Snow Storm Shenanigans + Recipes

I have lived in NC all my life. I was born in Eastern NC and then moved to Raleigh after graduating from ECU. With that being said, I am used to this roller coaster of a ride that is NC weather! As all the reports started rolling in that we were expected to get 6”-8” of snow and oh yea 12”, I was skeptical.I mean I know what this weather is like in our wonderful state! And a foot of snow is not likely! However, by Friday, my childlike love for snow overrode my better judgement and I began to BELIEVE!

Off to the store I go! I mean, we better be prepared! There are several recipes and traditions that we always did whenever snow hit Eastern NC. My mom always made a big batch of vegetable soup and made grilled cheese sandwiches or grilled pimento cheese sandwiches!  If you haven’t taken a pimento cheese sandwich and grilled it, you need to STAT!  It’s one of those things that will wrap you in warmth and make you want to just curl up with a blanket and a good book!(or watch football on TV all day!)  We also always made snow cream! That is the highlight of any snow event! To make snow cream, the snow has to be perfect. Not ice(which we tend to get mostly), not yellow snow(yuck!), and preferably not the first snow(why I don’t know, my dad just always said). Now, I know all those rules.  They were drilled into my Eastern NC head my entire life... But, it’s snow cream people! You make it no matter what if you can!  I have attached the recipe for snow cream and my mom’s vegetable soup for you to try the next time snow is in the forecast! Just make sure you get to the store at the first mention of snow, otherwise you may just find empty shelves at the local grocery store!  

Grocery shopping completed, I texted all my neighbors, the snow party planning was in full effect! We needed to be ready for entertaining ourselves and all the kiddos! Growing up in the country with only my aunt for a neighbor, I never had this community growing up. Having this for our children is priceless! We had our plan, first thing in the am send all the kids over to our friend Jill’s house!  Haha! Yea, she is the snow party house and Jill is the best friend ever to let us stay in our pj’s a little longer and take on the crazy, hyped up kids!  

We woke up to not quite the amount of snow predicted, but the ground was white and that is all we needed!  Kids headed out, parents started packing up the essentials (clothes, gloves, food, wine, beer) Don’t judge, we parents need to take advantage of a Saturday Snow Day too! We of course provided the dessert for the day!  
We sledded, walked the neighborhood to find the best hill(we did by the way, it was wicked fast!), ate, watched football, danced, laughed and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of our first snow day in 2017. I hope each of you got to enjoy the childlike wonder of snow this weekend and took some time to just relax and enjoy the fact that you were stuck home! It doesn’t happen often enough for this family, so we enjoyed every second of it!!

God Bless,
LeAne Boksleitner

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SNOW CREAM RECIPE

4 cups snow
1 cup can evaporated milk
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Granny's Vegetable Soup

1 lb chopped sirloin (cut in small pieces)
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 can string beans
1 can okra
1 can black eye peas
1 can field peas
1 can lima beans

Take the sirloin and add in enough water to cover the meat.  Salt and pepper to taste. Put on stove top until meat is done. Once meat is done, add in the tomato paste, and all canned vegetables. Make sure you drain the juice from the vegetables before adding to the pot.  Stir and let cook on low for about 45 min -1 hour.  Enjoy!