Storm of the Century

I'm posting this waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay after the storm. Forgot to hit publish. Enjoy!

You know how on the news the old saying, if it bleeds, it leads?

Well, we have another one here in Minnesota. If it's white, then fright.

We've been hearing that Armageddon is about to hit. The storm of the century. A blizzard of record breaking proportions.

People hit the grocery stores hard right before a storm. It's our own economic stimulus package--predict a storm, Minnesotans will buy a lot of toilet paper and milk. Because storms will scare the, well, you know out of people. And we like to eat a lot of cereal here in the land of General Mills.

Before the storm, there's an electric feeling in the air, I don't know how to explain it. The birds are all fluttering around, emptying my bird feeders, and puffed up like they know something we don't. Young One is glued to the news channel instead of Spongebob, reading every school delay and closure, pleading with the snow gods that his suburban school will close. We live so close to school that we could walk to it, in snowdrifts three feet high, up hill both ways, if we had to. It never closes. This, of course, will be a source of great pride when he's in his thirties.

Secretly, we all love the storms. At least I do, once all my loved ones are all home safely. Life slows down a bit. It's kind of like getting a surprise day off from work. I usually light a fire in the fireplace, we snuggle in and wait it out. It's really quite beautiful. The snow blankets all the ugly, brown, slushy snow. Everything looks clean and sparkly.

It usually has to be fairly warm to snow. Remember, in Minnesota, warmth is relative! I'm talking, a heatwave in the 30s. Yesterday, it was in the 40s and I could see the grass in my yard. This is typical of this time of year. It melts, it snows, it melts, it snows. It's perfect for snowmen and snow fort making, but can rattle the nerves a bit. Just when you think you can't take it anymore, Spring arrives. (And then it might snow again, just to taunt you.)

Such is life in Minnesota. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Give the hot chocolate a try too. It's a little late in the season to post such a large quantity recipe. Cut it down at will!

Decadent and Delicious Hot Sippin' Cocoa

There's nothing like hot chocolate on a wintry day. It's also a great, healthy treat if you need a chocolate fix. I find it a filling, rich, and decadent treat that's very low in calories. This is an old family recipe, tweaked to make it more Weight Watchers friendly. Makes a large batch. Store in a sealed container or zip bag. Makes 90 servings at 1 WW Point per serving.

1 3/4 cup(s) nondairy powdered creamer
10 cup(s) non-fat instant dry powdered milk
1 3/4 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa
4 3/4 cup(s) powdered sugar

Mix well and store in an airtight container. Add 1/3 cup to 6 ounces of hot water.

Before

During:

After: