just a rainy day

Today it is a rainy day, well its soft rain,which gets driven by gales of wind. The mountains are even invisible, just swallowed up by greedy dark grey clouds.  Its rather mild for January and if I m honest, I do like a bit of seasonal weather and being even more honest, I wouldn't mind a bit of frost ( like we had between Christmas and New Year ) and even snow - it is good for the garden and just the time of year for it. But we all know, that we have to take the weather the way it gets thrown at us. Overall I have a firm opinion, that the Irish weather is better then most foreign people assume.

a great read for a rainy day

Heinrich Boell, a German Literature Nobel Prize winner ( 1972 ), wrote a famous book called 'the Irish Diary', which describes his memories about going to Ireland in the mid 1950/60. There in chapter 9, he calls it 'observation about the Irish Rain'. The Introduction would be like: "Rain here is just utterly, great and scary. To call this rain just 'bad weather' would be as wrong as calling 'scorching sunshine' good weather."
It must be about 35 years ago, when I first read the 'Irish Diary' and after finishing it, I was certain, that I had to go to this Island, 'where god made the time - and he made plenty of it'. Boell used to recover and hide in Dugort, Achill Island, Co.Mayo and his book is full of admiration and love to his adopted country, which he made to his second home. Even 25 years later, in the early eighties, when I first touched Irish ground, I still was able to find this type of Ireland he was writing about in his journal.
Boell passed away in the Eighties, but because I knew a Lady, who sometimes fed the cats at Boell's cottage, Burkhardt and myself could stay there for 2 weeks in this very basic cottage, the place where he had written the 'Irish Diary'.

It is still wild out there .... but that doesn't mean, that daily duties can be neglected. Overall I don't mind the fact, that all the animals have to be fed and looked after... mornings and evenings, day after day, since the last 20 years. A pair of Wellies, a kind of Russian Army cap and an old jacket usually are enough to face any element ranting and raving out there. The ducks and geese couldn't care less about any weather. They just rush to the river and paddle there up and down, looking for grass and grubs. The poor hens get blown and blustered all over the yard and prefer to look for shelter or simply just stay indoors. The horses are in the shed since last night and chew away on the hay. Even the goats only put their head out for a second to discover, that this is a 'hay-day'.

practicing a bit of 'goat yoga' on a rainy day

The cats and dogs are either slumbering in dry straw in the barn or find a place in and around the house.

little spoiled prince 'Snoopy' on his way up to bed

17 year old 'Maunzi' knows his 'physics, that warm air is lighter than cold one

13 year old 'Kitty' .... pretending to have a yellow tail

Even on a rainy day, or maybe especially on a rainy day, food has to be prepared and I m just wondering what would be warm, wholesome and simple. I love wintry stews, like Guinness stew or Irish stew, but also vegetarian thick soups are just so nourishing, easily prepared and warming. Being a fan of lentils, I think I share 2 simple recipes with you: Even though it sounds to healthy and organic, you get all ingredients in an ordinary Supermarket:

LENTIL STEW ( with FRANKFURTERS ... if you want a bit of meat ):
for 4 - 6 persons:
* 30 g of Butter, Rape seed oil or Coconut oil ( Sunflower oil ok too )
* 500 g of green, brown or speckled lentils
* 2 carrots, 1 onion and/or 1 leek, 1 celeriac and/or parsnips, 2 - 4 potatoes
*  3 tablespoons cider vinegar (or white wine)
* (vegetable) stock
* salt, pepper, tomato puree
* 1l-1.5 l water
Soak the Lentils over night.
Melt the fat and shortly fry all the veg and lentils, stirring continuously.
Pour the vinegar and 3/4 of  the water into it and let it boil and then simmer for about 45 min. Season with salt and pepper, tomato puree and more stock/vinegar if necessary.
Cut Frankfurters into medium sized pieces just 10 min before the end of simmering.
Serve with more boiled potatoes or any bread.
As most stews, it even tastes better the next day.

OUR FAVORITE SPICY LENTIL SOUP:  
for 4 - 6 persons:
* 500 g of red lentils
* some coconut fat
* 2 garlic cloves, 1 onion, one fresh red chili, some freshly chopped ginger
* 1 tin of coconut milk
* stock
* salt, pepper, cayenne chili pepper
* turmeric fresh or ground
* 500 ml - 750 ml of water
melt the coconut fat and put in garlic, onion, chili, ginger, turmeric and lentils, stirring for a short time. Then pour in water and stock keep stirring and add coconut milk. Bring to boil and simmer for 20 to 30 min, stirring occasionally.
Mix it all with your electric stir-stick.
Season carefully, as some people don't like it to spicy.
Bread or Naan Bread is best option to make it a full meal.

after another rainy day: view from the kitchen window