LET US REJOICE! OSTARA IS UPON US AND SPRING IS UNFOLDING...

Winter is already a lost shape, forgottenin the ground. Instead, here is Springwith all the grace of a woman smoothing out her apron.
- Cecilia Llompart

Every time a season comes to an end, I enthusiastically greet the next one with open arms. After three months of the same regime, it always feels good to see nature promptly metamorphose itself again and offer us a completely different experience. A real breath of fresh air.

I'm pretty sure, we would go bonkers if we were stuck in the same boring rut day in and day out. Routine kills us at a slow pace. On the other hand, change is positive, inevitable, primordial and constant. It infuses our existence with vivid colours and gives us perspective as well as hope. Transition is life and and life is all about transition.

This is the reason why climatic standstill isn't my cup of tea and why I am particularly fond of roller coaster weather. As a matter of fact, I am very happy to live in a moderate climate country. To have the opportunity to enjoy four distinct periods of the year is a blessing and each of them fills my heart with pleasure.

So as you can imagine, it is a delight for me to make the leap from winter to spring. And even though February and March have been quite mild and vernal, I am really looking forward to Earth's magical rebirth and the powerful cosmic stirring inside of me.

And the Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.
- Percy Bysshe Shelley

April's air stirs in
Willow-leaves...a butterfly
Floats and balances.
- Matsuo Bashō 

Spring work is going on with joyful enthusiasm.
- John Muir

Like an enthusiastic child beginning to discover the world surrounding him, I am bubbling with exhilaration and trepidating with anticipation, and I get excited about anything and everything. The late afternoon song of blackbirds sends tears to my eyes, crows tearing off branches in order to build their nests bring a large smile to my face, primroses blooming crazily pour joy into my soul, the sweet caress of the warm west wind delights me intensely and longer daylight hours motivate me in my daily chores. Oh, what a glorious feeling!

However, while the flora and fauna are brashly awakening and general frenzy is palpable everywhere, we humans are still sluggishly emerging from slumber. The endless weeks of darkness and bone-chilling cold have taken a toll on us and all the slothing around has transformed us into rusty and pasty caricatures of ourselves. But with the sunshine hitting hard on our skin and the loud chirping of birds, our torpor is fastly chased away and new energy starts to flow in our body once more. Slowly yet surely, at our own pace, we join the celebration of renewal, embarking on this wonderful adventure that is called spring.

Get your t-shirts out, let your hair down and merrily dance in circles for euphoria is prevalent !

GENEVA WINTER BLUES

The brown waves of fog toss up to me
Twisted faces from the bottom of the street,
And tear from a passer-by with muddy skirts
An aimless smile that hovers in the air
And vanishes along the level of the roofs.
- T.S. Eliot

So dull and dark are the November days.
The lazy mist high up the evening curled,
And now the morn quite hides in smoke and haze;
The place we occupy seems all the world.
- John Clare

What a fog! Plane been buzzin' around overhead for the last half hour. Must be like trying to find your way through the inside of a cow. I never did see such a country. Even the birds are walkin'.
- Dalton Trumbo

Residing in the Geneva area or in a Swiss valley isn't always fun and can have its downside. As a matter of fact, winters in Calvin's city are mostly known for being gruesomely bland, appallingly dark and hideously characterless. So if you are a person who loves light and azure firmaments, and if winter blues are your nemesis, then you'd better not stay there during the cold season, otherwise chances are high that you’ll go loopy and depression will creep on you frequently.

You see, this small canton at the end of Lac Léman is embedded among mountains (the Jura in the north, the Salève in the south, the Vuache in the northwest, the Mont-de-Sion in the southwest, and the Voirons in the southeast) and it is literally situated in a basin ("La Cuvette Genevoise" as we call it in French), hence a dull, dense, murky and damp sea of high-altitude fog regularly covers this particular region of good old Switzerland and night tends to fall very early when sunlight is scarce.

Day after day, and sometimes week after week, we are deprived of luminosity. This situation can be outright unnerving, testing and oppressing as it feels as though we would be living in a closed box or in a kind of jail. This makes us prone to cabin fever symptoms such as mood swings, restlessness, tiredness, lack of motivation, lethargy, discontent and general discomfort.

Even for someone like me who adores Jack Frost's chilly embrace and enjoys heavy mist, it is unbearable in the long term and although I am quite an optimistic person by nature, I often suffer from low spirits. Boringly glum weather transforms me into an apathetic, grumpy, anxious and miserable lump of flesh.

