Sledding Fun

Today I am counting my blessings that we have a snug home, we are warm and dry, and our refrigerator and pantry are full. I am feeling more aware than usual at the plight of those who aren't enjoying these blessings.

Happily crafting St. Valentine's cards

This morning, we spent the first half of our school time drawing St. Valentine's cards and putting them out for the mail man . . . but I should have known with so much snow predicted here in this Southern town unaccustomed to any snow that our postal carrier would not be coming today!

The fat, dry snowflakes swirled down for about nine hours straight, which in our neighborhood laid down about eight inches. We have never seen even close to this amount of snow in our six years living here!

Children watching the snowstorm through the window

After school was finished, the children played in the back yard for a couple of hours. Words can hardly express how happy I am finally to have old enough children that I can send them to the back yard instead of having to go out there with them.

Warming up

Margaret at not yet three years old lasted only a half hour outside before there was some incident that involved losing her gloves, having icy cold hands, and many, many tears. I brought in my red-cheeked girl, wrapped her in a thick blanket, and began baking cookies, which she helped me sample before her siblings joined us: a privilege of the Assistant Baker.

The first batch of molasses cookies were eaten so fast, I had to photograph the second batch!

The children thawed out by eating warm-from-the-oven cookies while I ran their hats and gloves through the dryer before Daddy took the two older ones to a fantastic sledding hill here in town for another couple of hours. There were about 150 people there and a grand time was had by all.

I got some creative juices flowing at dinner time. I was serving homemade chili, frozen from an earlier day, to Chris and homemade mac and cheese for the children . . . what for me? Armed with a can of black beans and no ideas, I did a Google search and discovered Mexican baked eggs, something I'd never even heard of before. I made a simplified version based on ingredients I had in the house, and only half the batch. They were delicious!

I sauteed diced onion, red and yellow bell peppers, garlic, and cumin. Then I added half a can of diced tomatoes and half a can of black beans plus a handful of frozen corn. I let that simmer for ten minutes before transferring the sauce to a Pyrex dish, making two indents, and cracking two eggs into them. Sprinkle with cheese. I baked for 20 minutes at 375 because I wanted the yokes to be solid, which they were. (Bake for 15 minutes if you don't mind wet yokes.)

Delicious and a nice change of pace for me! I saved the second half for breakfast tomorrow.

I look outside and think I have never lived anywhere to see eight inches of snow on the ground. It's a beautiful sea of undulating white. We will pray that the dire warnings of the ice storm and major power outages to come tomorrow will not strike us here.