Kentucky might get snow this weekend and I am excited!
Of course, that excitement will last all of about 5.46 minutes or until I have to actually get out in it and drive. (We Southerners are not known for our winter driving skills.) And dear Lord help us when the weathermen get on TV and give a flake by flake update on the storm’s progress.
Still, it is the FIRST snow of the year and with comes all the wonderful feelings that “firsts” often give us: Anticipation. Wonder. Joy. Hope. Magic.
Nothing brightens up a dreary, gray winter day then a blanket of snow. A pristine white coverlet that tucks us in like the children nestled in their beds with visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads. The lights from the windows of our neighbors seem brighter, more welcoming. The smoke of fireplaces burning with different woods blends with the crisp, cold air into an exquisite bouquet.
My critique partner and I were talking about that first snow today. At night, she observed, at night is when it’s the best. The stars twinkle and all the harsh sounds of the world are hushed into a peaceful quiet that soothes the soul. You can feel the connection with something greater than yourself. You can believe in that one moment that wishes do come true.
The first snow has its fun side too. Just take a walk around the neighborhood and you’ll see a vast array of snowmen and snow forts. Heck I even saw a snow dragon once! Kids and adults working side by side sculpting masterpieces out of frozen water. One of my favorite pictures from my childhood show me and my brother proudly standing beside our snowman with the pointed head, a carrot nose and crooked sticks for arms.
So I’m going out and buying milk and bread. (If there’s any left after the forecast announcement today). I’m snuggling down in my PJ’s and writing and reading my favorite books. I’ll watch old movies and after a while will put on my boots, drag on my warmest coat and go outside and...Oh, and I’ll also make a batch of these Christmas Rum balls which….depending on how many I eat….will increase the wonder considerably.
Kentucky Christmas Rum Balls
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2-1/3 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
½ cup sugar
1 cup finely chopped toasted pecans
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
Powdered sugar
½ cup dark rum
Chopped pecans, toasted.
Slowly melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Remove from heat and add sugar and corn syrup. Stir in rum. Stir in vanilla wafers and pecans. Mix well. Chill for 1 hour.
Form into small balls and roll in a mixture of powdered sugar and chopped nuts. Place in small individual paper cups and keep refrigerated. Caution: Potency increases as time goes (hic) on.
See! Even the GR loves snow!
One lucky reader will receive a Christmas present from Joanie T. (Sorry, it’s not a gladiator). Using my highly scientific process of drawing names from a hat I will send a lucky poster a $15 Borders gift card. Merry Christmas to all our Romance Bandits friends!
73 comments:
Snow? I have vaguely heard of it.
Okay...gonna elaborate now...the GR has come to warmer climes...it has been near 80 here in GA all week. It might get a bit cooler though over the weekend.
Oddly enough one of my favorite photographs of me and my siblings is of the three of us in our yard after it snowed...something that is very rare here in GA. In the photo I am probably 2 or 3...we are all bundled up like our lives depend on it. I cannot actually remember the event.
I wish it would snow here...I love snow. We got some snow a couple of years ago, but nothing major.
Oh, and I wasn't really trying for the GR...something just told me to check site...since I couldn't sleep.
Snow? It NEVER snows in Queensland :-(
Snow I would love to have a Christmas in the snow at least once in my lifetime but alas it probably won't happen. It never snows in Sydney either Amy although in winter we often get snow at the Blue Mountains which is about 1 1/2 hours drive from my place but the traffic to get there is a massive problem,so we have never gone there when it snows.
Loved the post Joan and those rum balls sound delicious and I hope you have heaps of fun in the snow I love the thought of curling up with a good book a nice coffee some tim tams on a cold winters day. I am hoping my copy of Untouched arrives tomorrow maybe I can turn the AC on really cold and pretend it is winter here in Australia while I loose myself in the story.
Big congrats on the GR Jennifer Y.
Have Fun
Helen
It's going to start snowing on Thursday morning in NY and it won't stop until late evening. I think accumulation is going to be about two inches. Too bad the snow won't stay white and fluffy.
