dear january ...

Over the years, I've always enjoyed the time we've spent together ... your slow-paced days have nourished me with the time I need to slow down, take a breath, and collect myself ... I can always count on you as a time to clean up and get organized after the holiday chaos, a time to reflect on the year that's passed, and a time to make resolutions and goals for the year to come. But this year's been a little different - actually it's been a lot different.  What happened to my slow-paced days of reflection?  Or my New Year's resolutions for that matter?  How is it that your days have all slipped right through my fingers?  Was it the fact that we haven't yet had a full 5-day school week?  I admit, momentum's been hard to gather with all of these snow days messing with my calendar.  And while we're on the subject of snow, dear January ... I think you could have gone a bit more lightly on this fragile little Floridian soul.  Just sayin'.  I mean, please, it's only January 31st and we're already 18.5 inches above the average for an entire season?! The Shaq-o-meter doesn't lie  ...

Listen, January, I've been a brave soldier these last 16+ years in New England and I always try my best to just casually roll with those winter punches you dole out.  In fact, I was here for that all-time record 102.8-inch season in '95-'96 and I was very pleasant about it.  But back then I was a newlywed with a full time teaching job and no children of my own ... snow days had a whole different meaning for me - like sleeping in and quiet time to myself, for starters.  Heck, we didn't even need to shovel - that was the landlord's responsibility.  But this time around, dear January, I think the excessive snow days are really pushing me to my limit.  My back is sore, my children are stir-crazy, and my thoughts and plans can't get any traction with all these interruptions.  If you're feeling any sympathy at all, dear January, could you please just do me one favor?  Would you mind talking to February about her opening plans?

buried ...

Hard to believe that only 2 weeks ago, we were joyfully digging out from the first big snowstorm of 2011 and enjoying the blessings and beauty of fresh New England snow. This was the sunrise exactly two weeks ago, the morning after that first snowstorm ...

Beautiful! These are what the streets in my neighborhood looked like as we drove out to the sledding hill later that day - still fresh - everything was so magical! My happiness meter was running high ...

Two days later, over the weekend, we saw one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen in my life - right from our front window - this photo doesn't even begin to do justice to what it truly looked like - the colors were truly breathtaking ...

Heavenly, right? Doesn't the scenery look like something out of a postcard? Truthfully, it really was something out of a postcard - there's nothing like fresh-fallen snow. And it was made even more magical by being the first snow.

But can you tell where this is going? Yup - that blissful first snow was followed by a bitter reality check. Because the fact is, all that snow can't stay pristine forever ... *sigh* ... and the snow that gets plowed from the streets to the sides of the road gets dirty pretty quick ...

Add in a rainy day like this one from last week and you end up with a pretty yucky commute at school dismissal - this was our carpool line on Tuesday of last week ...

I was looking out my car window at the slush-covered streets ...

... wishing with all my heart that the rain would just melt everything away. No such luck. The temps dipped back below freezing and the dirty waterlogged snow banks on the sides of the roads turned to ice - it's like having cinderblock walls on each side of the road - same color and texture too. My attitude was going downhill fast at that point! And by the end of last week it was snowing again ... like 8 more inches of snow - and our third snow day from school in just a 2-week stretch ...

Notice the walls of dirty snow on the sides of the roads? No hedges or fences underneath - that's just 4'+ tall walls of snow and ice. A far cry from the magic of fresh fallen snow! My happiness meter was sinking fast that day. Then, just to make sure I got kicked when I was already down, I experienced something that no native Floridian should ever have to bear ...

Only seconds earlier, that temp reading said negative one - but by the time I grabbed my phone, it was up to a balmy zero degrees ... this is not celsius, people, we're talkin' zero - like acrtic, sting your face, hard to breathe zero! I mean please, are you kidding me?? My attitude was really down in the dumps by this point - a mere 12 days after that first blissful snowstorm in which I had baked enough comfort foods to feed an army, took 103 gorgeous photos of fresh fallen snow, and remarked on the blessings of nature's beauty. Ha! How quickly it all unraveled for me ... happiness meter was definitely on empty.

Then wanna know what happened overnight last night? I'm in that pink 9-12" band ...

