Winter Happenings

Hi there!

Well, I think we've been well reminded what winter is all about after several flurries already. I can't believe how much snow is on our yard in so short a time. Hanna decided one morning that she couldn't possibly wait to put pants on before going to see the snow. She was out the door with only boots and a parka but realized quickly that with winter comes COLD!

I've got a bit of a love/hate relationship with winter. I've been dreading all the bundling up to go outside, my car barely making it off the roadslippery steps and sidewalks and not always that confident with winter roads. Wayne had a great idea though by parking our car in his little shop and keeping the woodstove going. Can't believe we've only thought of that after three years of living here. That will make things so much easier when packing two children into the car. So on the love side of winter, the gently falling snow just makes the world seem at peace, clean and of course invokes the Christmas Spirit. In winter I feel extra thankful to have a warm home and life just feels a little less rushed. The snow was beautiful yesterday and the temperature down so it was a great afternoon to spend some time outdoors.

Our first dozen of eggs! Hanna and I have been thrilled to find little brown and blue eggs nestled in the straw. Although now I realize that I need to keep a better routine of chicken chores. Now that its so cold they are eating and drinking more. It's best if I check them in the morning because they've been laying in the corner of the house where the cold air is freezing the eggs by afternoon. So we've put in a stronger heat bulb, and I've got a bag of wood shaving to spread around so hopefully the chickens will feel a little warmer.

Yesterday I finally felt up to doing some baking. I think I had a flu bug in the beginning of the week and tried to avoid making food as much as I could. Wayne's has pneumonia and Hanna has an ear infection. We're all doing much better but it's so hard to want to cook when we're all feeling under the weather. I've had this craving for cream cookies with candy canes on top. I came across a recipe that turned out really good and will share it with you too:
Cream Cookies
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c margarine/butter
1/2 c cream
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
flour to make soft dough, I used about 2 and 3/4 c

cream sugar, eggs and butter; mix in dry ingred alternately with cream
I dropped mine by spoon to save time rolling out dough and baked at 350 for 8 min
frost with buttercream icing and sprinkle with crushed candy canes. Next time I think I'll add peppermint extract to the icing rather than vanilla.


I'm excited to announce that this is the clean and less cluttered version of my dining room. We recently painted the whole main floor of the house. Its now a grey with beige (greige) in it all the same thorughout the rooms. Do you want to know the color of this room before? Well it was a very minty green that I loved at first but am so glad to be rid of now. Homemaking must be a journey because some of my tastes have sure changed. When we first moved in and with the thrill of my first own home I wanted every color in the rainbow. I think I almost accomplished that and now I realize how busy my house looked. So now that I'm in a neutral frame of mind( a little less eccentric) the house actually feels warmer and like everything flow better. Most of all, Wayne is happy I've come around to a new way of thinking about decorating. Mom gave us the little desk to fit in the closet and it's so nice to have a space for the laptop. For four years it just sat around by the couches or on the table with cords always in the way. So now I have a little corner to sit and blog without having to clean up the computer to make room for other things. Anyway, this may all seem a little materialistic but for me a change in surroundings is just what I need to boost my vim for keeping this house in order.

Today we leave for Grand Forks for a little getaway with my family. I'm really looking forward to shopping and relaxing in the hotel. However the roads and weather are not looking very good. I don't think it'll stop Wayne from travelling so please pray for safe driving for all those out on the road. If we end up in the ditch I suppose I can console myself with a container of cream cookies for a little while at least :)

Have a great weekend!

Christina