Grown Up Snow Days

This week, we finally had our FIRST snow day of the year.  Last year, we had so many snow days that I started to dread them for a couple different reasons:

1.  I was still a temporary employee so I didn't get paid for snow days
2. Once the snow day is over, you have to survive the snow on the ground for the next few days.  Curling up in a warm house on a snow day is fabulous -- BUT walking to the metro or bus stop in slushy snow and ice the next few days is NOT fun.
3. I enjoy SNOW but I do not like cold.  Having so many snow days meant it was a really cold winter!

However, after a winter of just a little snow and NO snow days, I was so ready for a day off! It's been a rough couple weeks - and a day at home with my sweet guy was such a treat. I wish we knew our neighbors so we could have them over on snow days. We have a few friends in the neighborhood, so maybe if we have another snow day, we can plan for a wine night....or maybe we can sit in our PJs all day (oh the luxury of deciding HOW you want to be lazy....) We don't have kids and although I like to think we are young, we aren't exactly college students, so our snow days are usually a bit grown up: not much sledding, snow man building, etc. --- although if I lived near Dupont Circle, I would definitely participate in the snow ball fights that happen every time there is a big snow.  In a few years, we will have munchkin(s) to bundle out and take out to play, so for now, I enjoy getting to just look at the snow from my window!

We may have another snow day tomorrow (what a waste for a Saturday!) The first rule of good snow days is that they MUST occur on a work day!!  For those of you in non-snowy regions, here is a little primer on how to properly enjoy a snow day! (Could be added: hang out with friends or roomies.  We only have a few friends in walking distance so we are a bit more limited)

Grown Up Snow Days are for......

Cooking a REAL breakfast (aka, not toast, cereal or oatmeal!)

Most week days, breakfast is simple.  We usually save warm, homemade treats for holidays or lazy weekends or brunches with friends.  Since SNOW DAYS are relaxing, I make a hot breakfast every time there is a snow day and even if it is just pancakes from a box mix, it feels special!  We often make Monkey Bread when it snows -- but it is so FATTENING and I am trying to eat healthy foods, so I cooked low fat French Toast instead.  This sounds like a real recipe - but it's not. I just improvised with healthier versions of the ingredients. Essentially, I made french toast out of light bread (2 pieces for 80 calories), egg/egg whites, skim milk, vanilla, and 1-2 TBSP of sugar.  To cook the toast, I used cooking spray and a tiny bit of "fake butter" (aka, butter spread) in the pan and then topped with a tiny bit of powdered sugar! (Dave added some syrup to his)  For using light ingredients, the toast turned out pretty yummy! Definitely a bit more special than the oatmeal I normally eat!

Taking obligatory southern "oh look, it's snow!" pictures

Yankees, forgive us. We didn't grow up with a lot of snow - maybe 1-2 light snows a year and one big snow every few years (and big to us is nothing like what Boston is getting). So, when it snows a lot, we take pictures. We have to document that we have actually experienced winter weather.  Now, I will admit, last year, after the first couple snows, I quit taking pictures (because I was such a local then and snow was no big thing, ha), BUT since this was our first snow day of the year, I definitely had to snap a few!

Coffee and Reading

Dave gets cabin fever.  He almost always wants to walk in the snow to a coffee store to get a "fruity coffee" (ie, flavored special coffee that you can't just brew for yourself at home).  I am not always as eager to get out, but I am usually convinced. Who can resist a little reading and coffee?

Binge Watching on Netflix/Hulu

I think we watched 5 episodes of Brothers and Sisters Tuesday.  I can't help it - with no obligations, it's so easy to just keep going through a season!

Trying a NEW recipe for dinner

I almost always try a new recipe on a snow day! It's often a soup, stew or chili (because it's cold outside, duh!!)  I don't get off work until 6 and by the time I get home, it's usually between 6:30 and 6:45 (and sometimes later if I have to work late on a project) - so our week night suppers are often a rotation of tried and true recipes that we can make quickly or pull out of the freezer.  I always love the excuse to look up a new recipe on a snow day!  This time, we tried Emily Bites' Spaghetti and Meatball Soup -- a fairly healthy easy soup that I will definitely make again! Actually, Skinnytaste also has a recipe so next time I may try that version!

Why I really loved this soup: hearty enough to be a meal, shredded veggies mixed in with noodles so that Dave actually ate the healthy stuff, turkey meatballs (not beef), easy to make, gives you the feeling of a big bowl of spaghetti without all the calories.

Chores.

Honestly, we did not do too many chores-- tidied the kitchen a bit and folded laundry.  I hung up a few clothes that were lying on the guest bed.  But, when you start to feel too lazy from a netflix binge, it's good to move around and do a little work so you can pat yourself on the back for being productive!

Wine

Wine + TV or a good book + a blanket ---while it's snowy and cold outside? This is a no brainer. We had no wine in the house, but Dave had to make a run to the grocery store Tuesday night to pick up snacks for an Architecture meeting the next day-- and he had good enough sense to snatch up a bottle of wine (one more reason to love him!) Wine is always a good snow day addition!

How do you enjoy your adult snow days???