Snow Cream

I can't remember if I've posted this recipe before but it's so good that it's worth posting again.

On Monday the weather stations were reporting that we would get 1 to 3 inches of snow on Tuesday. In the Midwest that's certainly not enough snow to cancel school over or really to take seriously. So I wasn't worried about it. When I went to leave for work Tuesday morning it was just starting to come down. I still wasn't thinking hard about it. But 10 minutes into my commute, when I could hardly see the stoplight a block away I was starting to think that it might be something more. By the time we had two inches on the ground they had changed the forecast. Now it was 3 to 6. Still not bad. By noon it was 5 to 9. And the snow kept coming.

The snow finally stopped at about noon today. We had over 24 hours of snow and ended up with about...11 inches. A far cry from 1 to 3 inches don't you think. When I would look at the radar there was Des Moines, right in the middle of swirling vortex of snow. Even worse, the storm was shifting mostly west. Storms that come from the east are never good. What I'm saying is that it's been a frustrating couple of days. At least for a snow/winter hater like me.

The one good thing to come out of the snow was that we finally got a chance to make snow cream. Jeff introduced me to snow cream when we were first dating and since then I've been a fan. We didn't have enough snow last year for any but most years we have at least one snow that is perfect for the recipe. You need a wetter snow, preferably big flakes. Dry snow won't work.

Set a soup pot outside during a big snow storm. You'll want it at least half full of snow. Then add 2 eggs (raw), 1 cup sugar (at least), 1/2 cup milk, and 2 tsp vanilla. Stir together until snow has a beautiful  pale yellow color. Spoon into bowls and eat immediately. It's sugary sweet goodness, even better than ice cream.

For those of you who are panicking about the raw eggs right now, this dish might not be for you. I'm a long time eater of cookie dough with raw eggs, so this doesn't even phase me. One of these years I might get Salmonella from them. But until I do, I'll still continue to eat raw eggs in my sweet treats.

The ultimate summer snack

Since I've been writing down my calories lately I've been looking for new healthy snacks to eat. I tend to be a bit of a bored eater so I like to have something that I can snack on without too many calories. And I've rediscovered my absolutely favorite summer treat: frozen grapes. 

When I was young we ate a lot of frozen fruit. My mother always stocked the freezer with frozen blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. We would open a bag and not wait for them to thaw. The blueberries would dye our fingers purple but they were so incredibly delicious. The raspberries were my favorite. After I left my parents house I stopped buying frozen berries. I didn't have a good enough freezer to keep them in any of the crappy apartments I lived in. 

It was finally after college that a friend of mine introduced me to frozen grapes. I would buy two bags of grapes on every shopping trip. One would be washed and left on the counter to eat fresh. The other would be washed, pulled off the stem, and put into a tupperware container for freezing. They become little frozen popsicles and I can eat almost unlimited numbers. I've frozen them for years now and love the cold sweet taste and the fact that they are good for me. I've also started buying other frozen fruits as well. I simply eat them plain but you can cook with them, add them to yogurt, or even cereal. 

A couple years ago I found that the Mayo Clinic offers a Healthy Weight Food Pyramid. I have this tacked up on my fridge as a reminder of how to eat healthy. And the big thing for this pyramid is the fruits and vegetables. As you'll see, they are unlimited. And with treats like frozen grapes, that's an awfully sweet deal.  

Temptation Wears White Frosting

I'm not much of a girly girl. My poor husband rarely gets to see me in a skirt and heels. I don't buy or wear a lot of dresses and I own approximately 7 pairs of shoes. (two of which are sandals) So when a good friend of mine from work held a Silpada party, I told her I would go but don't expect much. I don't normally attend sales parties and I refuse to hold any of my own. I'm not a salesman and I have even less interest in selling to my friends.

But I went and had a nice time. I even ended up buying something. My friend really appreciated me being willing to go. And to show her appreciation, she did the worst thing she could possibly do. She introduced me to a cupcake.

Not just any cupcake, but Starbucks' Vanilla Bean Cupcake. Now I don't normally like Starbucks. I tend to go with independents or with Caribou. (A Minnesota based chain). But since I've had my first taste of this crack disguised as pastry, I've been stalking Starbucks stores. I've found all the ones around my house and around work. I'm scrimping on calories in other places to be able to afford one. (I'm faithfully counting calories these days) I actually told myself today that I could just have celery for dinner if it would allow me a second one. They are seriously like crack.

It's a standard vanilla cupcake, topped with generous amounts of buttercream frosting with vanilla bean pieces, and sprinkled on the edges with sugar. And they are completely addictive. The barista today told me that they are his favorite pastry in the store. They melt in your mouth with their soft cake and perfect frosting. I would have licked the wrapper clean if there hadn't been so many people in the store. So as they say, no good deed goes unpunished. But this is a sweet kind of torture.

Roof Ice and Snow Cream....

Or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love Salmonella.


I drove into work this morning with my iPod blaring and an icicle wedged into my mitten. Right as I was walking out the door I noticed a beautiful array of icicles right over my head and I just had to grab one. Any of my family will tell you that I have strange icicle addiction. I love them. My mother has been known to stash a particularly pretty one in the freezer for me to eat when I come over. They are one of those great outdoor snacks.



My older brother (a doctor) started calling them roof ice as a way to remind me of where they came from. Roofs are dirty, covered in dust and grime and bird droppings. And of course icicles are dirty. I still eat them. I've grabbed them off strange houses and eaten them. It's not that I'm not worried about getting sick....it's just that...no I'm actually not worried about getting sick. It is the same for me with cookie dough. I think it's a crime to bake cookies. Cookie dough is the greatest treat on earth, particularly with chocolate chips. And I'm constantly remind by others of the salmonella risk that comes from eating cookie dough. I just don't care. I figure I've gone 32 years now eating cookie dough and never had salmonella. I like those odds.

I'm a big fan of eating food I find outdoors. Mulberries are my favorite summer fruit and they can only be found outdoors. No one packages and sells mulberries. They are just too delicate. So when I find a mulberry tree I stop and eat for a while. Perhaps some of the joy is foraging for my own food. Or the fact that this is as natural as food can get. We have a focus on eating Organic in the US but most people would refuse to eat berries that they find on a tree. How much more Organic (natural) can you get?


And the worry of salmonella brings me to my favorite outdoor winter treat. Snow Cream. This is recipe that Jeff and his family introduced me too and I have to say I'm hooked. You need snow, particularly freshly fallen snow. The big flake kind that's somewhat heavy. Leave a big soup pot outside in the falling snow and then collect the rest from the top layer that has fallen. Mix in an egg (raw), sugar (normally 1-2 cups) and a tablespoon or so of vanilla. Mix and eat. It is unbelievably good. But most people can't get past the raw egg. Now I will admit that the first time you see a bit of yolk in your snow cream it's a little offputting. Even I was a little unsure, but if you get past the fear of salmonella or any other diseases, there are some great natural treats out there for you. Icicles and snow cream, making winter more enjoyable for the last 30 years.