Thursday, January 30, 2014

Snow Day

Maybe you remember being a kid and the ridiculously frenzied excitement you felt because school was cancelled due to a SNOW day!  What could be better?  Christmas morning maybe.  You raced to the window wide-eyed to get a glimpse of the white wonder that kept you from trudging through another day of classes and could not bundle up fast enough to get outside to play.  Play!  What a wonderful thing.  You played until you were completely spent, and then you came inside for some hot chocolate.  I used to put my wet hat, mittens, scarf, etc on the radiator to dry.  It was nice and toasty for when I got my second wind and headed back out the door for more play time.  At my house snow play almost always meant sledding down our hill, an activity that was absolutely thrilling and tiring at the same time.

Today as I face a snow day, my heart is warm from the fond memories.  I kicked things off with a toasty cup of Earl Grey.  Brian and I then set off on a wintry walk up to Mount Trashmore (yes, a mountain made of trash, turned into a recreational park).  It's fun to explore the neighborhood and see what your immediate world is like all blanketed in white.  The snow makes everything seem so peaceful and quiet.  Along the way we encountered people out shoveling driveways, playing in snow drifts and exploring just like us.  The lake appeared pristine with its layer of ice and frost on top.  Workers were patrolling the park to ensure no one attempted to sled down the hill, a pity.

As we made our way back we observed a fair share of folks attempting to cruise around in vehicles. There's nothing like a good layer of ice and snow on the road to test drivers whose skills are mediocre in the best of conditions.  All that walking worked up an appetite and consequently, a good nap.  When we came to, we decided to tackle our own driveway so when our glorious snow day came to an end we'd be able to join the ranks of vehicles sliding around on the ice.  Shoveling was hard work but we managed to sneak in some fun.  The light, feathery snow was not really great for making snowballs but we tried anyway.  I laid back in the snow to make a snow angel, one of my favorite snow activities.  It's an easy vantage point for appreciating the stillness.

After an active day out in the snow, a body begs for something warm and comforting for dinner.  A steaming pot of Power Potato Chowder, a recipe I clipped out of a fitness-type magazine many years ago, was just the ticket.  Potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, broccoli, cannellini beans, onions, garlic, lean baked ham and fresh parsley.  Mmmm...definitely a powerhouse of ingredients to recharge your batteries and keep winter's chill at bay.