Wordless Wednesday {Winter}

Mac and Cheese...Half-Sized

Before hubs and I got married, my mom gave me Betty Crocker's Cookbook. Back in 1979, this was the new and revised edition, mentioning that the book included microwave recipes! I still use this cookbook, and especially well-used are the pages with the recipes for macaroni and cheese and chocolate chip cookies.

This is my family's favorite homemade mac and cheese recipe. One of the kids wanted to make sure I wouldn't forget this page so he or she grabbed a highlighter and circled page 117! (Ah, the small things that bring a smile...)

Back in the day I would triple this recipe because there were times when one or more of the kids existed on macaroni and cheese. And then there were times when the neighborhood gang just happened to be at the house right around dinnertime. As the kids got busy with extra curricular activities and everyone sitting down at dinner at the same time became a fond memory, once a week there would be a tray of mac and cheese in the fridge for someone to make their dinner whenever he or she got home. That's when the microwave came in handy...put a mountain of mac and cheese on the plate, throw it in the microwave and zap it for a minute or so. And then the kids began to leave for college and mac and cheese as a staple in our diet began to wane. When one would come home, I would make a huge panful to send back for the housemates.

Now it's 2014 and this Ohio winter is crushing January. On a day when comfort food was needed, thoughts drifted to my dog-eared Betty Crocker Cookbook. I looked at the recipe and it hit me. There are two people in this house. I don't need a full recipe. Wow...no more tripling the recipe. I cut it in half!

It looked so small. Empty nest slap of reality.

But it tasted the same and it brought comfort on a day when the wind chill was -25. And the lopsided circle around page 117 warmed my heart.

Snow Ice Cream

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

When Mother Nature dumps snow on you, make snow ice cream.

The Midwest got walloped with another polar vortex this week...more frigid temps and more snow. So many people complain about the snow and the cold, but you know what, it’s winter in Ohio, folks. This is what happens. 

So life has given us snow. Before this white fluffy snow turns into icky gray slush, I’m going to get myself outside, scoop up some clean snow, and make snow ice cream. The recipe is easy...5 ingredients and 4 of them should be in your kitchen: milk, sugar, vanilla and salt.

This is a sweet reward for shoveling the driveway for the umpteenth time. And yes, I will look out for the yellow snow! Beware of brain freeze, too.

Simple ingredients for this special treat

Milk + sugar + vanilla + pinch of salt = yumminess

Snow in my grandma's measuring cup. She would be smiling!

Snow ice cream!

Topping of choice: maple syrup

Snow Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 cup milk (any kind)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 pinch salt

8 cups clean snow or shaved ice (more or less depending on the density of the snow)

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk milk, sugar, vanilla and salt together until combined. 

Go scoop up some fresh (clean!) snow, and immediately stir it into the milk mixture until you reach your desired consistency. Top with sprinkles or other ice cream toppings if desired.

The ice cream should be fluffy and not runny, but it melts quickly, so dive in right away!

Celebration {Sari's Birthday}

In 1987, on a brutally cold winter day, I was in the hospital undergoing a non-stress test to see if my baby was healthy. In my heart, I knew she was, but the doctor wanted to make sure because she was so little. I didn't have to wear maternity clothes until I was 8 months along in my pregnancy. (And back in that day, that was a blessing as maternity clothes were so ugly!)

She is now 27, living in Brooklyn, and I do wish I could be with her to celebrate her birthday. But since she is there and I am here, she gets an original, cheesy birthday poem...

On this 21st day of January,

A little girl was born, her nickname is Sari.

The year was 1987,

Our first daughter, Todd and I were in heaven!

Sara is our second child,

Cute and sweet and a little bit wild!

Just wanted to take this moment to say,

Love you, honey, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Cheers to my birthday girl! 
(Check out the date on the milk)

Resolutions

Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve...roughly six weeks of loosening our self-discipline and our belt buckles. From turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing, to frequent parties with all kinds of yummy hors d'oeuvres and drinks, to Christmas cookies and egg nog, it's an eating celebration with few regrets.

Until January 1.

It's a new year and time to get back to a more disciplined life. Here come the resolutions: Go on a diet, get organized, quit smoking, start an exercise program, etc., etc., etc....

Been there, done that, too many times, except for the quit smoking. (I've never smoked).

