live up to expectations. Too often we are faced with a hot chocolate made from cheap powder, or worse, a syrup, that is far too sugary and sweet. With this in mind, a couple of weeks ago I tried a “Schocolate Stirrer” . from Schoc. I got the cardamom one, since I am a huge fan of that spice, particularly in winter. If you are familiar with their products (they have stores in Wellington and Greytown, but they can be found in many places), you will know they produce some excellent chocolate.
It was not as full of cardamom as I had hoped (but then I do love it), but it was an excellent hot chocolate, and convenient as you are not stuck with a whole packet of chocolate that sits all summer, gathering dust.
2 Reading
I’ve been reading a very mixed bunch of things this season, from excellent short stories by Joshua Ferris The Dinner Party, to a detective story set in the Top of the South (Alan Carter Marlborough Man) and Joan Didion’s work from 1970 Play it as it Lays. Favourite book in the last three months? Alice Seebold’s classic (2002), The Lovely Bones, which I have to say kept me gripped.
3 Watching
Best film seen this winter: Leave No Trace.
Best thing on the small screen: probably Bonusfamiljen (Bonus Family) over on Netflix.
4 Favourite trip
5 A quote about winter
“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”
― Edith Sitwell
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