14 Comments
User's avatar
Teyani Whitman's avatar

Such a familiar call to arms, eating down the freezer! Glad you have someone to share your chef’s goodies with🤗 I still lean towards cooking for six despite it being just me now. I keep wondering, what does one do with all the veggie peels other than make vegetable stock? And once made, (fabulous as it is) how to eat it all!🤭

Expand full comment
Alex Keerie's avatar

Stock is a funny thing, we often have a glut, then when it’s gone miss it. Transitioning from six folk must be hard. I struggle with the three of us, then well be back to four for a while, and then they bounce around, so I just make what I make, and use what we need and then freeze, or eat for lunch as we need etc. Thanks for reading Teyani.

Expand full comment
Barbara Lofgren's avatar

Ah yes...Scottish Januarys....all the festivities are over and the days are still dark. Hope you find some good inspiration in your freezer.

Expand full comment
Alex Keerie's avatar

Thanks Barbara, slowly getting through it, and thankfully it’s warmed up over the last couple of days.

Expand full comment
Linda McLachlan's avatar

So much so beautifully said: "...a constant battle between light and dark, a blaze of glory as the guard switches over... By early afternoon, the dark has rallied back and mustered its troops, painting the horizon with deep reds, purples, and golds in one final, triumphant clash." Delicious.

Tamarind must go... Hahaha.

I wonder if January yearns for grace after the race of December. Our bones tell us to rest but we fight stillness. I wonder if listening is January's lesson. The stark silence of deep winter.

Be well, friend.

Expand full comment
Alex Keerie's avatar

I can confirm the Tamarind has gone, although when I looked at it….I did hesitate, it looked perfectly fine. I was thinking I could get away with calling it ‘Mature’ Tamarind! Then I thought I haven’t used it in 3 or so years why am I going to use it now!

I need to lean into the listening, thank you.

Expand full comment
Regina Ochoa's avatar

This is a Lovely piece, Alex.

Expand full comment
Joanne Tracey's avatar

It's funny how similar yet how different we are on the other side of the world. It's high summer for us and in south east Queensland that means trying to stay cool and sweat free - we're at our most active in the winter months. Since moving here though, we are more in touch with the seasons, such as they are, and are ridiculously fortunate to be so. I'm going to keep an eye out for that book you've recommended. Bolstering up the e-devices with reading material for when we're away.

Expand full comment
Alex Keerie's avatar

Being friends with folk around the world, sharing stories definitely makes you appreciate the planet and the seasons. Definitely a good book to read if you want a sense of place.

Expand full comment
Maria Luz O'Rourke's avatar

I love this perspective. There is so much talk about voting with your money and buying intentionally, but perhaps more often we can apply that intentionality to NOT buy - and use up what we have, even if it doesn't dazzle us or those we are feeding!

Expand full comment
Joyce Sullivan's avatar

Gorgeous writing. Grateful to be a reader

Expand full comment
Alex Keerie's avatar

Thank you Joyce, and very grateful to have you as a reader

Expand full comment
Lynn Hill's avatar

I read this while eating breakfast this morning. I, too, am trying to eat down the freezer. It's a slow process. Long-forgotten packs of leftovers hide in every corner of the freezer drawers.

Expand full comment
Alex Keerie's avatar

It's hard going 😬, but needs doing🙌, thanks for spending breakfast with my reflections Lynn

Expand full comment