Snow Day Two!

Wow, a second snow day! Because tomorrow and next Monday were already going to be days off from school, that means we are having a 6-day weekend!

Yesterday Erin and Isaac spent more time outdoors than indoors- quite a feat considering that it was either sleeting or snowing until around 4-ish. Sometime around 3 Jim discovered a need that only Lowes could meet and, considering that the snow plows had been back and forth until we could see pavement, Jim suited up and raised the garage door. Alas, the driveway was covered by a foot of snow! So he took up arms, (in this case- the snow shovel) and spent the next three hours getting half of our circular drive cleared. Kate helped with a garden shovel, which is a frustratingly slow way to clear a driveway. Remembering that ours is the only driveway on our street that is level with the road, instead of an uphill pull to it, helps some, I suppose. The trip to Lowes was eventually accomplished and we now have another snow shovel besides the other stuff Jim needed.

The girls went with Jim to help him navigate the grocery store where they picked up the ingredients for two more soups to keep our insides warm over the next few days. Bekah will be making a Potato Soup from her Italian cookbook and I'll put together a White Chicken Chili that is absolutely Scrumdiddlyumptious! I'll post the Chili recipe here since I know you'll love it too!

Simply Marvelous White Chicken Chili

From Annie Sallade

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 ½ tsp. Butter

1 C diced Onion

2 C diced Celery

2 C chopped Red, Yellow and/or Green Pepper (your choice)

2 cloves minced Garlic

1 tsp minced jalapeno

1 7oz bottle of Beer

1 can diced Tomatoes

1 can Kidney or Pinto Beans

1 can Chicken Broth

½ lb. Chicken, cooked and diced, (4 – 5 breasts)

1 ½ tsp Chili Powder

3 tsp. Sugar

2 tsp. Sea Salt

1 ½ tsp. Pepper

1 ½ tsp. Onion Powder

1 dash Tabasco

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

¼ tsp. Celery Salt

½ tsp. Cayenne Powder

¾ C. Milk

6 Tbsp Half-n-Half combined with 3 Tbsp Cornstarch

In a large stock pot, gently sauté the onion, celery, pepper, garlic, and jalapeno in the oil and butter for about 15 minutes. Add beer, tomatoes, beans and chicken. Then add seasonings, sugar, broth, and Tabasco. Bring to a boil and add milk and cornstarch mixture, stirring to combine well. Lower heat to a low simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring often. Adjust the amounts to your taste, add more broth if it gets too thick, and be sure to serve with a loaf of wonderful bread! Yum, yum, yum!

Finally, I'll add that I will be heading out on the roads myself today in order to get snow pants for Kate and Bekah, who are joining the school's ski club for a "field trip" tomorrow. Gotta keep our girlies warm and dry! I also need to call about rescheduling Emmi's "fix". She's figured out that we're not hiding any Toms in the house and is getting curious about who might be outside...