UPDATE: Congratulations to Meggy for winning the two tickets to the Perth Good Food & Wine Show! Meggy, I hope you celebrate your win with a big gluggy glass of mulled wine, and enjoy yourself this weekend :)
Hello winter, I see you’ve found me here hiding under the covers. I’ve been expecting you. We have a love-hate relationship, you and I.
I hate it when you make the bottoms of my jeans too wet to dry through the day; my feet too cold to let me drift off to sleep; and the dash from my bed to the shower seem so much longer than the 5 metres it actually is. I hate you making me drive to the shop instead of walking; my nose turn pink in your icy air, me have to take a jacket (or two) everywhere I go; and above all I hate how you can so easily turn me into a whinger.
But oh, winter, I love our cosy nights and lazy mornings curled up under the covers, listening to the rain beating against my bedroom window; our nights spent with friends, washing down slow cooked meals with heady red wine glugged into oversized glasses; how you keep my little garden happy enough to keep feeding me even without me having to remember to give it a drink; when you take me and my boots out for a night on the town; how you bring football with you and how you’re around when I’m celebrating the birthdays of my two siblings.
Sometimes though, when you love someone you have to set them free. I know I told you it was over between me and summer but, you see, we’ve started talking again. We’re going to make another go of it, just for a little while, and see where it takes us.
Don’t believe those other girls when they say I’ll only be coming back to you because I have tickets to the Good Food & Wine Show in Perth on 2 – 4 July. Matt Moran, Tobie Puttock, Matt Skinner, Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris, Manu Feildel, cheese masterclasses and the cooking school have nothing on you.
There are others out there though who are more easily taken in by a French accent and a wheel of cheese. Perth readers, if this means you then you’re in luck - I have a double pass to the Perth Good Food & Wine Show to give away thanks to the Good Food & Wine Show.
To enter,
- leave a comment on this post telling me your favourite or most despised thing about winter,
- share this on Twitter (follow my tweets here) for another entry – just leave another comment saying you’ve done so,
- you must be able to attend the show in Perth some time on 2 – 4 July,
- the winner will be selected randomly using random.org, and announced on Friday 25 June,
- I’ll contact the winner once I get back into Perth on Monday 28th June to organise delivery of the tickets.
I’ll leave you with some happy snaps of my times spent with winter over the years…
The Swedish version of leisurely beach fishing
My wheels for the morning, dogsledding in Abisko, Sweden
Having a kip between runs
Ice Bar in the Ice Hotel, Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
Watching over you as you sleep in one of the Ice Hotel rooms
Nice place to park up with a thermos of something. Or a hipflask.
Winter flowers
The Chateau, Lake Louise
He was a little cold at first but he soon warmed up
Columbia Icefield, Alberta
The morning ritual, soon followed by much squealing of tyres and cursing from girls still trying to sleep
Where's my Mum when I need her?
{ 59 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m highly adverse to winter. I think it’s in my DNA :(
.-= Lori @ Wannabe Gourmand´s last blog ..itsara – nedlands =-.
Yes, you’re fighting an uphill battle. I have no such excuse – my Dad has given me lots of British genes which don’t seem to help me.
dear winter. i love you for the extra cuddles i get from my beloved, but i hate you because my toes are always cold :(
.-= Amy @ cookbookmaniac´s last blog ..Ju-Rin – Someone give them a trophy! =-.
The cuddles must almost make up for the toe coldness? You can try and steal some toe-warmth during the cuddles, at least :)
That ice bar looks too fun! Great photos!
.-= Simply Life´s last blog ..You Can Never Go Wrong With Sesame Fried Rice =-.
It was fun, but when we were there the cash register was broken so we couldn’t buy a drink! We had to pretend drinking from the ice glasses. Not quite the same..
I love spending cold winter days eating hot home made soup that I’ve cooked slowly for hours curled up on the couch in front of an open fire watching Citizen Kane for the upteenth time!
Mackenna, remind me to invite myself to your house some time this winter.
I love winter and wearing scarves, jumpers, hats etc AND drinking red wine with hearty beef stews on cold rainy days!
Conor… I’m not sure if I am the only one that gets this, but in Internet Explorer I couldn’t get this comments box to come up. It only worked in Firefox. I tried at home and work :/
Wow Liz, you sound ready for the onslaught. Just don’t spill any of that wine on your piles of clothes.
Thanks for letting me know, there was some weirdness stuck in the html of the post, which is now sorted thanks to being spotted by eagle-eyed TFP.
I love being able to layer up to get warm and all the great warming comfort food such as soups, puddings, braises etc and dislike the lergys that seem to make our boys ill already and it hasnt evenbegan yet.grrrrrrrrr
Sammy, soup weather is definitely something to look forward to, especially when there’s some crusty bread involved. Seems like the lergys have hit early this year, let’s hope they bugger off soon!
I am physically incapable of dealing with winter; that’s why I have lived in Dallas, Texas so long! Winter here means wearing a sweater and a raincoat (sometimes)!
