Winter Weather, Winter Food

Hi.  Just more ramblings today.  I thought I would start with the local weather report.  We have the first Winter Storm Watch of the season for tomorrow and Saturday.  There is apparently a big blow coming up from the Gulf.  The moisture will come up and collide with the cold air here, and poof...Snow!  Like many of these forecasts, things change and we end up not getting anything, so as usual I'll believe it when I see it.

I'll be staying on top of the forecast and following the progress on the radar.  Now I really don't care for cold weather and the bitter windy days of winter.  However, I have always liked snow, especially long walks like I used to take with my Mom.  We had such fun walking in the woods with the snow clinging to the pine trees.  One time we even took my sled and went sledding down the path made by trail bikes.  It was hazardous to say the least, but thankfully we never crashed.  Alas, those days are gone, and so are those woods.  They are now a housing development with no sign of their former beauty.

Speaking of cold, snowy weather, it is time to break out the soup pots.  Playing in or shoveling snow builds up a big appetite, and soups and stews are a warming, filling antidote for the chilly-willies.  This is where the crockpot comes in handy.  Just toss in a chuck roast, some onions and carrots, flip the switch and you've got a hot satisfying dinner in the making.  What I did the other day was take some of the broth from the roast and made a gravy.  I whipped up some mashed potatoes and it was pure deliciousness on a plate.  A hearty, healthy, homemade dinner can be quick and easy when you let the slow cooker do the work for you.  Dig in, everyone.