Twelve more inches of snow fell overnight here in town ... and we're home for our 4th snow day from school in just a 3-week stretch. To give you some perspective on where we stand with our grand total ... this is the way out of my house, out the side door and down 4 steps ...

That 42-inch (yes, I measured it - I had to know!) mound of snow in the center would normally be a grassy patch of yard. The street is just beyond the fence (yes, there's a 4-foot tall fence in this picture - don't you see it?). And those things that looks like sticks in front of the fence are the limbs of a small tree whose trunk is completely buried. The good news? It's beautiful again out my window ...

... pure and white, silent and magical ... my happiness meter is replenished. And so goes the vicious cycle of wintertime in New England ...

time lapse tuesday: the tree outside my window ...

These shots are of the tree outside the window at the top of the stairs - the first thing you see when you get to the second floor. It's a view that makes me happy - I just love this sweet old crabapple tree - perhaps it's because its shape and age remind me of The Giving Tree that it gives me great comfort to see it there. Wish I could say it's ours but despite how close it is to our window, it's actually our neighbor's tree and yard that you see. Since we have no backyard of our own, the rear of our house abuts this neighbor's enormous backyard sideways (so their house is out of these pictures to the far right, not the house you see in the background). In any case, we were fortunate enough that the neighbors decided to keep this wonderful tree in spite of some massive landscape demolition clearing overhauling they did last summer to make way for a huge wedding tent last October. What a sigh of relief that this old guy was one of the few originals that got to stay ...

the half birthdays ...

Not sure when or how it all started with the ladybugs, but for as long as I can remember I've always made it a habit to recognize their "half" birthdays ...

It's very low key - in fact, they rarely remember that the day is upon us until they see their tiny "half" cupcake and a single gift (always a book) on the kitchen table upon their return from school. Little ladybug's half birthday was in December - nine and a half - that means that come June 8th, my little bug's gonna have a big double-digit birthday to celebrate! I can hardly believe it ...

(enough pictures, mom, I'm reading!)

... And big ladybug's half birthday was this past Tuesday. My sweet first-born baby girl is just a half a year away from thirteen - wait, did I just say thirteen? There must be some mistake, that can't be right ...

(if you noticed that this cupcake is not a "half" sized cupcake, you're right - she scored big because the bakery was out of the minis on Tuesday!)

I love these two little ladybugs more than words can say ... I sigh and get a little lump in my throat with every birthday and, yes, even the half birthdays - where has the time gone? How is it possible they're this grown up already? Happy Half Birthday to both of my beautiful babies, my sugar and spice, my treasured little ladybugs ... xoxo ... Love, Mom

time lapse tuesday: the gallery wall

One of my favorite things to do, I know not why, is to snap the same photo at different times - sometimes it's to get a "before and after" effect, sometimes it's as simple as different times of the day to get different light, sometimes it's different times of the year to see seasonal transformations, and sometimes it's different years at the same location (as with the Aruba family photos - or even our past christmas card shots that I shared last month showing the little ladybugs growing up over the last 10 years) - clearly, there's something about "time lapse" (if that's even the right word) photography that intrigues me. If you don't believe me, just take a look at the stairwell leading down to the playroom, I've turned it into a black & white gallery wall filled with time lapse photos the whole way down ...

I was careful to record the year on each one by writing with pencil on the mat that surrounds each photo - I'm so glad I did that, it gets fuzzy after a few years pass by! You might recognize our last 6 christmas card photos in the lower left corner (converted to black and white) - here they are close up:

I jazzed these mats up by using a red pen for the year and I even drew a sprig of holly next to it - I like how that helps quickly ID them as having been a christmas card photo. On the opposite wall is my favorite of all the time lapse photos - these are the "4-generations" photos we took each summer from 1999-2005 ...

It's my grandmother, my mother, myself, and the 2 ladybugs in each photo. After 2005, my grandmother was too frail to sit through these photo sessions so, knowing that there won't be any more, you better believe how much I cherish these special pictures! Extra points for anyone who noticed the girls' growth tick marks on the door jam ;-)

Once you're down in the playroom, my time lapse obsession extends into framed school projects - for example, the self-portraits that each ladybug did on her first day of 2nd grade:

How cute is that? I mean, please, what mother doesn't love a child's self portrait?!

