When there used to be white Christmases

I had saved all of my old Myspace blogs in my email, and digging them out slowly... of course this year there is absolutely NO snow whatsoever here in New Hampshire. We are taking Ryan, now 4 years old, back here to "The North Pole" this evening to meet Santa in his home, have some hot cocoa and cookies and enjoy the lights. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

~December 2008~

"I'm sure most of you have heard about our Northeast weather lately... we got an ice storm last week that knocked out hundreds of thousands of houses power..

Then got hit with a foot or so of snow the other day.. now getting another foot and 1/2 today and tonight! Got shovels?

 

Way out in the middle of nowhere in Cornish, New Hampshire, there is a "North Pole" We didn't know about it unil last year when a friend of ours showed us. This year we went on a Sat. night , while it was snowing like crazy..next time we will make sure we have snow tires.

The kids enjoyed it, all the lights, which "Mrs. Claus" starts setting up  in September. It takes her 2 moths to take it all down.. they serve coffee, cocoa, and cookies, pass out "snowman poop" (mini marshmallows in a bag).  pass out festive plastic trays, stockings for the kids, candy canes, and give you a baggie of " Magic Reindeer Food ( a mix of oatmeal and colored sprinkles you sprinkle on your lawn to attract the reindeer to your house Christmas Eve).

 

I wonder how much the power company charges Santa for his electric??

This is the kitchen.. it took me a minuite to realize there was actually a kitchen under all the decor!

Part of the living room, my pics came out blurry.. had to delete quite a few, but you get the idea, I hope.. 

 

My little "angels" ha

 

The backyard.. isn't it crazy! And this is only part of it!

The "smoke" is actually MY BREATH.. that's how cold it is up here..

 

 

Today is just laze around the house, take pics of whatever...the roads are dangerous, not going out anywhere.. 

Leaving you with pics of Ryan and a recipe for hot chocolate...

 

2 oz. semisweet chocolate (2 squares)

1/3 cup sugar

4 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

pinch salt

whipped cream or cool whip

Place chocolate, sugar, milk, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat, stirring, until chocolate melts and mixture is well blended.
Add vanilla; pour hot chocolate into cups. garnish with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, cocoa powder..
Hot chocolate recipe serves 4. 

 

Thanks for reading, hope you got some enjoyment :)

Hugs and Merry Christmas!

oh, this is what it's like at 3:50 pm on Sunday... woo hoo!

Caramelized Sausages and Apples with Pumpkin Angel Hair and Cider Sauce

I'd like to say this recipe was mine all  mine, but I can't. The lovely people over at MyDeliciousRecipe.com encouraged me to check out their site yesterday when I was having a bit of a "Food Block". You know what it is... all of us are guilty of it at one time or another. Eating the same thing and just tired of "chicken, pork, and beef". Not that there is anything wrong with those things...
Anyway as the description of this recipe they talk about it being a great dish for those cold and cozy nights, which is perfect for us in New Hampshire at the moment. It has been below zero and quite bitter for my taste!
Here are a few photos taken this past week.

See what I mean? Definately time for some warm comfort food!
The recipe for the sausages and apples is their basic RECIPE, which smells wonderful when roasting in the oven.
12 Italian sausage links ( we chose hot)
3 large Granny Smith apples peeled, cored , and quartered.
3 large sweet onions, peeled and sliced thin.
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons maple syrup ( I was out, *gasp* so I used Apricot syrup with superior results)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Roast at 375 for about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile make sauce .. theirs calls for creme freche, reduced cider , and dijon mustard.
I changed it a bit by using

1 can  apple juice concentrate, simmered till reduced by half
2-3 Tablespoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons basalmic vinegar
3 Tablespoons apricot sauce ( you can use whatever sweetener you used in the sausage mixture)
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
salt and pepper to taste.
Reduce apple juice. Whisk in next 3 ingredients till smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and keep warm.

This can be served over mashed potatoes, or pasta.
I made my own pasta since I hadn't tested out my "gently used" pasta maker a friend gave to me.
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~Pumpkin Angel Hair~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 4 1/2 cups of flour
 2 eggs
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup of  pumpkin puree
Mix all ingredients in pasta maker.Follow instructions.

  Finally, here is the finished dish. I now it is "beige", I didn't have much on hand for colorful garish... the flavor profile well than makes up for the color. The salty and possibly spicy sausage, crunch of apples and onion, the sweetness of the sauce, the texture of the noodles.

I know it was a long one but I hope you enjoyed and will give it a shot!
Thanks again to MyDeliciousRecipe.com for the inspiration!!