You’re a smart lady. I know some would argue I don’t exactly have to put up with much of a winter in Perth, but it’s all relative right?
Oh Random org, pick me, pick me!
Winter, I love your cosy nights (and days) snuggled by the fire. I love how you make my brook babble (and sometimes roar) and my tanks fill. I love the green green hills you bring, and the frost snapping under my feet in the mornings. Now I have discovered icebreaker merino garments, I need never complain about the cold again, and my vast wardrobe of jackets gets full use.
If only I could afford that 10 thousand dollar infra red sauna, I wouldn’t hate getting out of bed in the morning and waiting for the relit fire to warm the house back up, and winter would be perfect.
Random.org refuses to be influenced! :D
It’s nice to know you can see such goodness in winter given where you live. Your reasons make me extra keen to visit you sooner rather than later.
I wish I was having a 10 thousand dollar infra red sauna contest instead.
I tolerate winter because of Hot Chocolate with Frothy milk and marshmellows.
Excellent response. I’m yet to hit up San Churros for some of their hot chocolate but I hear good things. I think I may be using your hot chocolate toleration method when I’m back in the wintery hemisphere.
I enjoyed seeing your winter while being in my summer! What beautiful photos, makes me (almost) like winter. Stay warm and don’t let the bottoms of your jeans get wet, oh, how I hate that, yucky feeling.
Thanks Patty! I’ll be sure to roll up my jeans. Might look silly but that’s never stopped me from doing many things in the past.
Conor , gorgeous pics i am glad your snow man warmed up to you how could he not LOL , i love winter cos now i am heavily pregnant i don’t have to go to work i can stay curled up under my doona’s til it’s warm enough to get up, my garden is flourishing and the lawn is green and i have all day to make yummy chunky tummy warming soups and casseroles not to mention a good excuse to crank up the oven to bake batches of muffins , cakes & biscuits i guess the thing i am most appreciative of is the fact that winter is the best time to be heavily pregnant i think being this big in summer would be downright cruel and that my baby could possibly be born on the same day as my best friend.. your delightful big sis. Hoorah for this winter and all that it brings :)
Yes Sharon you’ve chosen a clever time to be pregnant! What a positive reply! My Mum wasn’t quite so clever – heavily pregnant in the middle of summer in Northam sounds like hell. Not entirely sure I can support your child potentially stealing my sister’s birthday though. Can you please try and hold it in a little longer? :)
Love these pics! Especially you and Mr Frosty. Me, I hate winter – so I have no idea why I just moved to Victoria.
.-= Cakelaw´s last blog ..TWD – White Chocolate Brownies =-.
Thanks! Mr Frosty was a nice chap, he lived life to the full while he could. Yeah, Victoria is killing me right now. I have been blathering on about how un-freezing it is in Melbourne, but then BAM last night hit and now it’s freezing. Only one more sleep til I’m in summer though, woo!
Your post made me laugh. So funny. I actually prefer winter to summer, but then, I live in Brisbane. Not much of a winter here. Your car shovelling picture took me back to when I lived in Boston. Five chillingly cold and snowy winter seasons I endured. A big shock for a sub-tropical gal. But even in Boston, I preferred winter. Maybe it’s all the food you can eat!??? :)
Excellent :D Ah yes, Brisbane’s winter would be somewhat of a non-event I would imagine? Wow, 5 Boston winters, I don’t know how you did it. Actually, no, I probably do… with food, right? :)
This might make u love winter even more- the perrfect excuse to have a huge appetite and enjoy all things deliciously warm and sinful. :) Besides, the only one looking a little fleshy is the coat-really~ :)
.-= Sweets By Vicky´s last blog ..A Fluffy Apple =-.
YES! Excellent response. We can deal with the fleshiness later, right?
Cool winter photos! Definitely make me cool down on our hot day here :)
.-= 5 Star Foodie´s last blog ..Cuisinart 8 Bottle Private Reserve Wine Cellar Review =-.
Thanks! Glad to be of some assistance. I think there are probably a few people here who would be grateful for some of that heat if you could fling some our way. Some strawberries would be nice too.
I’m out of the running for the pass but I just wanted to mention how cool it was that you went to THE ice bar in Sweden! I’ve always wanted to go there. The ones here just aren’t quite the same.
.-= Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella´s last blog ..Blackberry Pie with Flaky Golden Cream Cheese Crust =-.
I have no doubt that you will get there one day Lorraine! We got a little ripped off as the cash register wasn’t working so we could only pretend to drink from the ice glasses. No warming schnapps for us :(
OK those 3 last pics are so in Montreal lol. Sorry its winter. its summer here…nany any boo boo. And you’ll enjoy it here soon! Sorry won,t apply for contest…a bit far for me :-(
.-= Evelyne@CheapEthnicEatz´s last blog ..Hellish Weekend and Indiana Exchange =-.
hehe, yep totally Montreal! I know, only one sleep until summer now! Hope the shock doesn’t kill me ;)
I am not a fan of winter as I don’t get to see me legs between Oct and April. Skirts are a no-show for 6 months of the year. I certainly won’t be able to attend the food show, what a shame as I recognise the names of some of the chefs from Masterchef Oz which was shown here only 2 months ago. Say hello to Matt Moran!
