Are you ready for winter?

The leaves have turned and blown away and there have been sprinkles of “cold & white” on the ground. Mount Timothy is collecting valuable centimeters of snow and we hope you're ready to go play! And it's not too late to climb the old ski hill one last time but you best get up soon!

Suntober was really good for a lot of people with this awesome Second Summer (also known as Indian Summer or St Martin’s Summer).

Have you got your winter tires on yet? Hopefully your firewood is in and you’re ready to hunker down in front of crackling flames with a hot cup of cocoa.

November is always a fascinating month here in the Cariboo, with fresh local game or beef on quite a few tables we can sit down in peace before the egg nog season hits. Meanwhile the monkey slop will take over our streets and the muddy driveways turn into goose poop.

Boots, hats and winter jackets -- that's the name of the game this month. By the time you're reading this it's probably already given you a blast in the face, so hold on tight to the November print edition of The Village Voice because it might well serve as a nice little hat! Indian Pudding Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups whole milk, divided 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 1/2 cup molasses 1/2 cup light-brown sugar 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, softened 2 large eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter a 1½-quart casserole dish. Bring 2 cups of milk to a simmer in a double boiler over high heat. Slowly combine cornmeal to the milk. Cook for about 15 minutes, whisking frequently, until the cornmeal is smooth.

Slowly add the molasses, then remove from heat. Add brown sugar, butter, eggs, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then stir until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the greased casserole dish, then pour the remaining 2 cups of cold milk over the top. Bake for 2 hours, or until the pudding is firm and the top is browned.