People tend to create resolutions as a punishment for their over-indulgent behavior, but a person can endure punishment for only so long. People also tend to create resolutions that are too big and broad, and those are hard to meet. And then it's February 1 and the resolutions have gone by the wayside.

I have found that taking a closer look into my life and making smaller, more specific resolutions, success comes more easily. My 2014 resolutions:

READ
Five books are on my reading table:

• Quiet by Susan Cain. It's about being an introvert in a world that can't stop talking.
• My Life in France by Julia Child. Julia Child was a woman who dove into an unfamiliar culture, embraced it, and pursued a passion.
• Inferno by Dan Brown. Brown's 4th book with symbology expert Robert Langdon.
• Cooked by Michael Pollan. How food improves health, connects us with others and the natural world, helps us achieve self-sufficiency.
• Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. A cookbook with beautiful photos, stories, and recipes. Reading and cooking all in one!

FINISH THE AFGHAN

My nephew graduated from high school in May and is now a freshman at Ohio State. I started a hairpin lace afghan right before he graduated with the goal of completing it for his birthday in July. Didn't happen. So then the date of completion was set for when he left for OSU in September. Nope. Christmas. Not finished. It's going to be a good project for this winter and will be done by the time he completes his freshman year.

CROSS SOMETHING OFF MY BUCKET LIST

Actually, I don't call it my bucket list; it's my living list. On my birthday in September, I resolved to do 56 new things before turning 57. I've done 20 so far.

BE MORE DILIGENT WITH MY BLOG

Last year I made 65 posts in House Dust and Wanderlust. My goal for 2014 is 100.

WEAR MORE COLORFUL CLOTHING

I wear a lot of black. It's a go-to when I can't decide what to wear. Particularly for spring and summer, I want to have bright, fun colors in my wardrobe.

RUN A HALF MARATHON

Last year, one of my resolutions was to participate in an organized athletic event and I ran in the Air Force Marathon's 10K. My daughter wants me to run a half marathon with her. 13 miles seems like a long, long way, but I will do it...I CAN do it. 

LEAVE THE COUNTRY

In 2010, hubs and I went to Italy to celebrate our 30th anniversary and ever since then I have be dying to go back to Europe. I have so many possible itineraries planned! As fate would have it, my sister who travels internationally for her job, called and asked me if I wanted to go to Madrid in March! ¡Sí, sí, sí!

New Year's resolutions offer hopefulness and are about embracing the present, the here and now. 

"Approach the new year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day."

~ Michael Josephson

Happy 2014!

The Howard Tree

For me, putting up and taking down a Christmas tree is a lovely experience because it brings back lots of memories. There are the ornaments that hubs and I bought at an after-Christmas sale at a charming family garden center, DeHaven's, in Findlay, when we were engaged so we would have ornaments to put on our first tree after we were married. Those ornaments have been around for 33 years! My parents gave me a couple ornaments they purchased when my dad was stationed in Germany and where I was born 56 years ago. My brother and I made some wood ornaments 30 years ago to put on the lower part of the tree to satisfy my then 2-year old son's curiosity. There are ornaments that depict our family: a Cleveland Browns helmet, two chocolate lab ornaments, stockings that I made from a classic 80s sweater that hubs finally decided to give up. After my dad died, Mom gave my siblings and me the Waterford ornaments that he so lovingly collected.

Last year, I was behind on my Christmas decorating (I usually have it done the day after Thanksgiving). Due to pine allergies in the family, we have an artificial tree, and when I got the tree out, it was obvious that the tree needed to be replaced. A section of lights wasn't working and a few of the lower branches were droopy. My mission for that day was to find a tree so off to WalMart...no luck. Next stop Meijer. Found one but a bit pricy. Sears came to mind so off to the Dayton Mall to see what was there. 

I found my tree! But there were none in stock. 

A very nice salesman looked online to see if any were available in the area stores...no luck. He sat down at the computer and typed in the information on sears.com and found one. It would be delivered to my doorstep in two days. As I thanked this kind man, I looked at his name tag. His name was Howard. My dad retired from Sears, his name was Howard and his favorite holiday was Christmas.

I do believe I met a Christmas angel and had a hello from heaven that day.

I have a pair of mittens that belonged to my dad. One of them makes the perfect tree topper.