Thursday, January 07, 2010

Snow and cooking and keeping the faith...



Christopher arrived home safe and sound at Midnight last night.  Thankfully, the heavy snow had not begun as he and his friends drove back from "The City".  They had gone to see Avatar in 3D at the IMAX and thought the technology to be amazing.

However, the snow continued to fall throughout the night and the roads were quite treacherous this morning.  For the first time since he has been driving, he ended up in a ditch which later took the tow truck guy over twenty minutes of work to rescue the Buick.  His dad rescued him and drove him to work before returning home to call the tow truck and join them on the county road when they were (finally) available.  We have recommended to our son seriously considering staying with his friend on campus tonight if possible.

I could not believe it when I saw the county schools were not even on a two hour delay (much less canceled) so I wasn't surprised to hear there was a school bus accident.  Good grief, the Interstates were closed!  The school systems have taken unnecessary risks ever since (years ago) it was decided the schools had to be open a certain number of days each year or they had to make up the time in the end of the school year.

Believe me, there were more numerous days than I can count when I looked at the yellow school buses making their way through some "serious" road conditions and I was very happy to be homeschooling Christopher.  Off my soapbox now...

While I do not like driving in this kind of weather, I love looking from the inside out.  It is breathtakingly beautiful here at the edge of a forest.  As I look across the county road, the red barn has a lovely snowy scarf which reminds me a little of the lacy head covering my late sister, Alice, wore when she was a part of the Catholic church.  :)


So... besides waiting up late for Christopher and taking care of Victoria (who is still a tad quieter than normal but much, much better...), what have I been doing?  This kind of weather brings out my inner chef.  When I was at the grocery store yesterday to purchase milk, I noticed they had their rotisserie chickens on a very nice sale so two of them found their way in my cart.  When on sale, they are a very frugal option.  They provided chicken breasts for two meals and a batch of tasty chicken noodle soup.

Earlier this week, I was pondering food options as I washed dishes and looked out the window at the rather forlorn scenery.  Dinner was going to be very simple so what could I do to add a little fun for the guys?  The first food that came to mind was pumpkin pie!  I had all the ingredients except for a premade pie crust and I really didn't feel like whipping up even a simple crust that day.

So... I baked the spicy pie filling in a graham cracker crust.  Now, you must realize that both the guys are very (very) stick-in-the-mud traditional.  Once they got over the change in crust, they enjoyed their unexpected favorite dessert very much.  :)

All of this as life is lived in the midst of storms (weather and personal).  Of course, there were the challenges with Victoria's unexplained illness.  I appreciated your prayers and suggestions (which are going to be copied as soon as I get a chance).  There have come the usual causes of tension which threaten to steal all joy and make life overcast with clouds and dark moods.  People who are less than perfect, things that break down, living in an imperfect world.

Joy has come only by a decision to draw closer to the Source.  A healthy kitty does help, of course.  :)

13 comments:

Scrappy quilter said...

We are having extremely cold weather here. At least it isn't snowing. Like you though, I love watching it snow when I'm inside. Everything is so white and pretty. When the sun shines on it, it always reminds me of twinkling diamonds.

I'm baking today too. Too cold to do much else. Hugs

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Brenda dear,

Thanks for mentioning my newest blog post!

I love dropping in on you and yours. The snow makes my chicken California blood run cold. I worked out in my garden all morning, barefoot and in my nightgown. Sorry, didn't mean to rub it in.

Fondly,

Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

Anonymous said...

Brenda,
I so enjoyed this post! I agree about school taking chances. I to was so blessed to be able to homeschool my daughter Kacy! I think you are right about this weather. It brings a sense of home and cozy to me. I bet your pie was great!! I am so glad that Victoria is feeling better. I know what you mean about storms. We have recently removed ourselves from a very drama filled situations. We now choose to keep people from using us as dumping grounds for that garbage. i want to be there for folks but after so much, due to their poor choices time and time again. We said enough. We too choose Joy and Peace.
I appreciate your blog very much!!
Blessings,
Julie

matty said...

Brenda,

So glad Christopher was safe! This is the kind of weather that ages Mothers with worry!

I love your pie suggestion. In my world that is a perfect dessert. One can never have too much graham cracker crust! LOL

Stay in, stay warm, stay content.

Warmly,

Matty

Anita said...

It's been snowing hard here in Michigan all day. But I love it. Of course being retired allows me to enjoy being inside looking outside.

Beth said...

Joy has come only by a decision to grow closer to the Source. Such wisdom in that sentence. I'm writing that in my book of quotes.

Your pumpkin pie story reminded me of when my brother and I were young. My mom would make pumpkin pie for my dad as it is his favorite dessert. But the recipe was just a tad too much filling for her pie crust, so she would spoon equal portions (of course!) into 2 small custard dishes and bake them alongside the pie. Oh what a treat that was for my brother and me! Mom called it pumpkin pie pudding.

Anonymous said...

(It's me!)

Pie crust is my least favorite part of pumpkin pie (always seems to be soggy on the bottom)...so I say ditch the crust and make pumpkin "custard" and top with lots of whipped cream!! :)

Your Daughter

Anonymous said...

Brenda, I just had to tell you, the picture of the young wife in her vintage kitchen is hanging in my kitchen but it is a "Better Homes and Gardens" magazine, June 1939, price, $.10! I also have the "Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook" that she is holding under her arm.

I am so glad we have a God who cares about kitties!

Friend Debra

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

Drawing close to the source of JOY...it's our only option isn't it. How beautiful that He made the way for us to do so.

Stephanie's suggestion of pumpkin custard sounds wonderful!

Stay warm, I hope that your kitty is well.

Heather Anne said...

I spent some time 'off road' today too - even our new tires and heavy vehicle couldn't keep a good grip on the ramp to the interstate this morning - we were praising God that I drove away just fine, and all is well, but many others did not fare so well! I'm glad your Christopher is alright - it is a bit unnerving.
Your encouraging words on my post about our Storyteller warmed my heart and made my husband smile! I have days when I am so tempted to throw in the towel with my ADHD 'poster child' and give in to our doctor's pressure to medicate, but these little milestones just show me God's faithfulness again. It is a blessing to watch both children grow and mature! I'm excited about God's plan for our blessings!

Adrienne said...

Hi, Brenda -
I have been 'peeking' in to see what you're doing but haven't added many comments. I'm thankful that your son was OK. Love your thoughts about drawing close to the Source. That's the only place to be - a Shelter in the time of storm! Or sunshine.
~Adrienne~

gail said...

Lovely post Rhonda. We are in the midst of rather hot weather here in Eastern Australia. I'm actually looking forward to some cooler weather. I know what you mean be dark days, I also need to remind myself at times to draw neat to the source of my joy.

Blessings and keep warm. Gail

Tracey McBride ~ Frugal Luxuries® said...

Good morning Brenda! I pray this is finding you warm and cozy. I wanted to let you know that I am really excited to try your graham cracker crumb crust with a pumpkin pie filling! What a clever simple solution for a quick and delicious dessert. I imagine that the flavors go together beautifully. Your family is so lucky to have you creating such a haven for them.
God Bless.
Warmly,
Tracey
x0x
P.S. I'm glad to hear your sweet little Victoria continues to improve.