Some friends gathered this weekend to try our hand at a french onion recipe we had been talking about. Taking care in the smallest task is the first step in elevating a simple meal. The afternoon had a relaxed cadence as we simmered our stock, and a trip into the cold for firewood zeros our senses to make coming back into the house even more rewarding. These are times for us that bridge the gap between the holidays and the spring thaw, when a glass of whisky and a laugh is all you really need to keep your home feeling warm.