Before we are whisked away by the tulips and asparagus and romantic comedies of spring, I am taking a quick pause to reflect back on the winter past. Over the past few months, the notable thread of my winter is time spent at home. Lots of cooking and eating meals in, sticking close to home, and walks in my neighborhood. We’ve had a few takeout meals here and there, but the overall trend was wintery home cooking - lasagna and enchiladas and not a small number of stews. In terms of travel, there was no warm weather getaway this year. Along with a quick weekend in New York for a friend’s wedding, my exciting winter vacation was a cozy week with family at a north woods cabin. About five hours drive north, we stayed close to the north shore of Lake Superior and filled the week with long meals, lots of reading, sauna sessions and some playing in the snow. The final and true highlight of my winter at home was… *drumroll*… walks in my neighborhood!

I’ve shared on seasonal things. about starting to go on regular walks for the first time in my life last winter. Since it has now become a standard part of my routine, I started off this winter right away going for walks most days and I can’t emphasize enough what a difference that made on how I (joyfully!) experienced winter. Just like every other season of the year, winter walks make such a difference for my mental health. Going past the same trees and pond and creek week after week, I notice the subtle seasonal shifts. My time outdoors made the winter fly by, instead of the dragging months of winters past. Even though some days were particularly cold or windy, I stuck with my routine and, unsurprisingly, some of the days when it was the hardest to motivate myself to get outside turned out to be the most stunning (hello, magical winter ice!)

Another thread through my time outdoors this season has been so many gorgeous sunsets. Maybe I have just paid more attention this winter than ever before, but I am certainly feeling spoiled with all the beautiful winter skies.

Starting the year at my usual spot

For the second year in a row, I selected a “usual spot” to regularly visit and photograph over the course of the year, inspired by Lia Leendertz. My spot is a little farther from home this year which has led me to incorporate longer walks into my routine. It’s just about a mile to get to this sweet little bridge over Minnehaha Creek. Over the past few months, I have watched the ice take over the creek and gradually recede. During my most recent visit, a family of ducks were out on the very chilly water. Despite the snow-lined banks, ducks are such a clear sign that spring is on its way! I can’t wait to see this spot burst forth with green in only a few more weeks.

Favorite reads this winter

This has been a winter of very long reads! Eight of the books I read clocked in at over 400 pages, the longest (which I loved!) at nearly 850 pages. I really focused on books with a cozy, wintry atmosphere this season. While not every book was five stars, there were some real gems.

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

After reading The Thirteenth Tale this fall and absolutely loving it, I was so excited to see Diane Setterfield had a book set at midwinter. To me it read like historical fiction. Set in England in villages along the titular river, there are a few magical elements sprinkled through the text. There is a mystery at the heart of the book, a child who appeared to have drowned and inexplicably come back from the dead. The story seems to pull some inspiration from mythology and the River Styx. I found this to be a delightful read and 464 pages that I absolutely flew through! I would absolutely recommend saving this to your winter reading list for next year.

The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson

I was on the library waitlist for this book all winter long, and finally got the chance to read it last week. I am so glad I didn’t give up on fitting it in this winter! Tove Jansson was the author of the beloved illustrated Moomins series for children. She wrote in Swedish, part of the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland. While she is known and beloved for her children’s literature, she spent the later years of her life writing adult fiction. In the True Deceiver, we meet a handful of characters living in an isolated small town absolutely buried in winter snow. There is not a single car in the village, and groceries are delivered by a cross country skier. Over the course of 200 short pages, Katri, a young woman who lives alone with her brother, is socially isolated from the rest of the village. A brutally honest person, she disregards social norms and single-mindedly works toward buying a boat for her brother. She attempts to befriend Anna, a children’s illustrator who works in isolation and rarely leaves her home. The book touches on themes of truth and deception, isolation and what is revealed as the winter season ends. I read this in the course of a single evening and am already looking forward to revisiting it in winters to come.

Kindred by Octavia Butler

Kindred is by no means a seasonal book, but it is an absolute five star read that I loved this winter. Lent to me by a friend who strongly recommended it, I finally dug into this book in February. Octavia Butler wrote thought-provoking science fiction that grapples with race, ecological destruction and American society. Kindred is set in 1970s California where Dana, a writer and black woman, lives with her husband who is white. Out of the blue, Dana is pulled to the slavery era south where she finds a young white boy in life-threatening danger. Throughout the narrative, Dana finds herself jumping back and forth between the two time lines, always returning to the same young man and eventually discovering her connection to him. The story is gripping and leads the reader to contemplate freedom, enslavement and ancestry. If you haven’t read a book by Octavia Butler yet, you are missing out on powerful, iconic American literature and her incredible storytelling voice. Read this book already!

Favorite winter eats at home

Winter is pantry meal season and I loved cooking from my pantry all season long! I made an extra effort to include more vegetarian meals in the rotation this winter and have now found some now favorites. The best thing I cooked all winter was a paneer tikka masala recipe, swapping out chicken for paneer in the chicken tikka masala recipe from Huckle & Goose. I’ve made it a few times now, tweaking it slightly each time and making it better and better.

Friday night pizza night has also had a solid streak this winter. This pantry pizza sauce has been on repeat; it is so tangy, quick and delicious. I’m also in my rice and beans era and have been making burrito bowls on a nearly weekly basis. After finally getting a rice cooker this Christmas, I have eaten more (super tasty, perfect EVERY time) rice in the last three months than ever before in my life. For burrito bowls, I throw in a teaspoon of olive oil and salt while cooking the rice and then toss with lemon/lime juice and fresh chopped cilantro after it’s cooked. As soon as I get the rice going, I throw a can of black or pinto beans on the stove and simmer them with a cup of broth, bay leaves, cilantro stems and a few spices (coriander, chili powder, oregano, etc.) Thirty minutes and a sprinkle of salt later, they are so flavorful and tender. Topped with guacamole, shredded cheese, salsa and sour cream - wow! Genuinely, so simple and so, so nourishing.

Favorite outings

Along with my regular walks, this winter I wanted to prioritize getting out and about, actually doing those things on my winter bucket list. A huge highlight was the Great Northern Festival, which celebrates winter in all its forms across the Twin Cities. As part of the festival, I went to a climate change talk, sipped a Moscow Mule at an ice bar, and spent a Sunday morning at a sauna village. It’s something I have wanted to attend the last several years, but never made time for. I’m so glad I was able to make it this winter!

I also loved going on an afternoon walk at my local art museum on one of the days it was simply too cold to manage my steps outside. I love spending time in public spaces like this. You feel such a part of the community and the whole experience just invites you to slow down a little bit. Also in the highlights reel: a gorgeous luminary walk with my mom and seeing some breathtaking ice along Artists’ Point on Lake Superior.

There has been a lot to treasure in the last few months of winter, but I have to admit I am excited that spring is on the horizon! Slowly watching the earth turn green, enjoying a meal or a drink sitting outside in the sunshine, reading a book and lounging on the grass. There is a lot to look forward at this time in the year. Coming up soon here, I’ll be nudging you to create your own spring bucket list, sharing recommended reading lists and some spring seasonal eating inspiration. (If you can’t wait to get excited for spring, there’s already lots of good stuff in the spring archive here.)

Now I’m off to bundle up my knit hats for next winter and pull out my baseball caps! Please share if you have any of your own tiny seasonal transitions you’re particularly excited about or highlights from your own winter; I would love to hear.

If you enjoyed this post, you’ll also enjoy:

• winter rhythms: savoring late winter

• winter outside: a little dose of seasonal magic

• winter eating: cozy meals

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