Friday, January 28, 2022

What To Do During A Blizzard

 Tomorrow the East Coast will be wallowed by a mega blizzard with some areas in New England getting  slammed with three feet of snow. That means we're stuck inside. What to do? Turn to the kitchen for the answer.

A day in could be time spent rearranging your spice cabinet.It's time to throw away certain ones . Cinnamon is only good for six months. Chili powder has a two to three year shelf life. The same is true for powdered ginger and garlic powder. Most herbs like rosemary, sage and oregano last only three years at best. Nutmeg is one of those spices that lasts three to four years. Another good item to organize is your utensil drawers. Sort out the knives, forks and spoons along with steak knives and measuring spoons. Clean out the kitchen junk drawer. You may find some unexpected treasures there like the odd holiday cookie cutter or corn holders. Sort and pile what you find . Those twist ties you saved will come in handy as will those rubber bands, Clean out under the sink if you have the energy. Arrange those plastic grocery bags into ones you can reuse for shopping or for plastic . See if your cleansers are up to date or if you need any. Check to see if you have enough dish soap or dishwashing detergent. It may be days before you hit the supermarket again.

Two days in is also a good time to try all those recipes you've want to try  but didn't have the time. Just make sure you have the ingredients . Use those gadgets you received for the holidays and have yet to use them. It'll be a good weekend to do a dress rehearsal for those Super Bowl snacks too. Make that new wing recipe. Try your hand at the spinach artichoke dip. Have the family test out those French bread pizzas. You can also have a game night and make snacks and nibbles in advance. attempt making Tater Tots using instant mashed potatoes,eggs flour and bread crumbs. Pigs in blankets are always a fun dinner/snack, perfect for those breaks along with stuffed potato skins and sliders. Homemade cookies won;t go amiss. There's nothing like fresh chocolate chips or oatmeal raisin with a hot cup of tea as you watch the snow fall. You could also get ambitious and bake a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls, complete with cream cheese icing. Homemade candy is also a fun project. Freshly made fudge or peanut brittle is always a treat.

This is a definite weekend in. Turn to the kitchen for something to do. It can be reorganizing or cooking. It could be making treats or cookies and candies. Anything can be your inspiration for activity.