Super Snow Daybook

/

Outside My Window::

::32.4 inches of snow, 7 degrees. That's the official measurement from Dulles and we're pretty darn close to Dulles, so I'll take it.


I am Listening to::

::Katie wheezing.

I am wearing ::

::an LL Bean flannel nightgown, socks, slippers, and a bathrobe.


I am Thankful For::

::electricity. So many homes in Northern Virginia, DC, and Suburban Maryland are without it. Last night, I was worried about all the Super Bowl plans. This morning, I'm just so grateful that our nebulizer worked all through the night that I don't care much about football. I cannot begin to imagine what I would have done without my nebulizer AND without the ability to get my car out to go to the ER. And I'm really, really grateful I didn't find out.


I am Pondering:

::During the course of the day, recall as often as possible that you are in God's presence. Consider what God does and what you are doing. You will see His eyes turned toward you and constantly fixed on you with incomparable love. Then you will say to Him, "O God, why do I not look always at You, just as You always look at me? Why do You think so often of me, O Lord, and why do I think so seldom of You?" Where are we, O my soul? God is our true place, and where are we? (St. Francis de Sales)

I am Reading:

::The Snowy Day over and over and over again. Karoline is completely taken with this book.


From the Kitchen::

::Super Stuffed Potatoes and New Orleans crusted chicken (just our regular oven fried chicken with some Zatarain's thrown in ). I need to come up with something in favor of the Colts, too....


I am Thinking:

::That it's only two more days until Mike gets home. I'm also thinking how ironic it is that he will miss the Super Bowl. He left Miami Friday after Pardon the Interruption after spending ten days making sure that ESPN is up and running on location. He was supposed to come home briefly Friday night in order to pick up some flannel jeans and drop off his flip-flops before going to New York for basketball. All flights were canceled. So, he flew to Newark instead (where they have no snow). Then, after an afternoon basketball game, he was supposed to fly home through Dulles and catch another flight to Albany. That looks too unpredictable right now, too. So, while we watch the Super Bowl, Mr. SportsTV will drive to Albany.

I am Creating::

::snow memories


On my iPod::

:: nothing new to report this week.


Towards a Real Education::

::Public schools are already closed through Tuesday. Then, it's going to snow and sleet again. The local weather guru even ventured to guess that they won't have school all week. But we will. As hard as it's going to be with neighborhood kids circling, we are not going to have a whole week off for snow. But we might have some half days;-)


Towards Rhythm and Beauty:

::the floors are still not finished. I can't begin to express how much this bothers me. I had visions of perfection when Mike finally arrived home. I should have known better. But, we're putting things back into place where we can and I've used several tubs of beeswax polish and nearly conquered all the dust.


::To Live the Liturgy:

::Despite the fact that Mass is usually two blocks from my home, we aren't going to Mass today. The streets are impassable, the parking lot cannot be cleared, and Mass is canceled. I'm really bummed.


::I am Hoping and Praying:

::Katie, Karoline and Sarah feel much, much better very soon. This is pathetic and I feel so sorry for them.

::For Colleen.

::For Mike, now in the homestretch.

In the Garden:

::The snow is waist high and only six inches or so of the soccer goals can be seen above it. Very impressive. Poor Karoline is so frustrated by the distance between our house and her friend Isabel's. Usually it's a quick skip over there to play. Now, it can't be done by tiny girls with wee legs.


Around the House:

::boots, gloves, hats, snow pants. It looks like a ski lodge around here.

On Keeping Home:

::I'm looking at my home through Mike's eyes these days. I want him to walk through the door and be so happy to be here. And I don't want him to trip over the boots in the foyer.


One of My Favorite Things:

::Snow days. Really can't get enough of them. Hot chocolate, snow ice cream, wood fires, damp and rosy cheeks. I count it all joy. 

That's what I said last week. I'm sure I still think that but yesterday was not so idyllic. Maybe because we ran out of milk and cocoa...


Sarah Annie this week:

::She's not so into the snow. Too much, too cold, too bright.


A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week:

::Mike will be home Tuesday morning. Early. Not thinking about much else.

A Picture Thought I'm sharing:

 
 
DSC_0075

Isabel's playhouse, about midday yesterday.

DSC_0074
Valiant (failed) attempt to reach Isabel's playhouse. In hindsight, this wasn't the smartest decision I've ever made and probably played into our horrible night last night.

Super Stuffed Potatoes

/

DSC_0029

6 large baking potatoes

one pound of bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

one stick of butter cut into chunks, plus more for rubbing

1 cup of cottage cheese, whirled in the blender to smoothness

2 cups grated sharp cheddar

up to 1 cup of milk

6 or so stalks of broccoli

seasoned salt to taste

DSC_0034

Wash the potatoes well and then cut a small, shallow  slit all the way around the long way. This is where you will halve the potatoes after you cook them. This is a Laurel trick, though no doubt, Laurel would be horrified by the bacon addition;-)

Rub the potatoes generously with butter.

Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees for about an hour, until they are very soft inside and the skins are crisp.

While the potatoes are baking, peel the broccoli stems and then steam the whole stalks until they are very tender.

Turn the oven down to 350.

DSC_0037

Carefully cut the potatoes in half and scoop the insides into a big bowl. Leave enough potato in the skin so that the skins don't fall apart.

Mash the broccoli (I pulse it in the food processor). Add the broccoli, the cottage cheese, the seasoned salt, the butter, the bacon, and a cup of the grated cheddar to the big bowl of potatoes and mix well, adding milk until the filling is smoothe.

Fill the potato skins with mixture and top with the rest of the cheese. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

You can make these even less healthy by using sour cream instead of cottage cheese and leaving out the broccoli. You can make them healthier, by using up to a half cup of milk instead of butter and leaving out the bacon. Or you can throw it all in there and persuade yourself that you are getting the best of all worlds.

DSC_0040

Visit Faith and Family Live! for more Super Bowl Snack ideas.