Winter can be quite beautiful here with snow covering the ground, frozen lakes and ponds, and views of mountains under a clear blue sky.
We are well equipped for snow as one might imagine with our Sussex County nickname being, "The Icebox of New Jersey."

Roads are cleared and sanded well ahead of many other parts of New Jersey. This year there has been only light snow so far, but the temperatures have definitely taken a dip in the latter part of January.

On this page, you will find some suggestions for winter activities - some specifically for those of you who live in the area and others for those who might be reading this page and thinking that they might be interested in living here.

 R e c r e a t i o n

With our hilly terrain, country roads, and many state parks and lakes, this is a perfect year-round area for outdoor activities.

Skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing - 

                                Mountain Creek Resorts in Vernon has it all.

Ice Fishing - Fishing in Sussex County is a year-round sport with its many lakes and streams. Check out this link for excellent information on everything you need to do to have a successful ice fishing expedition.

http://www.njskylands.com/odfishice.htm
  

                                   A winter pond - soon to be perfect for ice fishing!   

             

Hiking and More - Another portion of the wonderful New Jersey Skylands web site covers winter hiking, camping and wildlife. Take a look. http://njskylands.com/odwinter.htm

 R e a d i n g

One of my favorite activities in winter is to curl up in my favorite chair next to the fireplace and read a good book.

Some ideas for reading come from The Book Club (yes, that´s our name) to which I have belonged since we moved to Sussex County some ten years ago. We meet at the Spring House restaurant in Newton, enjoy dinner together for the first hour and a half during which time we discuss everything other than the book we have just read. Then for the next hour we discuss only the book. It is a beautiful democratic process in which everyone who wishes to participates.

Following are a few suggestions of titles I have enjoyed.

The Shadow of the Wind

Written by Carlos Ruiz Zafon  in 2001 and translated from the Spanish in 2004, this book´s setting begins in 1945 just after the Spanish Civil War in the city of Barcelona.

Reviewers compare his work to Dickens, A. S. Byatt, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez among other great writers. It is truly a novel for those who love good stories - one of those books that you can´t wait to get back to but also dread the fact that it will end.

Also, if you read this one, don´t be surprised if you  put a trip to Barcelona on your "to do" list because you want to see it in person after feeling so much a part of it through your reading.

Shadow Divers

I bought this book at the airport just before a flight to Florida.

Robert Kurson is the author of the 2004 true story about two divers who find the wreckage of a German World War II U-boat off the coast of New Jersey.  Again, it is a compelling story about two men driven to solve the mystery of this U-boat that had vanished during the war - supposedly off the coast of  Gibraltar.

Reviews compare it to The Perfect Storm and Into Thin Air.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

This is a historical novel which takes place in a remote province of China and begins in 1823.

Written by Lisa See, it tells the story of two women who meet in childhood and remain friends throughout their lives. They often have to communicate by a secret  language written on the folds of a fan. I love stories that draw the reader into a time and a place, and this one does that.

The author is of part Chinese heritage and in her careful research visited the area in which her story is set. The Washington Post Book World says this about the book...."A triumph on every level, a beautiful, heartbreaking story."

 S o m e   F o o d   I d e a s

Winter with its cold temperatures and special holidays makes it a wonderful time to enjoy good food and drink - soups, stews, a special dinner on Valentine´s Day. 

The following are just a few ideas that you might find interesting.

Cioppino

I made cioppino, an Italian seafood stew, for Christmas Eve. I had not prepared it in years and could not find the recipe previously used.

I went to Food Network on the internet and searched for cioppino recipes of which there were several. Giada De Laurentis had been a guest on The Today Show and her recipe was rated "Easy." It turned out very well!  (I used calamari in addition to the other ingredients. Sea bass is quite expensive and haddock or cod would work well instead.)

Click on the link that follows to view the recipe.

Cioppino Recipe

Ginger Pear Crisp

Here´s another recipe from the Food Network. I love fruit crisps but must admit I have not tried this one. However, the reviews from other cooks were excellent, pears are abundant at this time of year, and the preparation time is minimal with easy instructions.

If you like dried cherries more than raisins, you could substitute them. Use fresh ginger as dried ginger does not compare in a recipe.

Ginger Pear Crisp Recipe


Ginger Peach Tea

This tea can be purchased at The Merry-Go-Round Tea House in Hamburg on Rt. 23 just west of Rt. 94 on the left hand side as you head toward Wantage. 

It is pungent and perfect on a cold afternoon.

Valentine's Day Dinner

My favorite Sparta restaurant is Zoe´s located on Seneca Lake. They are offering a special dinner on Valentine´s Day for $75 per person. I have included a link to the restaurant which, unfortunately, at this writing does not mention the Valentine´s Day dinner. If you are interested, just call and ask for details.

www.zoesbythelake.com

 G a r d e n i n g

While I love the change of seasons and the beauty of snow and the coziness of a roaring fire, dreams of spring flowers and gardening enter my thoughts.

Just as reading cookbooks, home decorating magazines, and good stories is pleasurable, so is perusing garden catalogs for new things to plant and use in the garden.

Here is a gardening link specifically for our surrounding area with several links within the site. (I just ordered a catalog from one of the included nurseries.) And just in case you don´t know or have forgotten, our area for planting is Zone 5.

http://www.gardenstategardener.com/bestofthecatalogs.htm