Wintery Things

Here is a mix of wintery things that make up my daily life these days - some food, some Christmassy deco and some warm clothes.

Food:
I made my own version of Shepherd's Pie a few weekends ago when O.K. was here. 
First, I boiled sweet potatoes and parsnip until they were soft enough to be mashed.

 At the same time, I fried up half a pound of minced meat (a mix of beef and pork).

 For the mash, I used the yolk of one egg, some butter and some grated cheese.

 The mash looked and smelled nice - I spiced it with a bit of ginger and freshly ground nutmeg.

 The minced meat went in the baking tray first, then I spread the mash on top.

 I baked it in the oven until the top started to show a bit of a crust.

We ate this with a large bowl of salad. Not only was it nice and filling, it also made the kitchen the warmest place to be in my flat.

Decorating:
You know that I love my empty surfaces and don't want to live in cluttery surroundings. But at Christmas time, I really enjoy getting out decorative stuff. Some of it is the same every year and is welcomed like an old friend. Other things are new this year, since it is the first time I am doing this in my "new" rooms with the new colour scheme:

Clothes:
The knit dress on the left is one of three (yes, three!) I bought at Aldi's some months ago. This one is my favourite of the bunch. It is very soft, and I like the collar; it is not scratchy at all.
The dress looks better when worn with proper boots.

The dress on the right needs of course a cardigan to be warm enough this time of year. It is one I wear mostly to work, while the knit dress will never see the inside of my office.

Well, this was my small glimpse at "Winter With the Librarian" - time to get ready for work now.

PS: Want more wintery things? Look at the left sidebar of my blog - the link to my Mum's Etsy Shop is at the top. She has added a whole bunch of new socks, mittens, wristwarmers, woolly hats and so on.