What an incredible winter we're having! I can't believe I have to worry about putting insect repellant on before I go for a walk in January. I love that citrus ripens in the winter. What more lovely way to recapture the warmth and beauty of summer than to pick a bushel of tangerines, lemons or kumquats?
With all the unexpected warmth and moisture, our tangerines began to go bad, so the boys and I picked every single one off the trees this weekend and juiced them. I wish I had a picture of them helping in the kitchen -- they had so much fun, but they made me so nervous around the juicer that I couldn't step back long enough to snap a photo. They did their jobs admirably, though, with Bitty peeling and Big Boy dropping the segments down the chute. Our liquid gold turned out perfectly. It tasted exactly like the color in the glass: bright, refreshing, saturated, YUM.A great friend gave me the Noah's Ark pitcher. The piece, made in Louisville, Kentucky, has quickly become my favorite vessel.
And the camellias...oh, the camellias. I wish they bloomed longer, but I find myself very grateful they show up just in the midst of the normally cold, dreary months. I cut these and brought them in to brighten Momma's room. They look like they popped right off her chair! She felt pretty rough this week, but their beauty, combined with my Dad's boyish smile ought to perk anybody up.
