weather and other things

I am trying to figure out how to track the number of hits to my posts. It is clear that people are reading it who are NOT "followers". I get emails about it. There must be a way to do this, and there is probably someone among my acquaintances who knows how to do this; I just haven't yet asked the right person.

I think I am still patting myself on the back for not going to Texas this week. It is evidently bloody cold down there. The DFW area has had more snow this winter than Toronto (if you're reading this and don't know that Toronto expects buckets of snow every year, like feet on the ground all winter, not inches, now you know). Rumor is that the DFW area had about a foot of snow yesterday or last night or sometime. And pretty much everywhere I would be in Texas if I were there, the weather is seriously nasty. HOWEVER, here it is STILL COLD. SERIOUSLY COLD. It's tough on my joints, and while I'm the first to admit that I like having a legitimate winter, this one needs to be over with and done. Everything hurts, our electric bill is astronomical (heat pumps, folks), I've no idea how much propane we've used in the last six weeks trying to keep the temperature in the whole house somewhere in the 50's, and did I mention that all my parts hurt?!?

On top of which, the kitchen is so cold I can't stand to cook. Sometimes I complain that it's a lifestyle issue that I can't chop like I used to be able to and like to do. I have lately purchased a new can opener (even Martin can operate it, and it's less trouble for me); I dug out my small Cuisinart chopper gizmo and use it all the time; got a juicer attachment to my Kitchenaid mixer for Christmas (much easier to use than the one we got for a wedding present); purchased a pasta attachment gizmo for the above mixer and gave my hand-cranked one to Sarah; and bought a new easier to use Cuisinart food processor. Unfortunately the new food processor is so sophisticated that I haven't been able to figure out how to use it without a manual, which was missing from the box, and the one I asked to send me appears to something I'll never get. Ah, well...

I really have difficulty cooking in a kitchen that won't warm up to at least 60 degrees (F).

I have managed to make a batch of canneles, those wonderful things indigenous to southern France. They are sort of a cross between a brioche, a muffin and a cooky, and are highly addictive. Unfortunately I have only one cannele mold (this situation will be rectified this summer...) as I didn't believe I would actually be able to make competent canneles in the US. I am also making some more duck breast prosciutto, which requires little time in the kitchen, but some weeks hanging in a "cool" place. They are hanging in the pantry, where it hasn't gotten up near 40 degrees for some weeks. Excellent curing spot.

The current problem is that there is yet another seriously cold cold front, complete with snow (not a very big deal...) and nasty cold temperatures following (ThIS is the big deal). I am well and truly tired of this. I guess the problem is that this is the first winter since I haven't been working that it's been so cold. Always before, I was working, and for 6-8 hours/weekday, I was usually in a warm building. Now I'm not...