Snow Days and Fruit Blast Muffins

This is what the lake and surrounding hills looked like on Christmas day 2014..so much for a white Christmas

And then, this was a picture from our deck yesterday, January 5th, 2015. Looks like winter is finally here

And not only has winter finally arrived but yesterday and today were SNOW DAYS!

                                        



I don't remember a time in the last 20 years when we received so much snow or there was a snow day declared, although in 1998 we did have a snowy Christmas. That was the year that Harrison was born on December 19th. It was also the year that my husband D. brought Harrison and I home from the hospital on the 21st and then promptly went to bed with a terrible flu. He didn't get up for 10 days and when he did, he had a terrible cough for months later. Our oldest, Alyssa, said she remembered that Christmas being really snowy and it was probably because with a new baby in the house and a sick husband, I had the three older children, then 8, 5, (almost 6) and 2, (almost 3) outside a lot helping me shovel the drive-way...although being still young, they were probably sledding in our yard.

Anyway, it's been a while since we had a snow day. D, couldn't even go to work on the first day so what did we do?

Well, the little kids did some colouring in their new books.

Will tried to read a really funny book he received for Christmas...

 And Clark and Harrison shovelled....

 And shovelled.....

And Shovelled.....and these were just a few of the pictures I snapped of them digging us out.

Of course D and I also took our turns. After all we do own 4 snow shovels so this white stuff is not unheard of...but we don't usually get such a large snowfall all at once.

The four younger kids loved it and were thrilled with their first SNOW DAY break.

So let us remember this early January snowfall. Both Mitchell, who is back at University and Alyssa, who is in London teaching, are not going to experience sore aching backs from shovelling this year. We miss them both a lot!

I loved having two days added to the end of our holidays where we could just hang out, get used to waking up earlier and I was able to wrap my head around the fact that soon it will be business as usual...back to school, basketball games, piano lessons, jazz band practise, preschool, swimming,...well you get the picture. A busy life.

This time was an extension to the magic I felt over the holidays. Snow, pure and crisp laying a blanket on the world and for a moment we could breathe deeply and be still.

Me, in repose on the sofa, looking down the lake, while sipping some hot tea.

Of course I also took advantage of the fact that I didn't have to drive kids anywhere. On Monday, I undecorated the house...is that a word..."undecorated?"

It's always kind of sad taking down decorations, as I love twinkling white lights all over the house. Normally, I'm usually in a rush and pack everything away quickly but on Monday, I was able to linger over the sentiment that our ornaments hold. The Popsicle stick ornament, shaped like a tree with a picture of Alyssa holding our cat Ninja....the fall of 2000. We had to say goodbye to our dear Siamese cat and you could see the tears in Alyssa's eyes in the picture and the love in Ninja's.

Then there was my Hope Angel, given to me by my best friend Tamara while we were trying to conceive and a soft white teddy with silver thread in memory of our soulbaby we lost the next Christmas. The Christmas of 2002 though, had a little angel holding a sign that said, "It's a girl!" That was the Christmas, Grace Elizabeth arrived. I put away golden cello's and wooden violins, little girls in ballet shoes and on skis, little teddies kicking soccer balls and playing basketball and then there were the 6 stars, representing our 6 children at the time. Of course, we had to buy two more when the twins were born in 2011.

It was a joy, going down memory lane and carefully packing away all the Christmas decorations with care. Then while shovelling the driveway late yesterday, I noticed something in the snow and when I went to pick it up it was a snowman ornament holding a pair of skis. On the skis it said, "Clark, 2000." He would have been involved in the Nancy Greene Ski program that year and it was our custom to choose ornaments based on our children's hobbies or interests. It must have fallen off the real Christmas tree, as we were taking it out and putting it in the snow bank.

A memory from Christmas's past and our oldest son who was downhill skiing

This truly was a beautiful tree....of course I say that every year!

Today, we did more shovelling and the boys put the Christmas tree boxes (10 Rubbermaid) down in the crawl space. I had all the kids strip their sheets on their beds and in between washing clothes and bedding, I made yummy muffins. This is a recipe that my sister J really liked as there is a delicious crumble on top of them. If you are looking for a great berry muffin recipe check this one out....

Hope's Fruit Blast Muffins...for a large crowd

Ingredients

3 cups of flour....I use 11/2 cups of whole wheat and 11/2 of white flour
11/2 cups of sugar...again, I use half brown sugar and half white
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
2/3 cup vegetable oil....coconut oil is very nice
2 eggs
2/3 cup of milk (whatever you want, almond, rice, cow)
2 cups of berries...I used blueberry today but a mixed berry blast is lovely

Then for the topping...add the following to a medium size bowl
1 cup of brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup of cut up butter
1 tbsp of cinnamon
Mix them all together with a pastry cutter...or a fork

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin tins or line the cups

2. Combine 3 cups of flour, 11/2 cups of sugar, the salt and the baking powder.

3. Place the oil into a 2 cup measuring cup; add the eggs and then enough milk to fill the cup.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and then fold in the blueberries.

5. Fill the muffin cups right to the top and then sprinkle the topping mixture 

6. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven or until the toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let the muffins sit in the pan for 5 minutes and then put on a cooling rack....enjoy warm. 

Note: This recipe made 22 big muffins...but if that seems like a lot...you have to try them...they disappear really fast...and of course you can always take a few freshly from the oven to your neighbours, who may be feeling kind of  isolated and "snownly" 

Muffins are ready guys...come on in and warm up.

 

 Make muffins and they will come.....

Well, tomorrow our kids go back to school, from our kindergarten son to our University son, all classes are scheduled to be going. The little girls go back to preschool and after school, the avalanche of activities begins anew. Am I ready for the New Year? Not really. The holidays and this snow day experience reminds me that slowly down is precious. I wish we could have snow days, every day, but maybe we can keep the feeling of unwinding, and turning inward all year long. It's an idea.

Wishing you a year full of snow days.

 

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful

Blessings from Hope