We have a lot of snow where I am. Although lately, a lot of freezing rain. It is so beautiful to look at. I just love those days when I'm home and it's snowing outside and I can stay home in my jammies, too. I have a pair of pink flannel ones with bunnies on them that are so toasty, warm. lol
Snow? I've seen it before, but not in recent years. It rarely snows in my part of North Carolina, though I have a CP who lives in the NC mountains and gets loads! Lucky duck (or rooster, since the GR seems to get some snow action as well!).
We haven't even had rain this year, much less any fancier forms of precipitation. Here, we are singing, "Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!" this Christmas.
I grew up in Middle Tennessee and it did snow some there. We usually got a couple of decent snows a winter. I even remember two white Christmases! Glad I enjoyed those, since I may never see one again! I keep pushing for retirement to the mountains, but my dh - who served in the Air Force and was stationed in Grand Forks, North Dakota - says he has had enough snow for a lifetime! Spoil sport. *grumble, grumble*
I'm frankly frightened of your rum balls, Joan. I have seen people eat those after a couple of weeks. Though they make for a fun party food, I don't think I need them around the house! *g*
I miss snow so much! I haven't seen in in years. :(
I love snow! We are due to get some this weekend, after record breaking temperatures this week. Here in the mountains of NC, it's not supposed to be 70 degrees in December!
I grew up in Florida, so snow was not something we had. We had to travel to see the white stuff. After I married my naval officer husband, I was lucky enough to live a few places where we had occasional snow. And our kids were thrilled with those fervently wished for snow days!
We just moved to the mountains this summer (the dh retired after 21 in the Navy), so this will be our first real winter. We're hoping for a good one....and so are the ski resorts! ;)
You must be pretty close to me. I'm watching the local weather and my favorite weather geek Mark is saying 1-2 inches for us, but I'm close to the 3-5 inches to the north. YUCK!!!!! The big problem though is going to Sun/Mon when the temps won't get above freezing. I would rather deal with the snow than the ice.
I grew up in Buffalo NY, so I really know snow, but even when I lived there, I still looked forward to every new forecast hoping for more. When you're freezing your #$# off, you at least want fresh, pretty snow to play in along the way. Now I live where we get snow once or twice a year, and it shuts down the city. I miss the beautiful, white puffy stuff, but I don't miss the cold one bit!
I would like a white Christmas, though. We had a little dusting of snow a couple of days ago and it really does make you feel like miracles can happen. Odd, isn't it?
Hi, Joan! Snow isn't a novelty for us here in Minnesota, but we look forward to the first real (read: skiable) snowfall just like everybody else. Sometimes we have to wait until January for it. Last year we got an entire winter's worth over a long weekend in March, which was demoralizing. By March I was ready for winter to be over.
But this year is shaping up much better--it's only mid-December & we already have a good foot on the ground. We're looking to freshen it up with another couple inches this weekend, so yay!
Susan
Your post made me miss my days in England and Germany, Joan. And that is one good looking GR! It has been near 80 in Alabama too Jennifer Y. I recently found a photo of my brother, James in our back garden in England with what I am pretty sure was his first snowman. He was born in Bangor, Maine, but we moved from there when he was still a baby. There are some great photos of me in Maine (age 3 or 4)inside a snow fort that the neighbor boys built. Now on the rare occasion when it DOES snow in Alabama you do NOT want to get on the road. It ends up looking like a day at the demolition derby. During the "blizzard" of 1993 I rode my horse the eight miles to town to get groceries and it was the smartest thing I ever did. Even if the local cops did stop to check and see who rode the horse that was tied to the newspaper box outside of Food World.
Jennifer, the GR must enjoy your company. All I found this morning was the muffler I'd knitted him lying on the floor of the coop!
Keep him toasty warm but, er, not like deep fat fryer toasty warm, ok?
That photo I mentioned of my brother and me? I was about 5 I guess and I remember everything about that day..the bundling up, the trudging out into the cold, rolling huge snowballs (well, large enough for a 5 and 4 year old to lift).
I also remember getting into a snowball fight and landing a big snowball right on top of Mike L.'s pointed head (he used to tease me unmercifully) Score, Joanie!
Amy and Helen sorry you don't get to experience the joy of snow. I'd gladly send you some but with the way UPS has been running it would be a bag of water before it left Louisville.
