Snowpocalypse

I really dislike having that word as the title of this entry, but if I am to document pop culture, that is the choice word the past 48 hours. Thanks to my friend Tracy, I have some new perspective on the snow and I am no longer feeling complete disdain. This morning I woke up and took a stroll down memory lane. Most of you know that I grew up in Martinsburg, WV. (The little panhandle off of I-81 that is sandwiched between VA and MD.) On snow days, I remember listening intently to the local radio...though we had a plethora of stirrup pants in the 80s, we definitely didn't have the internet or programmed voice mails. And the closest TV media that we watched were the Washington D.C. stations. So we relied on the radio to give us the latest information. When school was canceled we would go to the Tan's house (my cousins) on snowy days. This is what I remember:

Mom making champorado (warm chocolate rice pudding) with Auntie's marinated fried tapa (deer meat). Sounds weird, but the sweet and salty mixture was delish. Ma also made lugao which is like ginger chicken rice porridge. I'm pretty sure I have a food association with every childhood memory.

The Tans lived on this hurge piece of land. We would walk through the forest, make these ultimate sledding hills with the snow blower, construct igloos and snow forts and my favorite: tie toboggans to the 3-wheelers and race. My cousin Mark would drive off this hill we always loved and it was like magic flying through the air on the sled. It is a wonder how I survived my childhood with only a burn mark on my leg. (Which was from one of the 3 wheelers, I might add.) Then we would go inside to eat, warm up, dry off and then repeat. Now I will try and remember those times when the meteorologists hint of more snow in the coming week. I am especially thankful that we still have power when so many parts of the area have experienced outages.

Keeping up with tradition, we have been busy in the kitchen. This is what we have cranked out the past 48 hours: lasagna, homemade pasta (MFS's specialty), lemon bars, cake, chicken tortilla soup, mac 'n cheese and grilled chicken.

Tonight we had homemade lasagna, field greens with a mustard vinaigrette and birthday cake for dessert. Self praise is no praise, but I do have to pat myself on the back this time. Chocolate cake with whipped chocolate icing and whipped peanut butter filling. In the words of Yo Gabba Gabba, "There's a party in my tummy! So yummy! So yummy!" I put it outside on the porch so that I won't be tempted to eat it all.
Our driveway is now cleared! Piedmont Landscaping has done a terrific job plowing our neighborhood this past week. Our HOA dues are hard at work.