Anyway, I just thought this time lapse theme was somewhat of a noteworthy quirk of mine! I have enough material to start a series of sorts ... not enough material to share something every Tuesday, but from time to time I thought I'd pull out something from my iphoto folders and share a small "time lapse Tuesday" story with you ... I hope you'll stay tuned ...

snow day recipes ...

So what can I say about my snow day inspiration in the kitchen?! In general, I don't fancy myself as much of a cook - I can make do, but I don't really have the patience of a chef. With one exception. When a snow day comes along and confines me to the house, I just scream for comfort food and my kitchen is humming all day long! I thought I'd share with you three of the easy comfort foods that I made on our snow day ...

Popovers

For anyone who hasn't ever had one, this is really the ultimate snow day treat ... crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, it's a hollow, eggy, muffin-sized "bread" that pairs deliciously with anything from butter and jam to a nice hot soup on the side:

The only tricky thing about making them is the special popover pan (also called a custard pan) which looks like this:

I've heard that they can just as easily be made in a deep muffin pan, but I'm not convinced ... to me, it was worth the $18 investment in the "real" pan because I literally make popovers every time it snows (fyi, mine came from Bed Bath and Beyond, where I always have a 20% off coupon - actual price: $14.40 ). As for the recipe, it couldn't be easier:

1 cup whole milk

3 eggs

1 cup flour

dash of salt

Preheat oven to 450. Generously grease the popover cups (I use softened unsalted butter for this). Whisk together the milk and eggs, then slowly add the flour/salt (best if sifted, but not a deal-breaker). Don't overbeat, a few lumps are okay.

Disclaimer: I've heard it's best when you make the batter a day ahead, refrigerate overnight, and bring it down to room temp for about an hour before cooking. Truth be told, I've never once had the foresight to do this and it's always worked out just fine for me. Either way, here's what you do once your batter is ready to go ...

Fill the popover cups about 3/4 full and bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Be very careful not to open the oven door again - the "pop" part of the cooking process is delicate (think souffle) and you don't want them to collapse. After 15 minutes, turn the temp down to 350 (still don't open that door!) and bake them another 15 minutes or so. Once they're golden brown, take them out of the oven and out of the pan right away (mine's nonstick, they tumble right out). I've heard the tip that cutting a slit in their sides right away helps the steam to escape and ensures they won't lose their "puff" ... but I'm generally eating them so quickly that I skip that part ;-)

Like I said, they're as delicious with butter and jam as they are with a bowl of hearty soup ... enjoy!

Candied Pecans

These little treats couldn't be easier - or more addictive - yum! My sister-in-law brought these to Thanksgiving to share while we three daughter-in-law's cooked in our father-in-law's kitchen ... we scarfed them down in no time, you really can't have just one!

(before and after pics!)

Here's all you need to do:

1 bag of pecans (12-16 oz)

1 egg white

1 T water

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 250 (yes, only 250) and cover a baking pan in parchment paper. Whisk the egg white and water into a frothy mix and fold in the pecans to thoroughly coat them. Add the remaining ingredients and toss well to get a good even coating. Spread them out onto the parchment paper/pan and bake for an hour. That's all there is to it. Yum.

Butternut Squash Soup

This one's a longtime favorite of mine ... super hearty, super delicious, and super easy! It's a Fall and Winter favorite for sure ... I make it in large batches because it reheats so well (just cut it with some milk and reheat on the cooktop!), so be warned that this recipe serves 8 ...

2T butter

2 medium-sized leeks (or 3 smaller sized), coarsely sliced

4 oz raw smoked bacon (@ 6-7 slices), diced into small shreds

2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 T tomato paste

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream (I substituted with light this time)

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the diced up bacon slices until the bacon begins to sizzle and cook a bit ...

Add the leeks and cubed squash and soften for about 6-8 minutes ...

Now add the tomato paste and stir for about 2 minutes ...

Pour in the stock and the cream and cook on medium-low heat for about 30+ minutes. The soup should be at a slow simmer the whole time - the kitchen will start to smell wonderful!

Now that it's all soft after simmering for a while, a quick minute or two with an immersion hand blender like this one is all you need ...

... to make it look like this ...

I've found that you can either serve it right away or set the heat to a very low setting to keep it warm for as long as you need until you're ready to serve and enjoy ...

Bon appétit and Happy Snow Days to all!!