Jane, I just heard on Regis and Kelly that NY was expecting snow. I imagine (in Manhattan at least, the only part of NY I've visited) a coating of snow would turn Central Park into a true wonderland.
kimw your PJ's sound lovely. I have a pair with penguins on the bottoms....they're great for those pillow fighting matches (shhhh...don't let P226 hear that!)
Ah, Caren my wonderful friend. Clearly you'll have to jump on a plane and spend the weekend in Kentucky. Bring milk and bread :-)
Wendy so sorry you haven't seen snow in a while. But just close your eyes and think back to when you did. The magic will still be in your memory. If you need help imagining, I'll send Rum balls.
gannon, if Caren can't make the flight can she join you in the NC mountains? I drove through those mountains on the way to Charleston a couple of years ago. Magnificent even cloaked in summertime green.
lauraj One of our local weather guys are saying Louisville could get 6 inches. It will put a bit of a damper on two holiday parties I have to attend this weekend...but I'll mush through it! Or if I have Rum balls, lush thorugh :-)
Go. Today. Get milk and bread.
kirsten I've never been to Buffalo but I learned the term "lake effect snow" from the national news stories featuring your hometown each winter. I live close to the Ohio River...never any "river effect snow" Darn.
And Linus Van Pelt says it best. "Christmas snow tastes better." And coming out from Midnight Mass to find a dusting of snow....priceless.
Susan, a whole Minnesota winter's worth of snow in one weekend? My, Lord woman! Have you dug out yet?
When Kentucky's accumalation goes above 6 inches it's a catastrophe. We've had a couple of 18 inch plus events in the past decade. I try very, very hard not to be at the hospital when it happens. The staff gets cranky and would you believe the volunteer ladies don't come it to open up the gift shop? I mean if I'm stuck at the hospital, I need magazines! LOL
And don't forget suicidal, bone breaking, concussion generating, maniacal sledding. Yep yep yep. Blistering down an icy hill at 45mph on two tiny strips of steel with very limited steering capabilities. Trees... cars.... buildings.... other sledders....
And the JUMPS. Yes yes, the JUMPS. The point of pride does not come to he who most gracefully landed the jump and continued along his merry way. Nor does it come to he who produced the most spectacular "Thrill of Victory, Agony of Defeat" crash. Though the crashes often generate the most interesting post-sledding conversation, they are not the end, but merely the failed means. No, it is he who jumps the highest, that takes home the prize.
It's not REAL sledding if no one received the the consolation prize consisting of a condescending scowl from an emergency room physician.
Being we were hit with ice storms, I'm not too keen on the snow at the moment...but I do admit, there is something beautiful, silent, and magical about snow. Even my Dad was staring out at our yard and said, "I don't know what is about snow--but it always makes things seem prettier...and quieter."
Snow is fun. Not fun to drive to work in, but to sled and frolic in--a blast. To get all rosy cheeked, then come in for hot chocolate...that's grand.
Snow? I grew up with it. Lived my life in Michigan until I got totally fed up with cold weather and piles of snow...I moved south. But hey, even experienced, northern snow drivers have trouble. Check out the link to take a look at a truck (with a snowplow blade still attached) stuck in a snow bank. This shot was taken around the 3rd or 4th of December in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
http://www.pasty.com/discus/
messages/2920/3862.html#PN
If the link doesn't work, copy & paste it. It's worth the look.
Nope, I don't miss it....
Joan - those rum balls look wonderful. I'm going to have to give them a try. Aren't those the type of cookie that gets better the longer they sit? We wouldn't know about those things in this household. Most cookies don't last past the cool down stage.
Had to laugh, Gannon, seems like the teachers around here pray for those snow days even more than the students! We're getting rain right now, but the forecast is for two inches this weekend. I'm hoping they won't interfere with my seeing the stage production of Sweeney Todd. Now that's cooking of a whole different sort *g*
Kirsten, I lived in Cleveland a few years and truly understand "lake effect". You get hit with the snow a bit later as those big bodies of water take so long to cool, but once they do -- look out!
