SNOW DAY!!!

WOO HOO SNOW DAY!!!!  Today is the first "Snow Day" of the year..... and it's only January 7th!!!  I'm sitting here watching these huge gorgeous snow flakes falling..... reminds of flour being sifted!  And for some reason.... it always seems sooooo quiet and peaceful when it is snowing..... that is if you are inside snug and warm while you watch it.

If you have to be out and about in bad weather.... I doubt you would think it is anything but quiet and peaceful!  I always tell my girls at the start of each winter to make sure they have the essentials on hand in their car at all times..... just in case!  The essentials are.... a blanket, a bottle of water and some sort of snack, like crackers, chips, cookies.... anything that you can nibble on if you do get stuck and/or stranded.  Keep warm, hydrated and fed until help arrives.

I personally LOVE snow days because I don't have to get out in the mess.  Ever since I was a little girl I always thought snow days were sooo magical.  It was like a free day off that was always spent as a family day.... playing games, working puzzles, building snowmen and/or forts, snow ball fights, sledding/tobogganing and making snow cream.  Today I have a pot of bean soup simmering, and will make some snow cream later.  My youngest daughter just moved home from LA and the one thing she really missed living in LA was snow and snow cream.  It's a family tradition to make snow cream on snow days..... kinda like having turkey for Thanksgiving.

My best wishes are with those of you who have to endure the bad weather and not get to enjoy the day snug at home with family.  But for those of you who do get to stay home with your families, take the time to enjoy the magic of the day and the memories you will make.  Bake some cookies, make some snow cream, play games together, or hunker down with a good book, but be sure to enjoy the specialness of a free day off.  New fallen snow is always so beautiful and sparkly clean... I do love the snow.

SNOW CREAM..... is basically snow + sugar + cream/milk/condensed milk.  Gather clean snow..... put a pan outside to collect the snow as it falls, or gather fresh snow from a clean area.... but always sit your pan outside first, the pan must be cold or the snow will melt to fast, making snow slush instead of snow cream... to the snow add sugar..... lots of it!.... and mix with milk, cream or best yet.... sweetened condensed milk.... stir and taste until it looks and tastes like homemade ice cream.  It won't be the consistency of ice cream you buy in the store, but it will be the consistency of homemade ice cream..... and tastes just like homemade ice cream too!  Not hard to make......you can't mess it up.... you either keep adding snow, sugar or cream/milk/condensed milk until it looks and tastes right.  It's that simple.  The snow cream can be topped with chocolate syrup, berries or any other topping you would put on ice cream.  Hope you try this and I hope you like it.

Happy Snow Day!!!!