Christmas Season
Right around Christmas, there's almost always some bitterly cold weather in Iowa. I remember one year when it was 20 below out, 60 below with wind chill, racing through the snow and ice to hurl ourselves into the car and drive to Florida!
Yesterday I walked to the mailbox, an enterprise that involves long underwear or tights, boots, sweater, parka, heavy gloves (but not the heaviest), and a supplementary fleece hood under my parka hood. On the walk to the mailbox my body was toasty warm, but the 5-degree F air hurt my nasal passages, and it felt like I wasn't drawing in the full amount of oxygen. However, I did not have to stop walking, and I didn't break into a coughing fit, which was encouraging.
I had a hypothesis that I only broke into coughing fits in the past because I was accustomed to warmer temperatures and moister air; even in Rhode Island the winters were mild. I guessed that if I spent the winter here instead of just visiting, I would be okay. So far, so good.
It is cold, though. Last night a pipe froze somewhere in the ceiling, and we had no water until the sun came up this morning.
Yesterday we had a visit from my niecies (I call them that; in my head I actually call them my niecie-poos, but never out loud as it would be much too silly). The 7-year-old likes to cook, so I supervised, and she made the pecan pie filling for Christmas. However, that was too easy, and she wanted to make cookies or cake. Cookies or cake?!? Good gravy, this house is so full of cookies that Santa Claus himself couldn't eat them all.
The 2-year-old wanted to cook too, so I thought up a bread machine recipe for chocolate bread, and we made it together. The little one poured some sugar on the floor, but otherwise all went well.
Chocolate Bread
Alternating nieces, pour the following into the machine bowl:
1 1/2 t. yeast
3 c. white flour + 1-2 Tbsp.
1 t. salt (1/2 t. per niece)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/8 c. lukewarm water
3/4 c. milk chocolate chips
Bake at sweet, light setting.
I put the chocolate chips in late, hoping they wouldn't melt and blend into the bread, but they did anyway, so they might as well go in at the beginning.
Later, when one is stuck with a loaf of chocolate bread, it makes excellent brandied cinnamon French toast.
Yesterday I walked to the mailbox, an enterprise that involves long underwear or tights, boots, sweater, parka, heavy gloves (but not the heaviest), and a supplementary fleece hood under my parka hood. On the walk to the mailbox my body was toasty warm, but the 5-degree F air hurt my nasal passages, and it felt like I wasn't drawing in the full amount of oxygen. However, I did not have to stop walking, and I didn't break into a coughing fit, which was encouraging.
I had a hypothesis that I only broke into coughing fits in the past because I was accustomed to warmer temperatures and moister air; even in Rhode Island the winters were mild. I guessed that if I spent the winter here instead of just visiting, I would be okay. So far, so good.
It is cold, though. Last night a pipe froze somewhere in the ceiling, and we had no water until the sun came up this morning.
Yesterday we had a visit from my niecies (I call them that; in my head I actually call them my niecie-poos, but never out loud as it would be much too silly). The 7-year-old likes to cook, so I supervised, and she made the pecan pie filling for Christmas. However, that was too easy, and she wanted to make cookies or cake. Cookies or cake?!? Good gravy, this house is so full of cookies that Santa Claus himself couldn't eat them all.
The 2-year-old wanted to cook too, so I thought up a bread machine recipe for chocolate bread, and we made it together. The little one poured some sugar on the floor, but otherwise all went well.
Chocolate Bread
Alternating nieces, pour the following into the machine bowl:
1 1/2 t. yeast
3 c. white flour + 1-2 Tbsp.
1 t. salt (1/2 t. per niece)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/8 c. lukewarm water
3/4 c. milk chocolate chips
Bake at sweet, light setting.
I put the chocolate chips in late, hoping they wouldn't melt and blend into the bread, but they did anyway, so they might as well go in at the beginning.
Later, when one is stuck with a loaf of chocolate bread, it makes excellent brandied cinnamon French toast.
Labels: food
posted by Margo at 9:19 AM
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