In my opinion, there's nothing really comparable to bright hazy November days, radiant December afternoons, jovial January mornings and fiery February sunsets! This period of the year can be so joyful provided that our brightest star blesses us with its reddish rays, vivifying power and soothing warmth which's impact on our mental wellbeing is far superior to that of any drug and a hundred times more healing than any chemical medicine. The perfect cure for a numb and bruised soul!

But what do we do when the heavens above refuse to open up and we are stuck under a persistently funereal blanket of clouds? Well, there are many ways to fight against the negative side effects of this irritating nebula. For example, you can listen to pleasant music, have a relaxing bubble bath, read a book, cook a uplifting meal or bake a comforting treat, dance madly to your favorite song, light scented candles and meditate, meet friends, go out for a reinvigorating walk, break out of a rut, cozy up your home, wear bright colours, take up a project, host a movie night or visit museums. The options are endless.

On the condition that you keep busy and peel your limp body off the sofa, things can only get better in the little head of yours. Physical and intellectual activity will reduce your receptivity to the greyness outside and will push the gloomy thoughts out of your mind. And remember to smile (think positive) and eat lots of healthy vitamin-laden foods as both impact on your overall welfare and help you cope with melancholy. In this manner, time will pass a lot faster and the vernal equinox will be at your doorstep before you know it.

Hello March! Spring is almost here and my little heart is bursting with anticipation...

SEASON'S GREETINGS

All across the virgin snow
And through the naked trees
On a cold winter's night
His song is on the breeze
Where the moonlight paints the frost
Upon the robin's song
He's come a-calling for us all
Now the summer's gone!

