First snow, silence and candle-light

A thin white layer of snow covered the earth when I and JD arrived in Kemiö on Saturday after the Independence day. Only rabbit and dear spoor were visible, no neighbours at all. The sea was not yet frozen, and a lonely swan was swimming in the cold water. It was -3 C. 

The silence and the total darkness that landed after four p.m. made us lock the doors, put the sauna on, and light the candles. 

I was sitting in a rocking chair and knitting socks like a real old-time grand ma. JD was busy with some new sound devices to enable wireless music, or actually fine tune the settings.

These 'junasukka'
socks go to Santa.

We had bought some minced lamb meet in Helsinki (as you may not find it in the local food store) and ingredients for Bobotie, a traditional South African dish, for the first time. I couldn't find peach chutney or apricot jam for the recipe, but small dried apricot and mango pieces worked quite well. 

This tasty slow food is great at winter time. After the sauna, it tasted so good with a full-bodied Rioja (did not have South African wine). Despite many spices, it was not hot at all, and we'll cook this next summer for the kids.

We were memorizing Nelson Mandela and our visit to Robben island five years ago.  It turned out to be a melancholic but beautiful and relaxing evening.

Bobotie is great winter food