And now it’s really cold. And I’m behind because it’s already the next week, and I have travel to tell you about. I’ll get on that Real Soon Now.
Anyways, the weather prediction was for 8 inches of heavy wet snow on Tuesday, so on Monday evening they decided to close school. Then things were looking snowy again for Friday, so they called that one too. I think everyone wanted an extra long weekend for MLK day.
The Tuesday snow was disappointing – mostly slush. Heavy but not that much trouble to clean. We did get probably 7 inches by the time it was all over late Tuesday night/Wednesday morning.
The Friday snow was the real deal – still really heavy, and it was windy and drifty and the snow continued well into Saturday.
We shoveled twice, 2 people for an hour each time, Friday night and Saturday morning. The city, unfortunately, did not plow much on Friday or Saturday. And then it got really cold with the result that the city streets are sheets of ice. Lots of complaining going on. On the 18th the city posted this:
On Friday after our first shovel, we walked to the coffee place – and got soaked. That heavy wet stuff. The cafe was not crowded and we enjoyed sitting there drinking coffee and trying to dry out before walking home. I put our coats in the dryer when we got back.
View out the front window at Colectivo on the Friday snow day
The snow was wet and it was windy and we got this weird curly snow around the new gutters.
Later Mark cleaned off his car and figured that might make the snow come down. It didn’t. Next week when it warms up I’m going to borrow my neighbor’s roof rake and see if I can get some if it off.
We have been enjoying the blue skies and sun since it got so cold. And then all of a sudden this coming Monday it’s going to warm up. That seems to be the thing about these climate-change winters in Wisconsin: it gets really cold but it can’t stay cold.
Frigid on January 15th, then way warmer the next week
Somewhere in there, snowbound, I made Nutella scones. They got eaten fast; Mark and Pia liked them. Me a little less so. They’re too plain white & seemed a little doughy to me.
Closeup to really show the Nutella swirl
I’m trying to think of other cooking adventures. I made fried rice to use up all the veggies in the veggie drawer before we left for our weekend travel – more on that in the next post. Particularly the $3+ peapods I bought at Whole Foods for this slaw. Pia liked the fried rice a lot. I’ve been trying to make more gluten free stuff since her friend who eats gluten free has been coming over more. Oh, yea, not only did I make the caramel cornflake bars again, reducing the butter to one stick, I made peanut butter chocolate-topped rice krispie treats. And, turkey chili and the taco casserole I was talking about after I made the refried beans with Babybel cheese in them, for the Huevos Rancheros. No pics of the bars, or the chili, or the casserole.
Since we were busy shoveling on Saturday morning we didn’t go to the indoor Farmer’s Market. And the pick up market was closed. Instead I figured I’d do groceries on Sunday morning after Susan & I went to the Y and had coffee. I pulled into the co-op parking lot about 10:15, thinking wow it’s really empty, and it turned out they were closed due to unforeseen circumstances. I suspect either not enough staff could get there or else maybe a pipe, or something else, broke because of the cold.
George warming up my coat for me before I went out into the cold Sunday morning
Anyways I went and did the shopping at Metcalfe’s and that was OK. I made pumpkin pancakes and some Johnsonville maple-flavored sausage patties that were a little saltier than the local meats we’re used to. Still made in WI but a bit more commercial.
Never took any pics of the pancakes when we had them Sunday – this is the cakes reheated on Wednesday when I got back from a long walk
And here’s another weekday breakfast, from our below zero week – I think this one is Tuesday. That’s the day I volunteered at the food pantry on the east side, then drove over the icy streets to the west side to get more kitten kibble, and go to the Y for e-gym. And put gas in the car. I was glad not to drive anywhere else after that. I stayed home and made the turkey chili mentioned above.
To close here’s a recent pic of Jasper at Grandma Linda’s. I tried to get his droopy bangs into that little ponytail myself the last time he was over, on MLK day (also a no-pics day) but I couldn’t do it, not with a twist tie, nor with a hair tie. Grandma Linda allowed as how it took 2 people to do it: one to hold Jasper & the other to fasten the ponytail. He got a haircut the following Saturday so I guess I won’t need to learn how after all.
