Ho ho ho…

heidi08 Uncategorized December 25, 2009

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me

A Dam in Alhambra Creek

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Two adult beavers and

A Dam in Alhambra Creek

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Three watching women

Two adult beavers and

A Dam in Alhambra Creek

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Four furry kits

Three watching women

Two adult beavers and

A Dam in Alhambra Creek

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Five City Council!

Four furry kits

Three watching women

Two adult beavers and

A Dam in Alhambra Creek

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Six baby ducklings

Five City Council!

Four furry kits

Three watching women

Two adult beavers and

A Dam in Alhambra Creek

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Seven on committee

Six baby ducklings

Five City Council!

Four furry kits

Three watching women

Two adult beavers and

A Dam in Alhambra Creek

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Eight eager muskrats

Seven on committee

Six baby ducklings

Five City Council!

Four furry kits

Three watching women

Two adult beavers and

A Dam in Alhambra Creek

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Nine children laughing

Eight eager muskrats

Seven on committee

Six baby ducklings

Five City Council!

Four furry kits

Three watching women

Two adult beavers and

A Dam in Alhambra Creek

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Ten news reporters

Nine children laughing

Eight eager muskrats

Seven on committee

Six baby ducklings

Five City Council!

Four furry kits

Three watching women

Two adult beavers and

A Dam in Alhambra Creek

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Eleven cameras snapping

Ten news reporters

Nine children laughing

Eight eager muskrats

Seven on committee

Six baby ducklings

Five City Council!

Four furry kits

Three watching women

Two adult beavers and

A Dam in Alhambra Creek

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Twelve hatching turtles

Eleven cameras snapping

Ten news reporters

Nine children laughing

Eight eager muskrats

Seven on committee

Six baby ducklings

Five City Council!

Four furry kits

Three watching women

Two adult beavers and

A Dam in Alhambra Creek

And, in case you get some seasonal blahs, here’s some nondenominational Very Good Cheer!

Welcome Yule!

heidi08 Uncategorized December 21, 2009

In case you need some light to drive away the longest night, might I suggest the Aurora Borealis? Happy Solstice All.

Ginger Bread Beavers

heidi08 Uncategorized December 17, 2009

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Gingerbread Beavers:

3 cups (390 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

1 large egg

2/3 cup (160 ml) unsulphured molasses

Note: To prevent the molasses from sticking to the measuring cup, first spray the cup with a non stick vegetable spray (like Pam).

Confectioners Frosting:

2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 tablespoons milk or light cream

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The Victor Trading Company hand makes its cutters and I can say for certainty they are adorable. Added bonus, they are in Colorado and have beavers they watch from time to time. Other delightful offerings are available from the Fancy Flours here.

As a woman who made 300 hundred celebratory raviolis yesterday, I can tell you that one of the most direct pathways to “holiday spirit” runs through the kitchen. Bring in your grandson or daughter and set them to work frosting the tails.

Happy Beaver Baking!

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Sutter Creek Beavers Busy Again

heidi08 Uncategorized December 12, 2009

A couple years back we noticed a beaver dam on Sutter Creek on the way to my parents house. Imagine beavers mining gold dust and using it to pack mud on their dams. Prospector beavers. We can’t get any closer than the road because its fiercely held private land, so we don’t know where the lodge is. The dam has had some horrible years, when its cut out and we think the beavers are gone or dead. But its back again, holding a solid pond that’s deep enough (but not too) deep.

The town is still sprinkled with snow patches, more so than usual. The low snow we had that dusted the hills in Lafayette and Orinda and coated the very base of Mt. Diablo, covered the foothills too. My parents, at 3700 feet, had 18 inches in a day. I missed the grand display, and only got to come for the melting.

I’m very jealous of missing out on watching how beavers manage snow and ice. Hope Ryden’s descriptions of beavers breaking ice to keep passage open is fascinating to read, and I would love to see it up close. She also describes the bubbles of beaver breath layered under the ice, which is delightful to think about. Bob Arnebeck wrote me recently that his New York beavers are already under ice. I wish I could find some snowy beavers. Maybe some right outside the window of a very warm lodge.

The other thing I’m jealous of in this weather is something I read about in a science paper once. In very cold weather, say 20 below, your standard ordinary soap bubble behaves differently. It rises from the warmth of your breath, and sometimes forms a strange plastic-like unpopping surface. But my favorite fact is this: Some soap bubbles will actually make a noise when they pop, like the tinkle of breaking glass. Now in order to try this neat trick you need to keep your bubble mix in a thermos and hope it doesn’t freeze before you blow a stream of perfect bubbles. Then wait very quiet and listen.