"flake by flake update" Hee!
bought a human-type cookie cutter this morning. my sons decided they wanted to make gingerbread "people" as in the PC recipe they found in the newspaper. worried that they will lose all their illusions about my perfection (ha!) when they realize i won't be able to make their cookies look EXACTLY like the gorgeous ones in the ad....
Not much snow in these parts (the San Francisco Bay Area) either. The last snow I remember around here was when I was 6 (a mighty long time ago), and there was a couple inches that people turned into tiny little lumpy snow people before it all melted away, leaving messy puddles everywhere instead. We've heard sightings of snow more recently than that, but have yet to witness any.
My kids keep hoping it will snow, and some days it feels cold enough, but we are very inexperienced with inclement weather and would probably freeze to death with the frost ;)
The rum balls sound pretty tasty though... maybe have to whip up some of those!
Where I live there is a little snow which is fine with me. It melts in a half hour and then is perfectly dry once again. I grew up in a harsh climate with blizzards and snows that lasted for months so I am happy here.
I live in Florida so it does not snow here. I don't know if I would enjoy having to bundle myself AND the kids just to go to the bus stop or grocery store. And FORGET shoveling! My neighbors are lucky that my husband and I take turns mowing the lawn every other week (They're pretty snippy about things like that where I live). My mother in law was here from Canada for a month and every time we called her daugther, she would complain about how freezing it is in Ontario. She would just laugh and tell her daughter that it's so hot here that the kids are STILL wearing shorts and tee shirts to school!
p226. I can't decide if your play by play description of snow enjoyment comes from your youth or yesterday LOL.
We don't have too many "good" hills for such around here but when that first snow hits you see the kids trying any elevation they can to find just that thrill.
mshellion I don't like ice in any shape or form. Ice is a whole 'nother thing that causes more havoc even than 10 inches of snow. I hope ya'll are getting recovered.
karen h I'll have to print out that pic and use it as evidence when transplanted Northerners scorn our Southern response to the white stuff. "See! Ya'll have trouble too!" Then I can say, nonchalantly, "Got milk?"
Donna, yep these Rum balls can get pretty potent. That's why I won't send them to my brother's Xmas party at work. He doesn't need to be driving the company truck with rum balls on his breath :-)
Our school system is goofy when it comes to cancelling classes. All the weather gurus can say we'll get 1 inch of ice by 10 am and they will STILL make the kids trudge to school only to have them let out early to get home. Makes no sense to me.
m Good luck with the cookie baking and your little boys. Maybe make a gingerbread snowman! Yeah, that's the ticket.
flchen1 Those lumpy little snowmen may not have lasted for the long haul but while they were there...especially in a snow free zone...they were magical. And see, your children still hold that hope...against seemingly impossible odds...they hope.
Pass me a rum ball, I'm getting sentimental. (sniff)
anne, I'm with you on blizzards. We've only a couple in my whole life and then not as bad as out in the plains area or Buffalo. Glad you're dry now.
What about other snow firsts? Snow Angels? Snow cream?
Snow...we get it and then the wind blows it away and then we are stuck with bitter cold.
Your recipe sounds delicious!
I live in Kentucky too. It seems that in the past few years that we haven't had nearly the amount of snow we once did.
OMG Joanie, SNOW CREAM!
That's a long lost recipe for me. My mom made snow cream when I was a little girl. I guess it was just snow, sugar, and milk, but darn that was good.
I used to LOVE snow.
Carrying mail has pretty much destroyed that (and completely destroyed my 4WD SUV) so my comfort level has dropped. I've never minded driving on slick roads. I can do so in a regular car, but I admit that the 4WD really took away the fear of getting stuck. You can still slide, but even if you're in a ditch, you can usually just drive right out with the smaller snows we have.
It's still more stressful, but fortunately, even though I live in Kentucky, my cousins and brothers were smart enough to take me out into a big open parking lot when I got my driver's license and turn me loose. They made me spin and slide and learn to stop on ice and steer out of a skid.
I think ALL drivers should have to have that type of training before they're allowed to get a license. Of course, the DOT is not asking ME about licensing protocol. (grin)
Okay, everyone cross your fingers that the Universe will send me the perfect job, so I can QUIT this bloody mail route and look forward to SNOW again!!!
