This was on a friend's fb post and sounds delicious.  The recipe is originally from Kutz & Kaminsky's "Elements of Taste" 

Slice two large onions, (Bombay or big onions if possible) and boil them down with two cups of red wine, and half a cup of red wine vinegar. Or cider or a subtle Chinese vinegar.  Just boil it down in a heavy bottomed pan. Keep adding little bits of Kithul treacle -- (or maple syrup) -- one table spoon at a time, as it boils down. When the liquid is nearly done -- add salt and pepper, fresh ground is best -- if you have a grinder, white pepper will give it a subtler heat than black--and you are ready to serve this on crackers. Pate or cold vegetables are great with this. It is the aroma of the vinigar that hits you first, and the tartness of the vinegar, on the tongue. It's soft, but there may be tiny crunch, and then the sweetness of onion lingers with the kithul. Yes, you'd want another bit.

A glorious sunrise over a friend's wildflower meadow. Wildflower meadows generally look best when situated in a semi-natural location, this one borders her lawn and lake and is glorious in the summer and a great haven for wildlife.  

In the oven is another member's recipe for French Toast for a crowd.  It seemed perfect for a cold wintery morning and is already filling the kitchen with delicious aromas. The recipe is below.  Enjoy!

Brunch French Toast 
Layer on bottom of 13x9 pan 4- 6 apples or pears (ripe) or if you love bananas you can use these sliced thinly, so that the bottom of the pan is totally covered
1/2 c. dried cranberries or raisins (optional) 
You can use dried mixed with fresh or canned fruit too-- just cover the bottom of the pan

Sprinkle 3/4 c. of brown sugar over the fruit.
Drizzle with ¼ c. of butter

Slice 1 Italian (or other white bread) loaf into 1 inch slices and use ¼+  c butter melted to brush one side of each slice.  If the bread is just plain white sliced bread from a loaf, you might want to use 2 layers of bread as one will be too thin. Arrange on top of the fruit.  Make sure that the bread covers the fruit completely by sticking small pieces into the spaces. The height of the bread should be at least 1 and ½ to 2 inches high. 

Mix 1 tea. cinnamon, 1 tea. of nutmeg, 1 TB vanilla, ¼ c. sugar with 3 cups of milk, and 6 eggs. 

Pour over bread. The liquid should just cover the bread. Let sit until bread soaks up egg and milk mixture. You can leave it in the refrigerator over night covered with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes if at room temperature, but if you take it out of the refrigerator, cook it 50-60min or until it puffs up. Bake uncovered for the last 5min. of baking to brown slightly. 

Serve with real maple syrup and bon appetite!! 

Most of the statues are now buried under snow. When I saw this angel in an auctioneers catalog I thought it hideous, but when I saw him in his concrete flesh I fell in love and had to bid for him.  Surprisingly I was the only one so compelled. 

When we unloaded him from the truck he proved too awkward and heavy to move, so he stayed where they delivered him, under a Japanese Maple by the road -- to the consternation of a neighbor who stopped by to let us know that it was not suitable for the Main Line.

 In the summer ferns surround him and only his head can be seen from the road.  Now the snow has provided a covering a thick blanket that should satisfy even our most prudish neighbors.

It's too cold to do anything outside today.  A day to stay in the kitchen and cook, fill the house with heavenly scents.  This dish is to die for -- another winner from Paula's kitchen and perfect for such a frigid day.  She served it with polenta (or  grits) which was the perfect accompaniment.

Osso Bucco
Ingredients:
•Four 12-ounce veal shanks 
•Kosher salt 
•Freshly ground black pepper 
•vegetable oil 
•all-purpose flour 
•3 carrots, peeled and diced 
•3 celery ribs, diced 
•1 yellow onion, diced 
•6 garlic cloves, sliced 
•2 cup dry red wine 
•4 cups veal stock or chicken stock 
•2 cups canned plum tomatoes, drained and crushed 
•4 sprigs fresh thyme 
•2 sprig fresh rosemary 
•1 bay leaf 
optional
•1 tablespoon grated fresh horseradish (see Note) 
•2 tablespoons grated lemon zest 
•2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 
 
Preparation
1. Rinse the veal shanks of their salt and pat dry with paper towels. Wrap each veal shank once around the circumference so that it holds the bone and meat together in the center. Tie the twine with a good knot. Season the veal shanks with salt and pepper. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Meanwhile, put the flour in a shallow bowl, dredge the veal shanks in it, and pat off the excess. Brown the veal shanks in the hot oil for about 5 minutes on each side, or until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. If the oil turns dark during the process, discard it and heat a fresh oil. 
3. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook for about 2 minutes, or until reduced by half. 
4. Add the stocks, tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf to the pan. Return the veal shanks to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the liquid boils, cover, transfer to the oven, and cook for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender and falling off the bones. 
5. To serve, cut and discard the twine, put a single osso buco (veal shank) in a bowl, and ladle about 3/4 cup of the sauce and vegetables over it. (If the sauce and the meat are not still warm, heat them together very gently over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes.) 
10. Garnish each osso buco with the fresh horseradish, lemon zest, and chopped parsley and season with pepper. 

Note: If you cannot find fresh horseradish, you can use prepared. It will taste stronger, so it’s a good idea to wrap the horseradish in a double thickness of cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess liquid.