juicing | Nine Cent Girl

There is much discussion about the record-breaking cloudiest January since the 1950’s here in Vermont this year, and all I can say is wow, I fully appreciate and understand those Snow Birds who migrate to Florida these dark months. But as a person still actively employed, tied to this grey-scale region, I do what I can to find the tiny puffs of beauty in a muffled sky along with the delicately nuanced sparkle in the white landscape. Mostly I look inward during this wintering mode, but there are social engagements that prove to be a boon to anyone’s mood during these weeks without sunshine, and engaging in those is a must. Two good survival tips to consider during these last few wintery months: Get outside alone, but celebrate inside with your gals too.

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Is there anything better than the taste and smell of citrus on a cold February morning? One slice in and my whole kitchen is instantly filled with a blend of sweet and sour, melding into a zesty combination that is pure sunshine. I have been fortunate for much of my adult life to have fresh-squeezed at the start of my day. Certainly this is a privileged luxury in my northeast corner in winter. For the last decade of my mother’s life, one of her first tasks when she arrived in Jupiter, Florida, each January, was to order a big box of honey-bell oranges and ruby-red grapefruits straight from the fruit grove to be mailed to us. Despite the constant snowy vista beyond our window, this liquid gold is the certain elixir that keeps us believing that Spring will come, eventually.