Hark! Hear the children sing
Glory to the Holly King!
- Hail The Holly King by Inkubus Sukkubus

~~~~~~~~~~~

Wishing you and yours a Merry Holiday Season and a joyful celebration!

May 2015 bring you happiness, joy, peace, harmony, inspiration, successs and health.

Thank you for your support and interest in my humble work!

Cheers,

Rosa xxx

P.S. As I am in desperate need of recharging my batteries, living life less virtually and getting my creative mojo back, I henceforth announce that Rosa's Yummy Yums is going on a hiatus (until further notice)... But don't worry, I will not let my blog lie fallow forever and you'll still be able to find me online via Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Tumblr, etc...).

BLACK AND WHITE WEDNESDAY #153 - HAZELNUTS: KERNELS OF JOY

Hazelnuts are very common at British Neolithic sites, being probably the most frequently represented of the "other plants" mentioned by Whittle. Nutshell fragments are often not counted but are just mentioned as being rare or numerous, and in such instances we record "few", "some" or "many"...
- Sue Colledge and James Conolly, The Origins and Spread of Domestic Plants in Southwest Asian and Europe

This picture was submitted to "Black & White Wednesday", an event created by Susan at "The Well-Seasoned Cook". This week it is hosted by Lynne at "Cafe Lynnylu" (click here in order to see who is hosting the next roundup).

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Corylus avellana. A word that sounds like music to the ears. Also know as hazelnut, cobnut or filbert, this little fruit full of promise, and ancient symbol of peace and health is a kernel of joy and a gourmet's best friend.

Rare are the people who don't like hazelnuts and it is quite understandable as they are extremely versatile, wholesome and a wide variety of desserts, confectioneries as well as savory dishes can be prepared with them. From gianduja and cakes to spice mixes, condiments, soups and salads, there are large quantities of recipes that employ this delicacy.

Whether this nutritious nut is eaten raw or roasted, taste is always at the rendez-vous. The elegant, luxurious, earthy, sweet and buttery aroma of hazelnuts is quite addictive and intoxicating (especially when they have been toasted), and just like cocoa, its preferred partner in crime, not only are they good for the body, but also for the soul.

Hazelnuts have a very distinctive flavor and that's why they are highly regarded by pastry chefs and cook all around the world. They pair beautifully with dried and fresh fruits, mushrooms, root vegetables, bread, pasta, legumes, fish, meat, cheese, wine, spirits, and more particularly with chocolate (the Holy Grail!) for which this culinary hero has a particular affinity.

Their popularity is universal and many countries have been cultivating orchards since centuries. Hence, hazelnuts are rooted deep in our food culture and their use is widespread.

In Switzerland, we love to bake with those fragrant nuts and we have an abundance of hazelnut-based treats (cookies, tarts, cakes, chocolate bars, etc...). Around Christmas time, stores sell gargantuesque quantities of whole and ground hazelnuts and Swiss people enjoy preparing traditional hazelnut "biscuits de Noël/Weihnachtsguetzli" such as "Berner Hasselnussleckerli (Leckerli Bernese-Style)", "Hasselnussrollen (Hazelnut Rolls)", "Hasselnussmakronen (Hazelnut Macaroons)" and "Totenbeinli (Leg Of The Dead Cookies)" with their family and friends...

As I'm sure you are now craving hazelutty foods by now, I thought that you might be interested in the recipes I have decided to share with you today. Some of them could even come in handy during this festive season. Enjoy!

- Old House In Chur, Switzerland -

My Hazelnut Recipes
. Apple Tart With Hazelnut Frangipani (link)
. Beetroot And Orange Salad (link)
. Chocolate Ganache-Glazed Hazelnut Cake (link)
. Cornflake Terrine (link)
. Hazelnut Date Truffles (link)
. Hazelnut Meringue Clusters (link)
. Hazelnut Nougatine (link)

Great Hazelnut Recipes Found On The Net
. Baci Di Dama (Food 52)
. Baked Apples With Hazelnuts, Maple Cream and Crème Fraîche (Yummy Supper)
. Bread Pudding Cake (Juls' Kitchen)
. Butternut Squash Ravili With Oregano-Hazelnut Pesto (Saveur)
. Cauliflower With Brown Butter, Pears, Sage And Hazelnuts (Fine Cooking)
. Celery, Blue Cheese And Hazelnut Slad (Simply Recipes)
. Espresso And Chocolate-Hazelnut  Swirl Ice Cream With Coffee Tuiles (Lisa Is Cooking)
. Fig, Halloumi And Hazelnut Salad (Cooksister)
. Hazelnut Fruit Cake (Good Food)
. Hazelnut Meringue Cake With Berries (Life's A Feast)
. Individual Hazelnut And Chocolate Clafoutis (Jamie Oliver)
. Mini Piedmontois (Almond Corner)
. Orechiette With Squash, Chiles And Hazelnuts (Bon Appétit)
. Quinoa Salad With Hazelnuts, Apple And Dried Cranberries (Food 52)
. Shredded Brussel Sprouts With Bacon And Hazelnuts (Cooking Light)
. Swiss/Berner Hasselnussleckerli (Sweet Artichoke)
. Swiss/Bernese Hazelnut Tart (Vagabond Baker)
. Swiss Dairy-Free Hazelnut Crescent Rolls (Dairy Free Switzerland)
. Swiss Totenbeinli (Linno-Yum)
. Torta Di Nocciole (Domenica Cooks)

REMEMBERING THE SUMMER - PART IV

There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story.

- Linda Hogan

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more”
- George Gordon Byron

I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.
- E.B. White, Letters of E. B. White

REMEMBERING THE SUMMER - PART III

BLACK AND WHITE WEDNESDAY #152 - FRAGILE

If there is a hard, high wall and an egg that breaks against it, no matter how right the wall or how wrong the egg, I will stand on the side of the egg. Why? Because each of us is an egg, a unique soul enclosed in a fragile egg. Each of us is confronting a high wall. The high wall is the system which forces us to do the things we would not ordinarily see fit to do as individuals . . . We are all human beings, individuals, fragile eggs. We have no hope against the wall: it's too high, too dark, too cold. To fight the wall, we must join our souls together for warmth, strength. We must not let the system control us -- create who we are. It is we who created the system.