Greetings from snowy NJ. We're part of that NY storm and right now the flakes (well, they're actually in clumps the size of a quarter!) are coming down hard and fast. My two cats are not impressed and took a vote not to venture out! I think I'll join them and stay indoors with a hot cup of English tea.
Oh and if Ellie checks in - Ellie, you were one of the prize winners for Caridad's post - check out the booty post on the blog for details!
crystalgb said:
I live in Kentucky too. It seems that in the past few years that we haven't had nearly the amount of snow we once did.
Crystal you're absolutely right--at least it's true of where I live. I'm in the southern part of the state though. Are you in the north?
Lexington and the northeast part of the state seem to be getting more dangerous ICE storms in recent years. I can remember two or three just in the past decade that have devastated the big trees around Versailles and Lexington.
I remember getting that kind of ice only once or twice when I was a kid. But we generally got two or three good "must wear boots" snowfalls per year. Now we often don't even get one. Just a dusting here and there.
Winter started too early this year. Cold, snow, ice and wind and having to get out each day and shovel is no fun. I have a snowblower but have not yet mastered it. My kitties do not appreciate it either.
I do not look forward to our lengthy winter. I have to drive in it which makes it even more unpleasant. It has already snowed and is piling up nicely. I guess I will have to face it and shovel as soon as it stops if that should happen.
Oh, we loved making snow cream! It's a gastronomical nightmare, since my mother would occasionally even throw a raw egg yoke into the mix to make it "rich"--so between the pollution and the possible salmonella, I'm surprised I lived as long as I have.
Of course, we occasionally still make it. Without the egg, though considering the air pollution--I'm sure it's even more hazardous.
Now that I have moved away from the Great White north, I rejoice every single winter. It may get cold and sometimes a little flake or two but I do not miss the blast of never ending cold and snows that blanketed us for months.
I grew up in Ohio so I know snow. After three blizzards in less than two years, I decided to head south. Winter followed me for a while as we still had ice storms in Nashville and Arkansas but I have found the perfect place now.
I'm in the Tidewater area of Virginia and though it will get cold for a couple of months, we don't typically get snow or ice here. Winter comes late and leaves early, just the way I like it.
Like others we've pushed 80s this week setting record highs. Our poor flowers don't know what to do. They're trying to bloom!
I do miss the sled riding (just as p226 describes) and the snow angels. But we're heading to Charleston, WV for Xmas so maybe we'll see a little of the white stuff then.
I live in Colorado, and we have about a foot of the most perfect, each-flake-visible snow on the ground that you've ever seen. My cat, Musette, LOVES the snow. She has this outrageous puffy gray coat (hers, not one I put on her), and it makes her impervious to the cold. Fur even grows out between her toes in the winter. She has a pet door, but when I feel like she's been out too long, I call her and she comes bounding through the drifts like a little artic fox.
Joan,
I'm just north of Louisville, Ky. I remember the storm of 94 that shut Louisville down for a week. It didn't stop one of my neighbors though. He was outta beer and and 21 inches of snow was just a minor problem. It took him and another neighbor 7 hours to go and come back. They had to go to Louisville to get the beer because it was a MLK day and there were no alcohol sales that day in Indiana.
My mom sent me a link to a retired meterologist in UP of Michigan who is VERY accurate. When he mentions our area we should listen. This time he has in the 4-8 inch and the 3-5 inch categories. I REALLY hope this guy is wrong.
I've only seen snow once and never at Christmas! Very envious of you, Joanie T. Lovely post.
THose rum balls sound fantastic, btw! I'm going to make them for Christmas.
Hi, all. Sorry I've been away for a few hours...I've been scanning the sky for flakes. Looks like a promising cloud just over the river.
christyjan, bitter cold is hard to deal with but coming in from it into a toasty warm house is heavenly.
crystalgb. I agree, Kentucky hasn't had the snows we use to get. (I can remember one EASTER when we got 5 inches! Must have been in March).
Every year we have a columnist at the newspaper the Courier-Journal, Byron Crawford who collects all the folklorist's predictions for winter. This is so interesting and fun. Will the wolly worms predict a blizzard? Does the shovel shape in the persimmons mean 2 feet? How many fogs does it take in August to forecast a mild winter?
