Winter sniffles

If you're *coff coff* wondering why I have gone all quiet *coff coff* it's because the winter cold has *coff coff* set in. The whole family - apart from the cat - has come down with a bad case *ah choo* of the sniffles.

Even the *coff coff* ferries have a new welcome announcement, telling people to cover their noses and mouths when *ah choo* coughing or sneezing. *excuse me*

We have been *coff coff* surviving on chicken soup for the past week. I know you're supposed to *ah choo* boil an entire chicken but I was too wiped out to cut up a chicken.

Here's my recipe for a simple chicken soup.

4 drumsticks (that's all they had at Park N Shop)
1 onion
3 sticks of celery
10 baby carrots
2 potatoes, cubed
4 tomatoes (optional but they add a nice sourness to the soup)
1 litre water
1 bay leaf
Sprinkle of tarragon
Salt

1) Brown the onions and chicken parts in as little oil as possible.
2) Add vegetables, soften.
3) Add water, bay leaf and tarragon.
4) Simmer for 2 hours.
5) Skim off scum, add salt to taste, serve.

The soup is perfect for sick cooks because you can bung everything in, turn the heat right down and nap for a bit. It goes well with Kit's crusty bread from The Kitchen.

Rain, rain go away

Mui Wo is made for sunny weather -- so much so that, when it rains, almost everything comes to a halt. Usually, the weekend ferries are packed with day-trippers eager to for a swim or barbecue on the beach but today, only a handful of hardy ones came off the ferry.

Shopkeepers say January and February are the quietest months of the year and I can see why. The sea is a flat grey and the mountains look quite gloomy. We have to switch on the lights as early as 4pm.

The weathermen call it a "replenishment" of the northeast monsoon and the cold-weather warning is up. Last week, they were saying the monsoon would ease and the cold-weather warning lifted. Now, it's 10C (colder in the New Territories yadda yadda), with mist and rain.

Buffalo Wilbur is humphing because he's been denied his usual Saturday hike. And I am humphing because I am stuck in our tiny flat with Grumplestiltskins.

On the plus side, we have two heaters going and our electric blanket. Buffalo Wilbur, the cat and I are all cuddled on the daybed watching movies, eating leftover Chinese New Year goodies and drinking lots of tea. It's all quite cosy.

But I still wish the sun would shine again.