Foods for Snowy Days

In the Boston area we have had about two snowstorms a week for the past three weeks. I haven't left my house in 21 days now, because of my poor balance and it's so cold it could be a problem for my weak lungs. Anyhow, growing up in New England there was always the exciting possibility of a snow day. We'd watch the runner across the bottom of the TV before bed and in the morning we'd drag around slowly, convinced that our school would be called on the radio at any minute.

Then there was the blizzard in 1978. I was ten, and we were out of school for what I remember as four days. This was at the height of oil prices and our house was heated with two coal stoves, so we were warm and could cook. My mother used up frozen pizzas from the big freezer in the basement by cooking them on the grill. Quite yummy! 

Every day we were outside helping my dad move more snow, digging tunnels and tobogganing.

When we went back in our mom would have hot chocolate with marshmallow Fluff for us. If you've never tried it, I highly recommend the Fluff. You'll never do regular marshmallows again!

Besides cocoa there would be grilled cheese and soup for lunch. Our favorite winter meal didn't have to be during a big storm, just a wintery night. Mom would make pancakes and sausage patties. Besides this being breakfast for dinner, the big thrill was our mother making pancakes, because that was usually my dad's job. He had been a cook in the army and did weekend breakfasts. To go along with the pancakes we had home made apple sauce and very milky tea, served in a teapot with 4-leaf clovers all over it

. Our family wouldn't usually be so fancy as to have an actual teapot out on the table, so we knew it was very special. In fact, the only I remember that teapot being used was with the pancake dinners.

As a teacher I also felt the excited anticipation of a snow day. While other people were running out to get milk and bread, I would get Oreos, ice cream, and cinnamon rolls. I don't know why I do this, it's not like I gee up having a junk food festival when it was a snow day. The cocoa was only sometimes when we came in from playing in the snow and thecpancakesxwere twice a winter at most. What's most interesting is that this has been a dirty little secret of mine for 20 years until I recently found out that my sister and many of my friends do the same thing!

Now here's the most interesting part. This is my first winter as a retiree. Although I don't wait to see the school closings, I still make sure to have my snowstorm snacks in the house, but I don't eat them unless there's a storm! That's right, I have three packages of cinnamon rolls and two of Oreos in my house since before Christmas, and didn't touch them until all this snow started. Do you think something is wrong with me? I'm not known for my self control with food. What about you? Do you stock up with yummies before a storm?