snow and stew

It's snowing again today.
Dara doesn't mind.

"Forget the snow," he says.
"Are there peanuts in your pocket?"

It has snowed for three of the past four days.

Tiny, tiny flakes. For hours and hours and hours.

Azalea catching snowflakes on her tongue.
(Not really.)
(Well, maybe.)

The total accumulation has been less than two feet (so far), but because it has gone on and on, the plowman has come twice. It's an expense, but after decades of not finding anyone reliable to tackle my challenging driveway, I am thrilled to be on this gentleman's list.

Once I asked him if he hates my driveway.

He was nice enough to say, "It isn't the worst one in town.

It is the second-worst."

I genuinely feel so much better knowing that!

~~~

There's been some Big Kettle cooking going on here.

I make a big pot of something simple,

freeze a couple of servings right away,

and then stretch the rest out over a few days

by adding something else to the pot each day.

It's a sort of Evolving Stew.

This ended up as red beans, rice, smoked ham, and cheddar.

This began as haddock chowder.

Then it became haddock/corn chowder.

And ended up as haddock/corn/broccoli chowder.

It was really good, every time!

I'm trying to always have something good, ready to eat.

It's the only way I will eat properly when I am tired.

And I really prefer good food to snacking.

But if I don't plan ahead a little bit,

and cook multiple servings of something good,

I'll rummage in the cupboard and eat crackers all day.

Or peanuts. Lots of peanuts.

I've been buying 5-pound bags of unsalted peanuts in the shell.

For the goats.

Would you want to look at this sweet, trusting face and say,

"I'm sorry, Betula. I ate all the peanuts."

Do you think you could? Really?

While he's standing patiently in the falling snow?

Let's look at that face one more time.

Right.

Time to make another kettle of stew!

~~~~~