There are reasons to miss the snow
Call me crazy, call me nuts, or just agree with me; I miss the snow. Now before you get all excited I need to give you specific reasons why I miss the snow. But first, I don’t ski, I don’t ice skate, and I don’t ice fish. I don’t polar bear swim, make snow angels, or sled ride, anymore. I do, however, still wear snow boots, gloves, a scarf, and a heavy winter coat; of course I do, I live in Northeast Ohio.
When snow falls and covers our yard, and the fields that surround our home, the beauty of untouched white can be seen for miles. Even in the dark you can see a perfect blanket of snow. And if the moon is clear the snow ground becomes an awesome floor show. I love this about the snow, especially when it covers the ground during sleep. There is magic in the morning appearance of overnight snow. So, I miss the snow.
I can easily spot the whitetail in the woods when snow covers the forest floor. A passing glance out the window often becomes admiration in a trance-like state, because I can spot a deer within that moment. When the snow melts away, I have to squint, and maybe blink to focus on the slightest movement; and then it’s probably just a squirrel. So, I miss the snow.
Whenever I am coming or going, up and down our farm lane, I scan the acres, following the obvious trail of deer hoof tracks. They trail a long ways; from one woods, crossing a stubbly cornfield, to another woods, sometimes cutting paths right across our yard just feet from our house. Discovering these tracks in the morning as I go about my get-up-and-go, again I say is magic; we had silent visitors during the night.
When the snow remains I like to see where my kitties have been prowling during the day. I like to find little hop-hop birdie tracks; they must have had a seed party around the orange blossom bush this afternoon. The dog and puppy tracks aren’t as magic as the wildlife, but I do like to know where the dogs have walked when snow is on the ground. It keeps your boots cleaner if you can avoid where the last walk ended. But when the snow melts; so, you see I miss the snow.
When snow falls everything it covers becomes “cleaner,” even the dirty slush from the last snowfall. The plowed piles at road’s edge, or at the end of your street, become beautiful snow mountains, but only when the snow falls again, and it will, it really will.
Send your snow time treats to: Country Cupboard, 5973 Blachleyville Road, Wooster 44691. Emails are always welcome at thewritecook@sssnet.com.
Sausage Egg Squares
1 pound turkey Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) package small curd 1 percent cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups egg substitute
1 cup fat-free milk
1 cup reduced-fat biscuit/baking mix
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
In a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour into a 13-by-9-by-2 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
Cheesy Ham & Hash Brown Casserole
1 (32 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes
8 ounces cooked, diced ham
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of potato soup
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, mix hash browns, ham, cream of potato soup, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese. Spread evenly into prepared dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly brown. Serve immediately.
French Toast Breakfast Casserole
5 cups bread cubes
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup white sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon margarine, softened
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-by-8 inch baking pan. Line bottom of pan with bread cubes. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and vanilla. pour egg mixture over bread. Dot with margarine; let stand for 10 minutes. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake in preheated oven about 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden.
Wake Up Casserole
8 frozen hash brown patties
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 pound cubed fully cooked ham
7 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
Place hash brown patties in a single layer in a greased 13-by-9 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and ham. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and mustard. Pour over ham. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer or until edges are golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Zucchini Egg Bake
3 cups peeled, chopped zucchini
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh marjoram
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
In a large skillet, sauté the zucchini, onion and garlic in butter until tender; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, marjoram and salt. Stir in zucchini mixture and Monterey Jack cheese. Pour into a greased 1-quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Crunchy Ice Cream Pie (Dorcas Zimmerman, Greenwich)
2/3 cup brown sugar firmly packed
1/3 cup margarine or butter softened
2 cups cornflakes, slightly crushed (crush them after they are measured)
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup nuts
1 quart vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
Measure sugar and butter into a mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy. Add cornflakes, nuts and coconut. Mix until combined. Reserve 1/4 cup of cornflakes mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture evenly and firmly in bottom and sides of pie pan to form crust. Chill, then spread in ice cream. Sprinkle with reserved cornflakes.
Brunch Enchiladas
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1/2 cup chopped green onions
10 (8 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
6 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine ham and onions; place about 1/3 cup down the center of each tortilla. Top with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 13-by-9 baking dish. In a bowl, combine flour, cream, eggs and salt if desired until smooth. Pour over tortillas. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 3 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Eggs Benedict Pizza
12 eggs, well beaten
1 tablespoon butter
2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (.9 ounce) package hollandaise sauce mix
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
3 cups diced cooked ham
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in eggs, and cook to desired degree of doneness, stirring constantly. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unroll crescent dough and place rolls on an ungreased 12-inch pizza pan with points toward the center. Press seams together and press up sides of pan to form a crust. Prepare Hollandaise sauce according to package directions using 2/3 cup milk and 1/4 cup butter. Pour evenly over crescent roll crust. Spread scrambled eggs evenly over sauce, then top with cubed ham. Sprinkle lightly with shredded cheese. Bake in preheated oven until bottom of crust is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
French Toast Bake
12 day-old French bread
5 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Arrange bread in a greased 13-by-9-by-2 baking dish. In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, 3/4 cup brown sugar, vanilla and nutmeg; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle pecans over egg mixture. Combine butter and remaining sugar; drizzle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with blueberries. Bake 10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
When snow falls and covers our yard, and the fields that surround our home, the beauty of untouched white can be seen for miles. Even in the dark you can see a perfect blanket of snow. And if the moon is clear the snow ground becomes an awesome floor show. I love this about the snow, especially when it covers the ground during sleep. There is magic in the morning appearance of overnight snow. So, I miss the snow.