Cassondra, driving in the snow is a challenge but I for one am so thankful for the USPS workers who brave it to bring my mail. I LOVE me some mail (except bills LOL).
I'm ok with driving in the snow. I didn't get any particular instructions how, just from the necessity of having to go to work. I only got stuck one time during the '94 storm. Backed my Grand Prix out and plop....blocked the street. Two guys came out and got me going and then with my front wheel drive just putted right along.
Anna, I just got an image of your kitties curled up at the window looking at a winter wonderland. You snuggled up with your tea and a plate of brownies. No, wait! That part is MY ideal snow food. (I once made a pan of brownies and ate only the ones along the edge. I don't know why but that part is the best).
Ruth and Jenna. Sorry the winter blast has wiped away the wonder of the first snow. I can't do a lot of shoveling either which is why God created teenage boy neighbors. Throw brownies from the middle of the pan and they'll clean off the sidewalk too! :-)
mshellion Snow cream made from the first snow automatically negates pollution and/or egg worries. Now I'd recommend not using yellow snow :-)
Hi Sabrina and Terrio! Thanks for stopping by. I know as grown up adults you eschew the snow but what about as kids? Any fun snow memories?
Brr. I think I'd be perfectly happy never to see snow again. I could learn to decorate a palm tree for Christmas.
Esri said: I live in Colorado, and we have about a foot of the most perfect, each-flake-visible snow on the ground that you've ever seen.
Oh, I can just see it Esri! Pine trees and firs dusted with it.
My cat, Musette, LOVES the snow. She has this outrageous puffy gray coat (hers, not one I put on her)
LOL, my brother has an orange tabby, Citrus. He doesn't dress her up but does take her out on a leash once in a while. :-)
laura j How far north from Louisville? We have several members of Louisville Romance Writers who live there.
Yes, that storm did wreck some havoc. I was stuck at the hospital for 3 days. Finally begged a ride home to be sure my water pipes hadn't froze, check on my Mom be sure she had plenty of .....milk and bread. :-)
Hi, Christine! (Waving madly). I'm sorry you haven't gotten to see much snow. If you eat enough rum balls you can imagine there are snowmen dancing around your house :-)
Trish,
At Garden Ridge I did see a small lighted palm tree!!!! It was pretty cute!
Snow is fine in Christmas specials but I prefer it to be warmer since it is difficult to get everything done before Christmas when the roads are a mess.
Snow cream? The closest I have come to that is the kind Mayfield makes and sells now. It is actually called Snow Cream.
The GR says hello! But he must have brought some cold weather here...the weatherman says it might only be in the 40s this weekend.
And, Caren, I totally feel you on the whole "Let it rain!" thing...GA needs rain desperately.
No brownies, Joan - but I did succumb to one of hubbie's cupcakes *grin*.
Congrats on the GR, Jennifer!
Ah, loved the post, JT. That first snow is so thrilling. We lived in Idaho four years and it was great fun. Unless we wanted to drive our car, an old VW which wouldn't turn over until the weather warmed up.
I really did have to walk to school in the snow!
And vanilla, Cassondra. Don't forget to add the vanilla to the snow cream!
I've already had my first snow of the year. We're expecting freezing rain here in the next day or so. Would rather have the snow it's easier to drive on than hitting black ice. I hate winter!
Our lovely snow has turned to horrid freezing rain - uggh.
Snow is something I miss around Christmas here in Florida from when I used to live in New York. The rest of the winter months I am happy to do without it but it is so special at Christmas. Thanks for sharing the recipe. It sounds delicious.
Oh how I wish the ick we had here today had been snow. Cold drizzle in the 30s. But I called my mom in upstate NY and they were calling for 6-10 inches today and another 6-10 this weekend! Woohoo, that means there will at least be snow on the ground when we go up there for Xmas!
Joan, those rum ball sound so good! I haven't made any in years.
Oh Joan, I'm soooooo jealous. We do get one, maybe two snows a year down here in Dallas.
It's fun to watch Rocky-the-wonder-dog stand outside in it. He sort of sniffs the air, and I can just see his little doggy brain working. I imagine he's saying. "Wait, I remember this stuff. It's cold. It's wet. It's fun to chase the squirrels in!)
