... still snowing

Well, it's still snowing. I love snow and all, but c'mon. I'm feeling a little cooped up here. So far I've made a batch of cinnamon raisin swirl bread (x4 loaves), 2 loaves of whole wheat bread, triple batch of whole wheat tortillas, refried beans, and I'm pretty sure some other stuff that I'm forgetting about. Needless to say our freezer is well stocked. There's baking/cooking that I can do before I lose my touch, though. I had planned on making a nice big pot of turkey and homemade noodles, so I put some turkey in a pot with four cups of stock. The turkey was part of one that we had made a few weeks ago, divided into bags and put in the freezer so I figured it would take a while to boil. Meanwhile I decided to fight my cabin fever (and my muffin top) and hopped on the elliptical. Half hour workout and a shower later I came out of the room and was smacked in the face with the horrible smell of burning turkey. All four cups of stock had evaporated and the turkey was charred to the bottom of the pan. Totally inedible and a total mess. We cracked the windows, lit a candle, and my sweet loving husband worked his fingers to the bone scrubbing on the pan. I decided to make up some quinoa and vegetables. The girls loved it! Well, I was distraught from having just cremated our poor turkey dinner, so I did what always makes me feel better. Made cookies. Peanut butter cookies. I've managed to just have one so far, but the night is young.

Good things have come from these snow days. It's forced us to slow down and just enjoy a few days home together. No trips to the store, no errands to run, no appointments, just enjoy quiet simple times as a family. Every year I'm so grateful for this time that Ben has off. There isn't much better than time together with Daddy... for all of us. :)

PS. Yes. I did have a mild panic attack when I saw the "bean mess" on the carpet. Nothing the good ol' dust buster couldn't handle! Plus the girls loved it.