I can easily spot the whitetail in the woods when snow covers the forest floor. A passing glance out the window often becomes admiration in a trance-like state, because I can spot a deer within that moment. When the snow melts away, I have to squint, and maybe blink to focus on the slightest movement; and then it’s probably just a squirrel. So, I miss the snow.
Whenever I am coming or going, up and down our farm lane, I scan the acres, following the obvious trail of deer hoof tracks. They trail a long ways; from one woods, crossing a stubbly cornfield, to another woods, sometimes cutting paths right across our yard just feet from our house. Discovering these tracks in the morning as I go about my get-up-and-go, again I say is magic; we had silent visitors during the night.
When the snow remains I like to see where my kitties have been prowling during the day. I like to find little hop-hop birdie tracks; they must have had a seed party around the orange blossom bush this afternoon. The dog and puppy tracks aren’t as magic as the wildlife, but I do like to know where the dogs have walked when snow is on the ground. It keeps your boots cleaner if you can avoid where the last walk ended. But when the snow melts; so, you see I miss the snow.
When snow falls everything it covers becomes “cleaner,” even the dirty slush from the last snowfall. The plowed piles at road’s edge, or at the end of your street, become beautiful snow mountains, but only when the snow falls again, and it will, it really will.
Send your snow time treats to: Country Cupboard, 5973 Blachleyville Road, Wooster 44691. Emails are always welcome at thewritecook@sssnet.com.
Sausage Egg Squares
1 pound turkey Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) package small curd 1 percent cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups egg substitute
1 cup fat-free milk
1 cup reduced-fat biscuit/baking mix
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
In a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour into a 13-by-9-by-2 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
Cheesy Ham & Hash Brown Casserole
1 (32 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes
8 ounces cooked, diced ham
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of potato soup
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, mix hash browns, ham, cream of potato soup, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese. Spread evenly into prepared dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly brown. Serve immediately.
French Toast Breakfast Casserole
5 cups bread cubes
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup white sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon margarine, softened
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter an 8-by-8 inch baking pan. Line bottom of pan with bread cubes. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and vanilla. pour egg mixture over bread. Dot with margarine; let stand for 10 minutes. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake in preheated oven about 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden.
Wake Up Casserole
8 frozen hash brown patties
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 pound cubed fully cooked ham
7 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
Place hash brown patties in a single layer in a greased 13-by-9 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and ham. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and mustard. Pour over ham. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer or until edges are golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Zucchini Egg Bake
3 cups peeled, chopped zucchini
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh marjoram
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
In a large skillet, sauté the zucchini, onion and garlic in butter until tender; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, marjoram and salt. Stir in zucchini mixture and Monterey Jack cheese. Pour into a greased 1-quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Crunchy Ice Cream Pie (Dorcas Zimmerman, Greenwich)
2/3 cup brown sugar firmly packed
1/3 cup margarine or butter softened
2 cups cornflakes, slightly crushed (crush them after they are measured)
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup nuts
1 quart vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
Measure sugar and butter into a mixing bowl. Beat until light and fluffy. Add cornflakes, nuts and coconut. Mix until combined. Reserve 1/4 cup of cornflakes mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture evenly and firmly in bottom and sides of pie pan to form crust. Chill, then spread in ice cream. Sprinkle with reserved cornflakes.
Brunch Enchiladas
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1/2 cup chopped green onions
10 (8 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
6 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
Combine ham and onions; place about 1/3 cup down the center of each tortilla. Top with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 13-by-9 baking dish. In a bowl, combine flour, cream, eggs and salt if desired until smooth. Pour over tortillas. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 3 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Eggs Benedict Pizza
12 eggs, well beaten
1 tablespoon butter
2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (.9 ounce) package hollandaise sauce mix
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
3 cups diced cooked ham
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in eggs, and cook to desired degree of doneness, stirring constantly. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unroll crescent dough and place rolls on an ungreased 12-inch pizza pan with points toward the center. Press seams together and press up sides of pan to form a crust. Prepare Hollandaise sauce according to package directions using 2/3 cup milk and 1/4 cup butter. Pour evenly over crescent roll crust. Spread scrambled eggs evenly over sauce, then top with cubed ham. Sprinkle lightly with shredded cheese. Bake in preheated oven until bottom of crust is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
French Toast Bake
12 day-old French bread
5 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Arrange bread in a greased 13-by-9-by-2 baking dish. In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, 3/4 cup brown sugar, vanilla and nutmeg; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle pecans over egg mixture. Combine butter and remaining sugar; drizzle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with blueberries. Bake 10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Published: January 30, 2012