- Haruki Murakami, Jerusalem Prize acceptance speech, JERUSALEM POST, Feb. 15, 2009.

This picture was submitted to "Black & White Wednesday", an event created by Susan at "The Well-Seasoned Cook". This week it is hosted by Aparna at "Stories from the Mahe Coast" (click here in order to see who is hosting the next roundup).

REMEMBERING THE SUMMER - PART II

REMEMBERING THE SUMMER - PART I

Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence.
Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance.
Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence.
Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.
- Yoko Ono

Although I love autumn's ravishing beauty and serene atmosphere, I must admit that this year, and for the very first time in my life, I am missing the warm season. Having had a grim spring and a depressingly glum July as well as August, I just wasn't ready for fall's arrival. Much to my regret, it came surprisingly early...

You see, I am the kind of person who needs to fully enjoy summer in order to get sick of it and look forward to cooler and moodier weather - in fact, it is exactly the same as with food; one needs to eat a few savory dishes before the urge for dessert makes its appearance. Hence, I feel nostalgic for summer's suffocating exuberance and insolent nonchalance.

Having said this, I am nonetheless really thrilled that autumn's here and that winter's on our doorstep as I am particularly fond of this time of the year. So, bring on the cold weather, frosty sunlight and snowstorms!

BLACK AND WHITE WEDNESDAY #151 - CONCEALED

- Grape Before The Harvest - 

Of what is concealed can also be revealed.
- Pushpa Rana, Just the Way I Feel

This picture was submitted to "Black & White Wednesday", an event created by Susan at "The Well-Seasoned Cook". This week it is hosted by Sanhita at "Pocket Full Of Spices" (click here in order to see who is hosting the next roundup).

HERMANCE'S HIDDEN TREASURES PART II

In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject. The little, human detail can become a Leitmotiv.
- Henri Cartier-Bresson
 
The truth of the story lies in the details.
- Paul Auster, The Brooklyn Follies

YUMMY SUPPER COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY WINNER & HERMANCE'S HIDDEN TREASURES PART I

Many thanks to all of you for entering my YummySupper Giveaway. I was delighted to read your lovely comments and to see that so many people from all over the world took part in it. Your participation really means a lot to me...

I am very happy to announce that the lucky winner is Regula Melo-Jocknevich of "Molly Mell". Congratulations, you just won a copy Erin Scott's cookbook, "Yummy Supper - 100 Fresh, Luscious & Honest Recipes From A {Gluten-free} Omnivore"!!!

BLACK AND WHITE WEDNESDAY #150 - AUTUMN'S FINEST FRUIT

- Apple Of My Eye -

And when you crush an apple with your teeth, say to it in your heart:
Your seeds shall live in my body,
And the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart,
And your fragrance shall be my breath,
And together we shall rejoice through all the seasons.”
- Khalil Gibran

This picture was submitted to "Black & White Wednesday", an event created by Susan at "The Well-Seasoned Cook". This week it is hosted by Cinzia at "Cindystarblog" (click here in order to see who is hosting the next roundup).

NATURE AND RAM SKULL STILL LIFES & A BLOGGING PAUSE...

Lately, I have been suffering from a serious burnout which has left me exhausted and dispirited. I feel completely drained and find no solace in the things I used to enjoy. As result, blogging has become a chore and photography a torture. Instead of being relaxing hobbies, those activities are causing me stress and I can't seem to be able to pull myself together...

You rest now. Rest for longer than you are used to resting. Make a stillness around you, a field of peace. Your best work, the best time of your life will grow out of this peace.
- Peter Heller, The Painter

Every person needs to take one day away.  A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future.  Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence.  Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for.  Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.

- Maya Angelou, Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now 

As I cannot continue in this way, I have decided to take a pause from in order to recharge my batteries, carelessly savour life, repossess my inner peace, pamper myself and unwind. So, Rosa's Yummy Yums will be on a two weeks hiatus (during this short period of time I'll also be less present online - Facebook, Twitter, Google +, etc...). But please don't worry, I will resume my activities on the 29th of October 2014...

Take care and see you soon!

BLACK AND WHITE WEDNESDAY #146 - RAM SKULL & EGG STILL LIFE

- Beginning & End -

So familiar are eggs to us, however, that in the eighteenth century they were referred to as cackling farts, on the basis that chickens cackled all the time and eggs came out of the back of them.
- Mark Forsyth, The Horologicon: A Day's Jaunt Through the Lost Words of the English Language

This picture was submitted to "Black & White Wednesday", an event created by Susan at "The Well-Seasoned Cook". This week it is hosted by Cinzia at "Cindystarblog" (click here in order to see who is hosting the next roundup).

A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY - BOATS ON LAKE LÉMAN

Oh the brave Fisher's life, It is the best of any, 'Tis full of pleasure, void of strife, And 'tis belov'd of many: Other joys Are but toys; Only this Lawful is, For our skill Breeds no ill, But content and pleasure.
- Izaak Walton

Looking out over the lake, I felt enveloped in the most peaceful, loving utopia.

- Laurie Kahn

BLACK AND WHITE WEDNESDAY #145 - PRODUCE OF OUR TERROIR

- Luscious Grapes -

Grapes are the most noble and challenging of fruits.
Malcolm Dunn, Head Gardener to the 7th Viscount Powerscourt, c 1867 

This picture was submitted to "Black & White Wednesday", an event created by Susan at "The Well-Seasoned Cook". This week it is hosted by Cinzia at "Cindystarblog" (click here in order to see who is hosting the next roundup).