Wednesday, January 10, 2007 · Page 8 From: Her Desk Drawer Chase the winter chills with a bowl of hot soup. This colourful, vitamin-rich yet low-fat soup can be made with other Ontario winter vegetables, such as rutabaga or squash. For lunch, take to work in a sealed container and heat in your microwaveable mug. Serve with crusty bread. Ontario Onion, chopped Ontario Carrots, peeled and diced Ontario Beets, peeled and diced garlic, minced vegetable or chicken broth medium Ontario Parsnips, peeled and diced 3 3 cups chopped Ontario Green Cabbage 1/2 tsp dried marjoram leaves 1 2 2 2 cloves 5 cups 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves salt and pepper 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley In large saucepan, combine onion, carrots, beets, garlic and broth. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Add parsnips, cabbage, marjoram and thyme; cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 min. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley. Winter Vegetable Soup i've got issues randy chedour `Whither Winter Weather?' MEMO To: Winter From: Mother Nature Subject: Yearly Performance Appraisal Please give me an answer so I'll know the reason You seem to be having such a horrible season. We've discussed this before during previous talks Your job ends in March with the Spring equinox. It begins with the solstice in late December Why is it you find that so hard to remember? Some people enjoy you for only one reason To provide them with snow for the Holiday Season. But here they were greeted by nothing but green While you, Old Man Winter, were not to be seen. Seems you were out blowing down tree after tree And dumping on Denver and the coast of B.C. Your '07 performance is not what we meant You've made this the winter of our discontent. Where are the cold temps and the driftings of snow With cars getting stuck and in need of a tow? What happened to frost and the daily wind chill? It leads me to wonder, "Are you sure you're not ill?" Why is it, gentle Winter, that you must have chosen To leave local ponds so unkindly unfrozen? What of the child who eagerly awaits The day when she'll try out her new Christmas skates? No snow means no sledding from North Bay to Cottam But if you're looking for puddles, I tell you they've got'em. Here's a few folks who rely on cold winters Snowboarders, skiers and ice wine vintners; Snowmobile dealers and snowball throwers Merchants of salt, gloves and snowblowers. Parking lot shovellers, knitted scarf and toque-makers Patient ice fisherpersons, and sleigh ride takers. And it seems you're confusing our flora and fauna Tulips are budding-- even though they don't wanna. Bears, badgers and woodchucks keep on awaiting For some clue as to when to commence hibernating. Dumbfounded rabbits all tense and uptight Wonder should they stay brown-- or start turning white. Migrating birds circle-- then go back and forth Some thinking "fly south"--while others think north They've got to go somewhere, but where?--it's a mess And they won't be using radar or that new GPS It pains me to think but I've just got this vision Of two Canada geese-- and a head-on collision. For years you've been a good Season, proud, true and noble So stop blaming this year on that warming that's global. I know that Spring, Summer and Fall have been talking They say you've lost your edge--and it's you they've been mocking So take this advice from my heart's very bottom. Behave like yourself-- stop trying to be Autumn. St. Paul's Anglican Church FRIDAY, JAN. 12TH Adults: $8.00 Children: $3.00 ROOFING & SIDING BOOK EARLY! KEN-CO 776-8340 KEN COLENUTT Call for a FREE Estimate 5:00 - 6:30 P.M. 92 St. Paul St., Essex ALL WORK GUARANTEED is now online a searcha nd ble!! To SEARCH our online archives visit "Your first and only reliable source of news and information on Essex and surrounding communities." http://news.ourontario.ca/efp