Winter Storm Basics

January usually brings a whole host of weather problems. There's either blizzards, Nor'easters or just bone-numbing frigid cold. That means stocking up and staying in. What to get? basics? Fun stuff? Or a mix of both? A balanced mix is the answer.

Many home chefs freak out when they hear blizzard. They rush to the store and get the necessary, bread milk and eggs. This is great , These are the staples that you'll need, whether on their own or used as ingredients. Yet, you'll need more protein than just eggs/What you can do is buy a roast a day or two before a predicted monster snowstorm. Make it along with hearty sides such as mashed potatoes and broccoli au gratin. These leftovers will keep the family happy and fed until you can dig out. Also, a cold roast can be sliced into sandwiches for a couple of days afterward. Also, have cold cuts ready if there's a blackout  - which does happen during a heavy windstorm. Canned goods are a must. There's a lot you can do with canned veggies turning them into main dishes or sides. Try not to get fresh breads which either get moldy quick .  If the bread gets stale, don;t fret.They can be repurposed into breadcrumbs, stuffing or bread pudding A snow day in is also a good time to bake homemade loaves and rolls. You can also get those canisters of biscuits,  and breadsticks too. They're a nice side with a bowl of homemade soup. Save the cinnamon buns for a breakfast or brunch with the family.

Fun stuff can also be bought too. A snowy or blustery day inside can mean a fun baking or even candy making day. A day off can be spent making homemade pizzas. Be sure to have a can or two  of pizza sauce and mozzarella,,whether balls or shredded for topping. The kids will get a kick out of  baking cupcakes or cookies. Have confectioners sugar, butter,and food coloring handy to make colorful icings, along with sprinkles and  icing gels for writing., Buy a few tubes of slice and bake cookies  for   a nice, fresh from the oven batch. Candy making is a great way to keep tweens occupied during a day in. . Keep the pantry stocked with a bag of unshelled peanuts, granulated sugar and corn syrup to make peanut brittle and condensed milk and chocolate chips for making microwave fudge Flavored honeys are great in hot teas and for sore throats.  They can also be used to make tasty lollipops.Another must is having hot cocoa,the perfect warm up for after shoveling. Stock up on the premade mixes or tins of Drostes. Cut back on sodas but definitely have a pantry full of juices, especially orange. It's not only refreshing but gives the  family an extra boost of Vitamin C.

The pantry and fridge should be well stocked during a winter storm. Keep it balanced with nutritious and fun foods. It's a nice blend for a few days inside.

Baking Fever

With the cold weather and new stove I've been gripped by baking fever - and cooking fever as well.It's the baking though, and visions of  cupccakes wth a buttercream puff and loaded pizzas that are doing me in I now know I'm happiest by a hot oven, with mouthwatering aromas swirling about me.

Today it was the Stop and Shop brand cinnamon bums.

I like the  in house brands. To me they're much more flavorful than the national ones and these were no exception. There were a few glitches. It was impossible to get the dough out of the cannister. Unlike the Pilsbury version where you just thwack the canister against the sink, the Stop & Shop ones require peeling the wrapping and twisting the  paper tube  underneath. .It proved to be just a tad messy with the icing packet flying out  and the dough almost falling out. Then the buns themselves were stuck together in a long continuous spiral. They had to be cut and then wrapped in tight circles in a greased cake pan. Another problem was the baking time. The directions said twelve to sixteen minutes or until they're  golden brown. in a 400 degree oven F. It took twenty minutes for them to bake, eight minutes more than recommended. Icing them was easy. It was a small  

bag, no bigger than a turnover and quite easy to handle. The end result was a nice gooey, manageable roll, definitely better than the Cinnebon kind. - without all that gooey cream cheese icing and overdose of cinnamon.

I am not stopping there. It's on to cakes , pizza and cupcakes. I do have to stock up and refill my baking arsenal.Thanks to my previous one that was slightly younger than me agewise, the oven was on the fritz. The days of baking were over. Pans rusted, Gadgets were lost or tossed out. I just ordered an all important cake tester which I don;t have. I had to use a barbecue skewer to see if the buns were baked. Not good. Another package from Amazon will be the Wilton cake decorating kit.. This I am really excited about.  there's nothing more fun that creating buttercream roses and swirls on cakes and cupcakes.My one goal is making a snowball cake. Basically, it's like the Hostess Snoballs, with a devil's food cake coated with marshmallow and coconut.The marshmallow may be too  sweet so maybe a whipped cream icing followed by a coating of coconut flakes.Of course I am also longing to make cupcakes with a Magnolia bakery icing(I even bought all natural food coloring to create pretty Easter egg colored toppings)  and a pizza with all the works, from soy pepperoni , extra sauce, and a crisp , crust.

Baking fever has gripped me.I'm on the verge of creating all sorts of goodies and good stuff. Will it ever end? Hopefully before I hit the next jeans's size .