I miss that first snow we'd get when I was home in Ohio. Big fat flakes gently falling. Even my one neighbor's yard that looked like a small version of Sanford & Son's dump took on a pristine look of white sculpture! SIGH.
The Rum balls sound delicious!
I'm in PA and we've already had our "first". People cancel for the smallest amount but next time around it will be the norm for the rest of the winter. I do like to see snow on the ground for Christmas and if I never had to go outside and shovel or drive in it, I would love it a lot more!
JoMama said:
And vanilla, Cassondra. Don't forget to add the vanilla to the snow cream!
Jo, do you have a real recipe? IS THERE a real recipe--you know, proportions for good snow cream? If you do, will you post it?
And this will be my first year in a minivan. This one is supposed to be front-wheel drive. I understand that's supposed to be better in snow than rear-wheel drive, but I've never driven one of these on slick roads...we'll see....(crosses fingers)
Your blog today is timely. Since moving to a better clime I no longer have to fight the elements. It took me well over 40 years to finally leave the winter behind. I do not miss it at all. I love the heat and sunshine and blue skies.
I grew up with snow but as years pass there is less and less here in WV. We did have the year we had 12 inches dumped one day and another 12 the next, that was exciting. At the time we burned wood to heat the house, hubby was in SC working and it was just me and my daughter. I literally dug tunnels out to the wood pile so I could use a wagon to get the wood to the house. My daughter was in heaven. I kept losing her in the snow.
Maureen, it's true it does make an awful mess but with that very, first snow I don't really mind.
Now if we have a second, third, fifteenth snow...well, then.
Anna S said: No brownies, Joan - but I did succumb to one of hubbie's cupcakes *grin*.
Hmmm...I'd never heard it called that before. Is that a hockey term? VBG. Our Anna S. writes fabulous stories with hockey player heros. Can't wait to read them!
Jo, you walked to school? In the snow? Fess up, the school was next door right? I had less appreciation for the wonder of winter myself when I lived in my apartment and had to scrape my car in the morning and yup, sometimes the cold was just too much for that Mustang's battery.
Tetewa, I'm in total agreement about freezing rain. Sleet is better than freezing rain. Stay safe!
Snow cream's on Christie! But be careful. Sounds like if you made snow angels we wouldn't be able to find you until the spring thaw!
Suz, I thought Texas got a bit more snow than Kentucky? It is fun to watch animals manuever around in it. The neighbors across the street from me have a huge black Lab. The contrast is cool as he bounces around chasing imaginary snow squirrels.
Back in the late '70's we had a huge 24 inch snowstorm. A local DJ started a running joke about "snow sharks". Hilarious with people calling in from all over with sightings...
Catslady, Christmas snow is the best! Miracles happen in Christmas snow.
petite, I too love the sunshine and the blue skies though I've only visited places (i.e. Florida) when it was "officially" time for that type of weather. A lot of psychological imprinting.
hrdwrkdmom. How old was your daughter at the time? LOL. Glad you found her.
I remember my mom used to do this recipe... but she used coconut instead of rum :)
lily,
I'm sure they make a tasty snack even without the spirits.
Joan, I'm in Sellersburg/Clarksville area.
lily said:
I remember my mom used to do this recipe... but she used coconut instead of rum :)
Haha! Maybe we should try this with COCONUT RUM! Yummmmmm!
Hey, laura j! Can you see me waving?
You're only a hop, skip and a jump over a long bridge I can't drive over, snow or sun away from me!
Ahhhhh....coconut rum. Nice.
I'm also experimenting with Bailey's Irish Cream Fudge.
Who needs milk and bread? :-)
Joan, Would that be the bridge(s) that we will never see get built? I try to avoid the Kennedy Bridge as much as possible. That bridge scares the begeeses (sp?) out of me.
Do you or have you ever been to The Bookstore in Radcliff? Deb has author signings there and she is an absolutely wonderful person.
(I'm waving back at you)
Joan, ooh, love that recipe for rum balls. Anything rum, and I'm game. Hot buttered rum, anyone??
