Hello Mr. Salamander

Willow's Snow Pics

We still haven't dug ourselves out from the blizzard of  '11, and received even more snow yesterday.  As always, Willow was ready with the camera, to document the whole thing.

Snowcream

Today was all about the snowcream. 

Some people may think making ice cream out of snow is a terrible idea.  What about pollutants in the air?  What about bacteria?  Well, to that, i suggest giving up fresh spinach and other foods known to occasionally poison people.  Or just relax and take your chances, because life is dangerous and fun.

First, i made a wine snowcone, because i can.

Then i went for the real thing.

1 large bowl of fresh, clean snow
2 cups heavy cream
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Just mix everything together and stick it in the freezer to set back up while your little snow-fetchers change into dry clothes.

It's worth every carb.

But if you're lactose intolerant or refuse to eat large amounts of refined sugar, i offer instead the alternative snowcream:

I can of coconut milk, 2 tsp vanilla, and a couple tsp xylitol mixed into a medium bowl of snow.

Let it not be said that i'm not flexible!

Snowpocalypse

Well, not quite as the weather predicted, but we did get a lot of snow for southwest Missouri.

Out the front door

The back

The driveway...somewhere...

Our street

The main street

But we started our day with Little House on the Prairie.

Then we did a project with the flowers Dale has given me over the years

We pressed the dried petals onto contact paper

Ember was distraught when she realized the flowers were in fact dead.

Willow posed with hers

Ryvre's--it looks like petals scattered on the table, which is what i was going for

The contact paper didn't stick as well as i had hoped it would; i had to finish the edges with packing tape, and the above is the result of Ember shaking hers up and dragging it around the house.  Oh well, it's sort of like a flat, petal-filled snow-globe.

Our snack: strawberry chardonnay cheddar with fresh strawberries (i suggest eating them with graham crackers--tastes like cheesecake, minus the sweetness)

Willow needs more than one craft per day.

Ready to brave the blizzard

The road didn't get plowed, but we still got mail!

Willow slid down everything

Who needs a sled?  We have plastic cutting boards!

But some would rather tumble down the hill than slide.

Apologies

My apologies for blogging in the past again; it's been busy around here!  I should get all caught up in one go though, so the feeds of my followers will only be flooded for a short time.

Edit: finished!  

Winter Swim

It was unseasonably warm today, so the kids begged to go to the (indoor) pool at Daddy's work.

New Shoes

Reasonably priced kids' shoes tend to be flimsy and ridiculously decorated.  And the more decorated and less sturdy, the more expensive.  My husband's solution: find a very boring but well-made and inexpensive white pair, and let the kid decorate them herself. 

Here's the result:

$5 shoes from Payless + a box of colored Sharpies we already had = shoes for Ember