ski: le gets, final club lesson

It's hard to believe we've finished the five ski outings/lessons with the CERN ski club. Winter is going by too quickly, but there is plenty of the ski season ahead. Fresh snow, a cold snap, and bright sun made for excellent conditions today on the slopes.

Frosted trees set us in a winter wonderland.

Sky was clear for most of the day and glittered with light snow. 

Cold temperatures seemed to keep the crowds away so it was a great day to brave the weather, which really was quite pleasant in the sun.

Lift rides were a bit chilly.

Going down...

Another fulfilling (and injury free) season with the CERN ski club. It's been fun to meet some ski friends and enjoy the mountains together. After the final lesson, we finish our outing with vin chaud to warm us and gather back into the buses for naps on ride home. (Thanks again to my snow-loving husband for taking great photos and letting me edit and use them). Bon ski.

baklava

In the mood for something sweet? Baklava is an easy desert to make vegan-if you're okay with using honey. Simply use a vegan margarin instead of butter. Original recipe from Simply Recipes. I halved this recipe to fit my square dish and went a little light on the butter/margarin. It's tasty, and tough to keep from eating the whole batch all at once!

INGREDIENTS

For the layers:

• 1 lb. of chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, or pistachios are best, or use a combination of them. I used some cashews also.)
• 1 lb of phyllo dough
• 1 cup of butter, melted
• 1/3 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/3 teaspoon of ground cloves

For the syrup:

• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 cinnamon stick

METHOD

1 Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and pre-heat oven to 350°F / 175°C.

2 Cut the phyllo dough in half so the sheets will fit in the pan. Cover with a damp towel to keep it from drying out.

3 Process the nuts until in small, even sized pieces. Combine with sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. In a separate bowl, melt the butter.

4 Place a sheet of phyllo dough into the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the phyllo sheet with melted butter. Repeat 7 more times until it is 8 sheets thick, each sheet being "painted" with the butter.

5 Spoon on a thin layer of the nut mixture. Cover with two more sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with butter. Continue to repeat the nut mixture and two buttered sheets of phyllo until the nut mixture is all used up. The top layer should be about 8 phyllo sheets thick, each sheet being individually buttered. Don't worry if the sheets crinkle up a bit.

6 Before baking, cut into equal sized squares using a sharp knife. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown, and edges appear slightly crisp.

7 While baking, make the syrup. Combine the cinnamon stick, sugar, lemon juice, honey, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low heat and let simmer for 7 minutes and slightly thickened. Remove the cinnamon stick and allow to cool. (or pour it while it's still hot- works too).

8 Spoon the cooled syrup over the hot baklava and let cool for at least 4 hours. 

Yield: Makes 24 portions.