Enough of Winter, pretty please!

When I was younger, I hated my parents for not living in the country like all the cool kids. I didn't want to be known as a "townie" and I sure wanted to help with chores every day like other farm kids (I did do this when I was in 4-H/FFA with show animals, but not during the dead of winter like thankfully so many of our hard-working farmers and ranchers do).

Insert years 2009 and 2010, more specifically the winters of each, and I eat my words. Since moving to Missouri and living out in the country, I have missed a lot of work because my poor car just doesn't plow through the snow drifts like I wish it would. I thought 2009-10 was the worst winter I had seen. But actually thinking about it, I thought 2006-7 was freakin' cold when I had to train the yearling horses at K-State in January/February (it wasn't thankfully too snowy or icy, so we did get the job done), let's not forget the ice storm of 2007 and no one except my best friend, Kelsey, came to my college graduation, 2008 was okay, nothing major, and then last year was not fun with missing Christmas Eve mass and most of the holiday because of the snow.

This year though has been rough with foot after foot of snow, and I thank the Lord I work at a place that is really forgiving about "country folk" like me. I've been home because of the snow five days and it's only the beginning of February. I'm not going to complain too much about that aspect because sometimes it's just nice to sit with a hot cup of cocoa, your laptop, and a warm, snuggly Boston and get some major thinking done for grant writing. The first week of February 2011 though was brutal. I understand why watching these Alaska shows Todd and I are obsessed with always make the comment about how alcoholism and suicide are high in that part of our country. Now I was no where near suicidal but it was a little boring being at home since Sunday. They called off work Monday and Tuesday and by Wednesday they opened again, but I couldn't get out because the road was still not bladed. We did try to get lots of cooking, baking, cleaning and organizing done. I got 90% percent of my taxes done. It was a nice little break.

Here's a short recap of our days at home:

On Monday, we had ice that was just nasty and they closed work. So we decided to try some recipes from our new cookbook from the Pioneer Woman. Oh so delicious, ranch food that makes me really miss my cowboys at K-State. We made the chicken spaghetti, cowboy sandwiches and angel sugar cookies. Here are few pics of our day:

The Angel Sugar Cookies with a little bit of Valentine's love on them. Todd thought they were store bought dough! :)

Using our recipe, which I tend to be bad at and then wonder why things don't turn out well.

The YUMMO chicken spaghetti baking in the oven. Please forgive the decades-old farmhouse oven. We're slowly trying to redo things in our home.

On Tuesday, we worked on a whole lot of TV watching and snoozing. We also watched one thought-provoking show, Oprah's episode on vegan eating and meat production. It was great seeing all my friends, including myself, advocate for the animal agriculture industry using social media. HUGE props to Cargill for being so transparent and admitting how much they care for the welfare of the animals that are sent to slaughter. We truly do care as animal agriculturalists. Please view these blogs if you'd like to read more about some views from great ag advocates: Ag on the Forefront and Food for Thought.

Tillie and Willie love to lay on whomever is on the couch.

By Wednesday, we were becoming a little stir crazy, so we worked from home and helped Todd complete the puzzle of putting together our limestone for the wood burning stove we are putting in.

I can't wait to show the finished product.

And this pose from Todd sums up the feelings of being cooped up inside.

 Until the next snow falls, be thankful for our ability to go to work, eat great proteins for the nourishment of our bodies and our families! Love ya'll!