Happy Winter Solstice

Things I did today, the shortest day of the year.

I tried to take fancy pictures of the ice encrusted plants in the front and back yards. We got freezing rain on top of our snow last night, so everything has a pretty crust on it.

I stood in a big snow drift in the back yard. We had lots of wind and very dry snow so some places have very deep snow and some places have only an inch or so.

It does appear that the wind blew towards our side of the street because we all have around four to six inches of snow in our driveways while the folks across the street hardly have anything.

I took pictures of Robert shoveling the driveway. It's even deeper down towards where the sidewalk usually is.

This was hard work and Robert only got one side of the driveway shoveled off. I guess if he drives to work tomorrow he'll be taking the 4 wheel drive with the chains on which means I'll probably be stuck at home...again.

I watched from inside the house while Jonah built a snow tunnel in the front yard next to a 3 foot tall azalea that is essentially buried.We also had church in our house today. Because church was canceled for the 2nd week in a row, our Stake President encouraged members to meet in their homes and if they were close to other members, they could gather together and take the sacrament. So we did. It was great.

Every day, from now until June 21, the days will get longer and lighter. Yay!

All Candied Out

Peanut Butter Fudge: This is Kimberly Yates' recipe from the Skyline Ward Relief Society cookbook. It was pretty straightforward except I didn't have enough marshmallow cream so I had to run to the store and get more right in the middle of the recipe. Robert says it's a winner and all the kids are hoping there is a lot left over after gifting.

Penuche Fudge: This was by far the most difficult of all the candy I made. I had to beat it by hand with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes until it lost it's "gloss." My arms were killing me! Also, this recipe (which is found in the red and white checked Better Homes and Gardens cookbook) only made an 8 x 4 loaf pan's worth of candy. However, it is so tasty, I'm really glad I made it.

Georgia Pralines: Hmmm, where to begin. This is not what I'd pictured my Georgia pralines to look like. I pictured them looking more like this. Anyway, after thinking I'd completely messed these pralines up, then realizing that maybe I didn't, I decided to let the family eat them up instead of giving them away.

The Power of Snow

Snow has the power to make kids hurl themselves down a slope, over and over, for 3 hours.

Snow has the power to make people drink hot chocolate.

Snow has the power to make the world pristine, quiet and magical.

And, in Oregon,
Snow has the power to shut down school. For 5 days.

Snow also has the power to cancel day time TV in favor of up to the minute snow reports. ("It was snow, but now it's sleet...or is that rain? No, definitely sleet. Check back at 11 for the latest updates on our Winter Storm Watch!")

I Make Candy

English Toffee: Yum! This is Stephanie Johnson's recipe, found in the Skyline Ward Relief Society Cook Book. I'm not going to list out the recipe, but will report that it is completely delicious and I'm not sure one batch will be enough for gifts. Because I'm snacking on it every chance I get.

Divinity: That's right, this is supposed to be divinity. I guess it's good that most people don't care for this treat. I happen to enjoy it and don't have it more than once a year, so I thought I would try and make it. Well, it didn't work out. Even if these blobs look edible, I could not pry them from the waxed paper. (Sound familiar Erika?) So, I wadded up the whole batch, waxed paper and all, and dumped them in the trash.

Oreo Bark: Ingredients, almond bark and Oreos. Melt a package of almond bark, stir in half a bag of crushed Oreos, turn out onto a pan lined with waxed paper, let cool and break into pieces. The one problem I did have with the Oreo bark is that it didn't quite fit in the air tight container so I had to eat a few pieces to get the lid on. Problem solved.

That Time of Year

It's that time of year when I beg the family to stand still for 20 seconds for a family picture.

Really, standing still is all I hope for at this point because begging and pleading kids to look at the camera or to "please, for the love of Pete, just smile normally," has just not worked.

This same picture will be in our Christmas newsletter which I promise I will work on right away, after I check out something I just heard about from Senia...

freetetris.org!

It's Just That Easy

These are Pretzel Treats. If you have a copy of the Skyline Ward Relief Society's "Friends In My Kitchen" cookbook, this recipe appears in the "Candy and Cookies" section.

If you don't have a copy of that cookbook, all you need for these treats are pretzels, Rolo candies and pecan halves.

Place a Rolo on each pretzel. Warm in a 200 degree oven for 2 minutes, remove from oven and press a pecan into the soft Rolo. Let cool.

I tasted one to make sure they are gift-worthy and guess what...they are!

(Does my title remind anyone of the Bass-o-Matic?)

Indoor Heat, Will You Marry Me?

OK, I can't marry "indoor heat" but I sure do love it.

It's a little miracle to me that the inside of our house can be 69 or 70 while the outside is seriously frozen. Last night the wind howled, and I don't know about the "wind chill" or anything like that, but the thermometer said temps were in the teens.

Today, the sun is out and the thermometer is reading 20. The wind is blowing and for some reason, my kids are bundled up and playing outside. OUTSIDE!

I've got a crock pot of hot chocolate warming and ready for them when the come in. I'll hang their snow suits, mittens, hats and scarves on a drying rack so that they will be ready for them when they go out again.

I, on the other hand, will not be going outside if I can possibly help it. And trust me, I'll help it.

I'm out of hot chocolate, but will find an on line recipe to make some from scratch if I have to. I'm not going outside.

I've got a 500 page book that will surely get me through the day. And if I finish that, I've got 4 more I can choose from after that.

As for food, we might run out of milk and eggs, but we should be able to eat for weeks with out having to go to the store. As long as the power doesn't go out.

It's days like this that make me wonder how I ever survived living in Alaska or Utah.