I don’t know if it’s my Italian heritage (for us, it seems, everything is about food) or my Rhode Island upbringing (Quick! Get bread and milk!) but when I hear about a storm coming, one of the first thoughts I have is what we will eat while the storm rages. I feel compelled to increase the “coziness” of home during storms by adding the smells of fresh bread or cookies baking, and something simmering on the stove. 

This special “snow storm” edition of Our Local Harvest offers some ways to ensure your bellies and your kids are happy as you ride out the storm!

Let’s Get Cooking!

Soups, stews, and chiles, with a side of warm bread, are my favorite foods for snowy days. Here are a couple ideas to help keep you and your family cozy during the storm:

Pumpkin Chili Mexicana.  This meal from Food.com is always a hit in my house. I love it because it is quick to throw together. Today, I am making it with some leftover chicken and chickpeas substituted for the ground meat.  It can be heated up later on a gas stove or camp stove, should we lose power. Make a batch of cornbread and you have a full meal!

(NOTE: Pumpkin Chile can be made in a slow cooker. Simply complete step one in the recipe, then add all ingredient to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.)

Asiago Tortellini.  This Cooking Light recipe is tasty, easy, and very filling.  It is also ready in 15 minutes, which makes it a great "last-minute" meal.  Grab some fresh Italian or French bread at the Provencal Bakery (or another local shop) and warm it up in the oven to serve with your soup. 

Yucatan-style Chicken, Lime, and Orzo Soup.  This recipe from Bon Appetit comes highly recommended from Aunt Anne, although I have yet to try it. I planned to make some for the impending storm, but Ben couldn't find orzo at the store.  Orzo is a pasta, so if you can't find it either, just substitute another small pasta.  Anne also recommends seeding and de-veining the jalapenos if you don't want your soup too spicy.  

Now, Let’s Get Baking!

A bonus for anyone with antsy kids is that baking on a snow day can double as a “keep the kids entertained and busy” activity.  Whether they join you whipping up a batch of everyone’s favorite cookies or cupcakes, or you have a full-blown cookie contest, baking is a nice way to alleviate what I like to call the “I’m boreds.”  

The Snow Storm Cookie Contest

If you are feeling particularly patient, and/or your kids are particularly “bored,” a cookie contest can spice things up and engage kids for an hour or more. Kids as young as 4 and 5 can compete with help from an adult or older sibling. One fair warning—this could get MESSY, so you need to be mentally prepared for that. Flour has a way to just end up everywhere when 5-year-olds are doing the measuring.   

Before announcing the cookie contest, check your pantry and make sure you have cookie baking basics on hand—butter, oil, brown and white sugar, flour, eggs, chocolate chips, raisins, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda, and old-fashioned oats. If you want to expand the options, some nuts, dried cranberries, and other creative fillings are always fun.   

First, gather the family to agree on the judging criteria (moistness, crunchiness, “best with milk,” “best with hot chocolate,” creativity, etc.  Each family member then picks out their cookie recipe—pull out the cookbooks or look online. An added layer of challenge is whether the ingredients are in the house.

Preparing the cookies may take some creative cycling through the kitchen, but if you can keep people laughing (and sharing), a slightly crowded kitchen can work.  I often set up a “work station” at the kitchen table with the basic ingredients and the bowls, measuring spoons, cups, etc. in the center, and then each family member chooses a side of the table to work on. 

The baking stage may be a good time to set everyone up with a board game, so that you can focus on baking while the competitors are still available for “overseeing” their cookies’ progress.  Or, if you can stay in while the kids are outside, it could be a great time for a “play in the snow” break. 

The culmination is a judging session, where everyone tests each kind of cookie.  I think it’s a good idea for everyone to say their favorite thing about each cookie, so everyone gets some positive feedback.  You can decide if you should crown a winner or dub everyone winners.