Snow Day Gourmet

Snow days offer home chefs a lot of free time.These free hours can be spent trying out new recipes, perfecting favorite dishes or experimenting with new gadgets. They're also good because they provide you with a captive audience, family , neighbors and roomies, to test out and critique those new creations.

One of the biggest deals about a day off is having an actual breakfast with the family. No one is going anywhere so there's not that mad dash to eat and run. This is a great time to try out new egg dishes or perfect your breakfast crepe recipe. Instead of the usual fare you can whip up that new recipe for stuffed French toast as opposed to the regular kind. Add a cup of ham and chives to that waffle mix to create a bed for sunny side up eggs. Try those hoecakes in bacon grease or  spicy Mexican hot cocoa.A snow day is always a good time to try out those new gadgets you received for Christmas or picked up at the January white sales.There's no rush and you can sit down and read the appliances instruction  as well as browse through the recipe book before the family wakes up. Another good thing about a snow day is that it lets you prep things early on such as crepe batter and diced veggies and then you can go back to bed to sleep for an hour or two.

Most home chefs , both big and little, love to take the time to bake. It's a great day for fresh from the oven cupcakes and cookies (especially for the rest of the family  after  hours of shoveling or sledding). This is the day to finally give that complicated croissant dough a test because it's all about time and patience.Those spare hours are also needed if you're making and baking bread.Free time can also be helpful in perfecting your merengue recipe or experimenting with even baked Alaska. New ingredients  such as whole wheat can be tested out and what better than serving a whole wheat pizza  to a crew hungry from a day spent outdoors. Some home chefs can also  use a snow day to try out party recipes and tweak them before the actual event.Also it's fun to play , and try new ideas or put spins and twists on everyday recipes.The family can be introduced to panko breadcrumbs coating veggies or chicken wings. Instead of a cup of chicken noodle soup home chefs can offer their brood the more elaborately made apple squash soup.Croque monsieurs can be a more lively supper than just a ham and cheese.Better yet. Get out that brand new fondue pot and give it a test run with some Gruyere and baguette slices.

A snow day is a day that can be spent in the kitchen. Use the time to test and try out different ingredients and ideas. It will be a day off well spent.