Sometimes we have weekends that make me feel like we're homesteaders, like for reelz homesteaders. Of course, anyone who actually lives in the wilderness would wildly disagree, but you can humor me, can't you? Of course you can...
This weekend was slated to be the first winter storm weekend of the year. Winter storm alerts! Icy conditions! Subzero temps! Stay off the roads!
I had big homestead plans for Saturday morning. Mike agreed to take charge of the kids while I made a huge batch of butternut squash-apple soup. This recipe makes probably two gallons of soup. Ina Garten doesn't disappoint (what did I tell you? Homesteading? Ina Garten? you know you made the mental leap just like I did :-) and after a couple of hours of chopping and pureeing, I put the soup in some bags for the freezer and headed out to get some sourdough bread to accompany it. Right? Homesteading? Quick trip just for the sourdough? Just like the pilgrims!
Then Mike took his turn by putting his woodworking skillz to good use. He headed out to the garage for a few hours to tackle Abe's Christmas present - a train table! There were a few frustrations, but he finally finished it up (minus the painting) by the end of the afternoon. It is awesome. We'll post pictures later.
And what would a good homesteader do after this? Head out to McCormick Place for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation fundraiser? Um... sure.
Okay, so this is where we had a quick diversion. Mike's firm had purchased a table for this event and we had scheduled a babysitter for the night so we could go eat a nice dinner, enjoy some adult conversation and listen to Hall and Oates play a concert. YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT. Hall and Oates was the big act and we were dying to see them.
But wait - that winter storm we were waiting for? It was scheduled to hit us right as were eating dinner. We did drive into the city and enjoy dinner, but we waited until 10 pm for Mssrs Hall and Oates and when they still hadn't started playing, we threw in the towel and headed home. The roads were fine, but it looked like a blizzard was starting and I get very nervous about being out in weird weather.
We returned to the homestead. Via highway. In a car with seat warmers.
Sunday morning we played hooky from church because the "blizzard" (not really, but it was like 50 mile/hr winds) was in full effect. I had intended to make Christmas cookies at some point, but decided to just make a huge double batch on Sunday with Mike at home to help with Abe.
Homesteading strikes again! We made cookies all morning long. I didn't count them, but I'm guessing we made nearly four dozen. I'd like to just tip my hat to the Kitchenaid stand mixer because it held a double recipe of sugar cookie dough.
Before:
After:
And after baking and icing til we'd gone stir crazy, we decided to bundle up and head out and deliver our cookies to the neighbors. I know it doesn't make much sense to wrap up a three-year old and take her out in a blizzard, but, um... well, sometimes we homesteaders do weird things.
We delivered cookies to eight neighbors. Anna was a total sport, wanting to "trudge" through the snow and visit people, but she was freezing by the end so I just walked her back to the house and finished the deliveries myself. The wind was brutal, but it was nice to get outside and get some fresh air. I know that Kate will probably pass out when I say this, but I've actually been looking forward to winter. Don't ask me why, but the summer was too hot and too long for me. I was ready for the snow.
This was such a wonderful cozy weekend. There are just some moments that I feel like are winter moments. Soup. Staying in your pjs all day. Listening to the radio and drinking coffee late into the morning. This was that kind of a weekend and I loved it. Winter will be long, I'm sure, but for now, we're soaking it in. Each cozy moment.
3 comments:
This sounds like a wonderful weekend and I really wish that I was one of your neighbors!
I wish I was your neighbor!!
Nice post, little miss homesteader. It made me feel like I need an attitude adjustment b/c I did some of these same activities (namely, baking cookies, other holiday stuff) but felt overworked and tired all weekend. I think I "picked up" and cleaned the kitchen like 1,000,000 times. I still feel like we struggle to keep up with the basics and then wonder how you (we/anyone) could take on bigger stuff like constructing a train table in the garage. Sometimes I think I must be doing something wrong.
As to your winter romanticizing... I hear you. I mean, it was totally picturesque this weekend, baking with Christmas music playing in the background, watching snowflakes drift down outside the window. Problem is I find this decreasingly romantic by the time it's um, April, or May, or June, and still damn cold. December winter I'm fine with. By the end of January I will be longing for it to be over!
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