Ah yes, the leg factor is annoying. Especially for the likes of me, who is pretty pale at the best of times so by the end of winter I am almost fluorescent.
I’ll be sure to send Matt your best regards :D
Won’t be able to make it to Perth, but your holiday snaps are awesome!! Oh wanderlust.. argh! But I’ve never been anywhere that looks that cold. Not sure I’d survive it. My bf often comments on how it’s a mystery that I always seem colder than the surrounding inanimate steel objects. I like rugging up for winter, but I think I’m designed for a Sydney winter. Wuss, I know.
.-= Forager´s last blog ..Rabbit borscht =-.
Thanks! I think some people just aren’t built for such crazy winters. Pretty sure that includes people who have the ability to out-cold steel. Still, you might surprise yourself!
Brrrrrr. Just coming out of winter here ourselves, my heart goes out to you but curling up with a bowl of hot soup on a cold day does stir distant fond memories. Love your photos.
Thanks Karen! I really can’t complain, what with heading off tomorrow to the sun, so I will save up my complaining for when I return. Watch this space :)
*sigh*. Winter. Love it. Hate it. I know exactly where you’re coming from Conor. The Canadian prairies, where I live… so bloody cold! Last winter though it only dipped below minus 40 a handful of times. Which was better than the previous winter.
Oooooooh! Sweden, now that’s a country I do want to visit. Are you a fan of the ice fishing? I haven’t been in a while. I’m glad there’s no more snow outside though. I’m welcoming the grass and the sun. Enjoy nice snowy evenings under covers and with friends and wine :)
.-= Jenn [Defunkt Gourmet]´s last blog ..Okonomiyaki =-.
Jenn, you win for super crazy coldness. I remember when I was living in Montreal watching the news and they were warning people in the prairies not to go outside if they could help it because it was likely to kill them. Death by winter.
I never actually did any ice fishing myself, we just looked and took photos and continued on our merry way. Normal fishing is good fun though, so I suspect I’d like it, providing I had a thermos of something very hot to drink.
no do not talk to me about winter I had enough with that one now I want some sun pleeeeease !! Pierre
.-= PIERRE´s last blog ..Fraises à tous les étages… =-.
Fair enough Pierre, I think you’ve deserved your summer. I will shut up about ice and snow and blizzards. Windcheaters too.
Wow. You certainly have experienced all that is Winter! I think I like the idea of winter, more than the actual reality!
.-= Betty @ The Hungry Girl´s last blog ..Pho Bac Hai Duong, Marrickville =-.
Betty I think I might agree with you. The idea of winter is lovely and cosy and pretty but when you are out riding your bike through icy streets with your eyes tearing terribly from the snow, it’s a little difficult to look upon it so romantically.
What cute dogs. I love winter in mild doses. Thanks for stopping by.
They were super cute. Much smaller than I expected, as well, though this was just as well as it made handling them at least slightly manageable.
Hi Conor, I just came by to let you know that I left an award for you on my site, stay warm! -Patty
Thanks so much Patty, it’s really very sweet of you! I’m happy to report that I am currently staying very warm indeed in New Mexico, soaking up the sun to take back home with me.
Best thing about winter – mulled wine!
Its the only time of year i drink or make it, but theres something delicious about the aroma and warmth of a mulled wine cuddled up with loved ones.
and tweeted :D
meggy, I am SO with you on the mulled wine! It is glorious. I really must buy myself one of those little copper wine warmers with the tea lights. Why didn’t I buy one when I was living in Sweden? The fool!
Things I love about winter: Hearty food and a good red wine in front of a roaring fire, going for walks in crisp, clean air, jumping into a cosy bed that’s been heated by the electric blanket, winter clothes are often more stylish than summer ones, not sweating, not getting sunburned, hot chocolate, osso buco with gremolata, roast chicken with breadcrumb sauce, sticky date pudding with ginger caramel custard…..
So many great reasons, and just what I need to read after returning to winter after having enjoyed three weeks of perfect summer weather! This might actually give me the strength to get out of my pyjamas and ugg boots.
My most favourite thing about winter is wonderfully warm soup! And the worst is having to get out of a nice warm bed on a freezing cold morning!! Love your blog by the way!
Thanks very much Vicki!! This morning was incredibly difficult for me, getting out of a warm bed suffering from both jetlag and insta-winter. I think some soup is in order, stat.
I have pie on my face. OMG! I never win anything and I forgot to check my personal emails because I was away on business on a wine and food writing tour. I hope the incredibly lucky subsequent winner thoroughly enjoys the Perth Good Food and Wine Show! I’ll check in more regularly from now on.
I hope it is a tasty pie! I am sure your winning streak will continue :) So sorry about this unfortunate turn of events!
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