That pic of the GR in the snow is too cute. I can imagine the astonishment going on in that tiny brain of his.
Huge snow falls are always fun. In college, all the cafeteria trays would disappear, because everyone, professors including, would be out whizzing down the slopes.
Pam: You rode a HORSE to town? Oh my! I'm sure the cops must've wondered if they accidentally stepped through a time warp. You have the bestest stories!!!
Hey laura!
Any of the bridges. I can't drive over them. I fall into "phobia land" if I do.
Yes! I've been to The Bookstore in Radcliffe several times. Debbie is fantastic and so is the store. VERY romance friendly!
I've decided when I am published I want my first booksigning to be there :-)
Hi, Keira!
Yes, I tried one of the rum balls tonight. Good thing I don't have to drive. Woo...stronger than I thought. Or maybe I'm just not the rum type. More like the Sangria type!
Cassondra, I had the same thought - coconut rum! Actually, I don't much care for rum, but would love some vodka balls. And some brownie edges - they are the best, Joan! *g*
Joan, you will be sorry you ever invited me to Kentucky. I will bring bread and milk and demand that you make scones!
We had 20 inches of absolutely-unheard-of snow here in Raleigh one year. 1999? January 2000, maybe? I swear, it was about the only snow we've had since moving to Raleigh in 1990 and we have had none since. Last winter, it didn't snow, sleet nor rain. Which of course is part of the reason we have such horrible drought conditions. It is supposed to be wet in winter!
Also, no ice and snow in the mountains means no spring runoff and no water downhill of the mountains. And I live in the Piedmont (which, in French, means the foot of the mountain). Ah, well.
Ah, Caren lass...I'd make scones for you faster than the heartbeat of a leprechaun....
And then make you go to Ireland with me!
Hey, maybe we need to investigate on the percentage of snowfall on the Emerald Isle? On those palm trees that grow in the southwest part of the country.
Yup, you heard right. Palm trees in Ireland.
Caren, I'll keep my fingers crossed that we get lots of snow this winter in the mountains, so y'all in the Piedmont region benefit from the spring runoff. I know that the rivers are so low here and the drought isn't as bad here as it is where you are.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Yes, Keira, but you have to realize that Wetumpka is a very small town in rural Alabama. I think my point was also made when I rode back and passed four car accidents on the eight miles back home. And my horse was a Tennessee Walker / quarter horse cross. Riding him was like sitting in a rocking chair and nothing spooked him. Of course he was 17 years old a the time. If you have seen the movie Big Fish or The Grass Harp, you have seen Wetumpka. Much of both were filmed in "downtown" Wetumpka!
Oh, Cassondrda, how funny. I think anyone who's ever made Snow Cream, by definition doesn't have a recipe. They are too busy being sure they don't get yellow snow LOL.
I haven't made this since 1970, so this is a gestimate. Mix 3 cups of sugar and 2 tablespoons of vanilla with 1 quart of milk (cream is better or even half and half). I usually just taste it to get the flavor right.
You scrap the crusty layer off the snow and then scoop out about 2 quarts of snow (be sure you don't go down too deep unless you like the flavor of dirt :-D) That's why you need a big snow fall to make Snow Cream.
Add the snow to the mixture. You have to mix it all very quickly before the ice melts and "waters" down the other ingredients.
Gently stir with a wire whip. It should be slushy. If you want you can stick it in the freezer just to firm it up a little.
But you need to eat it quickly!
Snow cream looks like just an excuse to eat sugar and cream. :)
Pam, I wikied your town. Perhaps, the cops thought you were part of a Hollywood cinema-in-the-making!
Joan--When you get published and have your signing at Deb's I'll be there!!!!
I hate the bridges too. I can say I don't exactly follow the speed limit when crossing any of them. Growing up in So Ind back when there were no decent stores to shop at over here, we had to go to Louisville. (My dad thought we could find everything over here, we just didn't tell him that we were shopping in Louisville while he was at work). It was sad that I knew my way around Louisville better than I did Clarksville. Now that we are getting major stores to build over here I don't get to Louisville quite as much. Unfortunately we still don't have a major book store like Borders or B&N so I still "have" to go to Louisville.
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