On Feeding Frenzies, Chocolate cloud cakes and Yak tracks

This is the scene in my back garden this morning.  I filled all of the bird and squirrel feeders last night when I got home because it had already started snowing.  This morning there was an absolute feeding frenzy at every feeder.  I'm sure at some point today the hawk will arrive for a bit of 'snacking'.  I have already seen a pile of feather remnants in the back bed, a sure sign that he came by last week.   It was a good morning for a fire in the kitchen fireplace.  This  is the view from my command central seat.  My reading pile is currently composed of some birthday gifts as well as a recent purchase.  The current reads are The Autograph Man - Zadie Smith, Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas -  Louise Rennison, The Laying on of Hands Alan Bennett, Thrush Green - Miss Read, The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen - Paula Wolfort, On Food and Cooking  - Harold McGee. 

I also forgot to mention that on Thursday as I walked under the carport to get into my truck I heard a rustling noise in the leaves.  When I looked up I was staring straight in the faces of three wild turkeys.  Wild Turkeys in my backyard in Newton not 5 feet away from me.  One of them stopped and stared at me as I said hello and I had a good chuckle about it, thinking he was listening to me.  A few seconds later I heard something drop on the leaves he'd had a good poop and he then headed on his way pecking amongst the leaves.  Yet another time I cursed myself for not carrying my camera. 

As you can see by these pictures it is a bit white and wet here. I have a dinner party to attend tonight at Kathy and Brian's house.  Their friends  Allissa and Kurt will be there as well.  Alissa works at a Doberman rescue shelter and Kurt is a musician.  Kath and I worked together umpteen years ago and she's now a teacher in Medford and her man Brian is in construction. He's a nice boy from County Cork, and by the second bottle of wine I shan't understand a thing he says, but it will all sound really good anyway.  I'm the 'Dessert person' for this soiree so I'm about to go up and make a Nigella Lawson recipe for a cloud cake.  It's basically a puddle of decadent bittersweet chocolate that sinks in the middle and you fill the 'hole' with whipped cream sweetened with Couintreau and dust it in cocoa powder.  For the non chocolate fans I'm making a Brioche bread pudding and maybe a whiskey sauce to top it with.
I was going to wear my cute shoes but somehow I don't think they will look so cute with Yak tracks attached to them.  I'm just not prepared for the slippery slidey walking thing.  I am such a klutz that I fall on bare ground, never mind on snow and ice.

And thank you all for the birthday wishes, it's going to be an interesting year.......

I close out today with some of Kurt's music.  This track is called Big Sky.  He's all the guitars, bass and backing vocals.  A bit Finn brothers, Toad the Wet Sprocket i think.