On New Year’s Day we took the dogs for a “big” walk, meaning we walked down our street, and crossed the main road and entered the woods by Green Turtle Pond. You know: The Thorn Queen’s Kingdom.

By the looks of the entrance you would think she was once again plotting a new way to keep people (me) out since her thorns are lessened by the snowpack. These trees no doubt blew over right across the trail during Hurricane Sandy. It did not deter us!

Her kingdom looks very different from the last time I took you here.

I liked this woodpecker-holed tree. Did the bird drill from both sides to achieve the see-through hole?

The dogs love the freedom of running off-lead and exploring. They get lots of exercise since they run down the trail, then run back to get a treat from us. (Which is the way we trained them to stay close to us at the cabin.)

Bella

Here is Alex coming back for a treat and Hailey in the background not wanting to be left out where any kind of food is involved. Here I come, wait for me!!

Lunch involved our favorite champagne (Veuve Clicquot) with a toast to the New Year.

(Don’t look at the photo too hard for anything much in focus because I think it’s somewhere in the bubbles! I know, I know, but somehow it worked for me.)

And, we tried out a new recipe from a new cookbook Fireside Feasts & Snow Day Treats: Parmesan Custards with Anchovy Toasts.

The cookbook is British but has both UK and US measurements and usage of words which helps. I know most people don’t like anchovies, but here they get mashed with butter, spread on the bread and then panini-ed. The salt of the anchovy matched really well with the custards. You have to admit that at least they look good, yes? The custards didn’t come out quite as expected by following the directions, so if I make them again I’ll adjust the recipe. Still, they were really good. You can always go really light on the anchovies or leave them out altogether I suppose, which would probably be most people’s choice!

The cookbook has lots of tasty looking recipes and only one vegetable that I don’t know what it is since they only used the British word for it: a swede. I am assuming I am not supposed to slice up a person from Sweden! (Take one Swede and cut in half … ) Maybe a rutabaga since it’s a root vegetable gratin?? Anyway, that’s my best guess.

Now that I’ve turned you off our cooking completely I’ll get on with my day!

A swede is a rutabaga… I’ve got one sitting on my counter, starting to sprout! 

The champagne probably looks out of focus by the time you’ve had some.  In focus or not it still looks goo.!  And so does the Parmesan custard.  As you know, I would definitely be the one leaving the anchovies off the toast.  How about garlic toast instead!

That tree would make a bunch of woodpeckers REALLY happy. (Apparently it already has!) I love the pic of Bella with all the snow on her face.

And yes, swede is rutabaga. I’m not sure where that name comes from. (Either name, for that matter.)

I like anchovies, for the record!

As for the Swede, thanks all! I figured that’s what it was but for some reason I had this recipe à la Fargo in my head and couldn’t get it out!

C, I would have to agree with you but this was my first glass that I took a photo of! I think most people would be leaving the anchovies off and not because they are vegetarian!

Steve, yes an apartment complex for woodpeckers indeed! Hurray for another anchovy liker! (I won’t say lover because although I like them I don’t love them.)

Your dogs are beautiful.  They look so happy and energetic.  I like the idea of the parmesan custards and I love anchovies.  That recipe sounds good.

OMG! This recipe looks so darn good. I love anchovies in recipes (I know, you would never guess I would like them,) but in recipes they disappear, leaving awesome flavor. The custard is probably tricky to do,tho. (we’ll talk.)

As for the walk, love the creek photo(crick is the way our family always pronounced it growing up—remember?) Maybe it was an Adirondack thing?

And the dogs—I KNOW they loved the walk. Great pics, as usual!

Bella, yus are the snodog kween! I hart you my cuzin, luv n bonz, Sookie
O,u twos Hailey and Big Alex!xoxo

Liz! I had no clue you were back to blogging! Thanks for the comment and welcome back to the world of blogging. I’m so happy for you!

Bigsis, Really? I never would have figured you for an anchovy person. Really?? No, I think the pronunciation for creek (crick) is colloquial. But, yes, they pronounced it crick instead of creek.  Glad you liked the pics.

Sookie, you speak funny Bulldog speak instead of Bernese speak, but the scary thing is that we are beginning to understand you! Gasp! Luv u 2 cuz, bella.