Storm!

Forget about watches and warnings, the storm is here. It didn't sound like a storm had hit when I awoke this morning. Living in a brick house does cushion much of the sound unless it is a humdinger of a thunderstorm...or blizzard. It seems the storm arrived around Midnight and it has just begun to turn into a full fledged blizzard, I'm beginning to actually hear the wind.

Those in the know began talking late Sunday evening about blizzard possibilities, which changed everything in my mind. I began a mental list of things that needed to be accomplished in case we could not get out for a few days. So my Monday schedule began early yesterday by driving to the bigger city close to us to drop off our broken router at the main UPS building so it would arrive on time (and we would not be charged $100 if it didn't).

While in town, I stopped at Target since it carries items I cannot get closer to me (like the Viva paper towels made for vertical paper towel holders). They had Valentine's Hershey's Kisses on sale so I bought a package of their dark chocolate with raspberry (they were pretty), a package of their chocolate with almonds (for my hubby), and their regular chocolate kisses (for my son). I'll "sprinkle" them on the dinner table as a decoration tomorrow and place some in my cut glass candy dish that I inherited from my mother-in-law.

That's about it for Valentine's day decorations with these two guys. I still have the pretty mum's plant that I picked out for the flowers my husband promised me earlier (they look like daisies). I'll use them as a centerpiece. I'm also going to try a recipe I've had in my files for years which I think will be festive, it is a brownie cheesecake recipe that I'm going to add a chocolate ganache on the top. I'll post it on my blog file if it turns out.

While "in town", I decided I'd better purchase a few extra grocery items...those that would come in handy if we lost power (more peanut butter & jelly, deli sliced ham and turkey, Colby cheese, Triscuits, a package of Keebler Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies for...uh...my son.). :)

It's interesting how what we consider being prepared can change with circumstances. When we were expecting heavy snows and just a "winter storm", I really didn't think about losing power. However, put the word BLIZZARD in my brain and that was the first thing I considered, especially living in a rural area.

I had put off baking bread due to wheat "issues". There was only a small amount of wheat in the container which I keep in the kitchen so that meant my husband was going to have to open the big container in the garage. (I have ground organic wheat for about ten years since it is good for my husband's immune system.) He was quite happy to do this for me this morning so he could get some homemade bread. In cold weather, I always grind enough wheat to fill up my "vintage" Tupperware flour canister (it wasn't considered vintage when I bought it thirty years ago)...sigh. I don't worry about it going rancid like I do in hot weather (I keep it in the refrigerator then).

With the possibility of a power outage, I ground enough flour to make two loaves of bread today (one a nice half whole wheat-half white bread flour loaf made with warmed milk, honey, and butter to enjoy today and the other made with all whole wheat flour, honey, water, and olive oil for my husband to use for breakfast each day) and then more flour to fill the canister. When I finish at the computer, I'm going to make orange cranberry quick bread and the dessert for tomorrow's Valentine's day dinner for the guys (which will either be roast beef with mashed potatoes or ham sandwiches). That way everything I need the oven for will be baked. (By the way, I have posted my favorite bread machine recipe on my recipe blog, I've used it for many years.)

So I'm off to the kitchen to cook, bake, and then enjoy another cup of coffee. Once all is done and the dishes washed, I can read for awhile. I started the Bible in 90 Days Program of reading yesterday, along with others who listen to a Moody radio station. So I'll have my nose in the Good Book, along with journeying back to 1776, and finishing back to freedom and dignity by Francis Schaeffer (he's the one who put it all small letters in the title). Hmmm...add to that my daily reading of My Utmost For His Highest, my daily reading in Proverbs, and a couple of reports my son has written for schoolwork...I think I'll cuddle up on the sofa with a good tea in a thermos instead of a teapot, a throw to put around me, a slice of warm bread when it is finished...and enjoy being snowed in. Perhaps even taking a break to watch Narnia on DVD. Might as well enjoy being warm and cozy inside.