Chilly Scene of Winter, with Gifts

So here is what my sidewalk has looked like pretty much for the past two months. I slipped on ice four times on the way home from work a couple of weeks ago. I usually love winter, but this one has done me in. We finally have some warmer weather and I can see the sun peeking through the blinds so I'm going to keep this short so I can go out and see how much of the ice has melted.

I'm not too hopeful, but if the sidewalks have cleared enough for me to walk without fear, I will be a happy camper.

I have been remiss in showing off the culinary gifts I received from my knitting student before the holidays. I am excited about both of them but have not yet decided exactly how I will use them.

The first is this beautiful jar of raspberry flower honey, from Katz and Company.

According to their website, this is "a unique honey gathered from hives of the coastal raspberry crop possessing mellifluous straw color and floral scented overtones." The flavor is lighter than the clover honey I am used to, and I can taste the raspberry. And maybe it's my imagination, but I think I can see a hint of pink in the color.

It's pretty tasty all by itself with tea, but I am thinking about some kind of glaze that will really bring out the floral undertones.

This other item also has me excited:

This is 1-year aged organic Carnaroli rice from Acquerello, in Italy. According to Italian Cooking and Living's website, Carnaroli is the preferred rice to use for risotto. The grains are whiter, stay firmer and absorb more liquid than Arborio and Baldo, the two other rices used for risotto.

I have never made risotto, and I am so excited about the possibilities here.

The third gift I got might not be of interest in the kitchen, but it is quite clever and I love it. This "book" is a hand-made sewing kit made of felt. Each page has sewing accessories - needles, a needle threader, straight pins, safety pins, and buttons. It is lightweight and flat, so it will travel well.

What makes it even more exciting is its versatility. There is still plenty of room on each page for me to add anything else that I might need - maybe even a few knitting accessories here and there.

I've said it before and I will say it again. I am one lucky knitting teacher!