| below zero. |

This post doesn't really have anything to do with the fact that it is ten or eleven degrees below zero, but is more a quick update since my last one was just recipes and in the words of my brother who happens to be standing over me examining my every word, "extremely boring." Funny since just ten minutes ago he was watching a cooking video with my sister? I had pics I had wanted to do for a while, but up until this point I have been too busy to waste more time on the Web. :) 

I guess the reason that I have had a little more free time this week is because two days after I wrote the last post I woke up with acute appendicitis, which, in a few quick words, ended up with an ER visit later in the day, my first surgery, and my first night in a hospital. It wasn't the funnest experience in the world, but it was interesting, and my mama's praying, a nice surgeon, and a lot of Ibuprofen got me back to normal pretty fast. And of course the Lord's mercy was the real healing factor, for which I am very grateful.:)

 Anyway, here are some pics of the kids enjoying the snow. Winter lighting seems really good for photo shoots (though I am still an amateur in the area of photography) I mixed some other ones in too. Everyone has been really enjoying the snow.:) 

 

Here we were racing. The outcome~ two of the grand athletes crashed into a snowbank. The other two crashed into each other.

Zach is always the "cruiser" when it comes to skating. 

 Our big brother ready to send the little kids cruising down the hill between the barn and the house. Pardon the pink gloves that aren't actually his.

You know it's really cold when the shadows are blue like this.

This one is blurry since I took it from the window and a long distance, but I thought my dog looked so cute here with her rustic toy. (She follows family traditions~ my little brothers' favorite toys are also sticks. A.k.a. toy guns)

I think that's all for tonight! Good night, everybody, and stay warm.:)

| winter blessings ~ part 1 |

"Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow?"

 With winter in full swing up here in the north country, it is the coziest thing in the world to come in from fun outside and enjoy some warm supper. :) Can anyone relate to this? A couple of nights ago we were enjoying balmy temperatures of ten or fifteen degrees below zero~ needless to say, we burnt a lot of wood in the trusty stove that night.

 Anyway, I wanted to post the corn bread recipe ever since August when I first developed it, but have never gotten around to it... and the soup recipe is one our family enjoyed, just the other night.:) It's actually an Amish recipe, and the Amish, as anyone who has visited Amish country knows, (I went when I was seven and again about a year ago) are really good cooks.:)

                                  Creamy Potato Soup

         1 tbsp butter

         1 onion, diced

         4 large potatoes, cubed and peeled

         3 tbsp parsley, chopped

         3 stalks celery and leaves, chopped

         2 large carrots, chopped or grated 

         2 tsp salt

         1/4 teaspoon paprika

         1 1/2 cups boiling water

         white sauce

      

Saute onion in butter until tender. Add remaining ingredients, except white sauce, and cook until vegetables are tender.

 Add white sauce and stir until blended.

     

 4 tbsp butter 

 2 tbsp flour

 1 tsp salt

 1/4 teaspoon pepper

 4 cups milk

Melt butter over medium heat, stir in flour and seasonings and cook for five minutes. When smooth, add flour  and stir constantly until thickened.

Okay, here's the cornbread recipe.:) I seem to read that soup and cornbread are often paired together? I had a lot of fun developing this recipe. I never did write it down, though, so hopefully I'll be able to remember it...

                 Chunky Southwestern-Style Cornbread

                                                      

                 10 strips bacon

                 2 tbsp butter

                 3 eggs

                 1/2 cup sugar

                 1 4 oz can green chiles

                 1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

                 2/3 cup sour cream

                 3/4 cup flour

                 1 cup cornmeal

                 1/2 teaspoon salt

                 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 x 12 baking pan.

 Fry bacon in a skillet over medium heat; drain and reserve drippings.Crumble bacon and set aside. Cream sugar, drippings, butter, and eggs together, in order given, until smooth. Add sour cream and chiles. Sift together dry ingredients, and add with bacon and cheese. Pour batter into pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and toothpick inserted comes out clean.

God Bless.:)