Snow, Snow, Snow

'Tis a cold and blustery day here in northern New York. All schools in our county, and the neighboring county are closed, which is very unusual. It's 12:30 and I have already shoveled the driveway twice and I imagine I'll have to do it at least one more time before the storm is over. It's finally looking like winter out there. I do love a snow storm as long as I don't have to be out and driving. My neighbor told me that her vehicle had to be towed out of the bank parking lot because the lot hadn't been plowed. I'm glad I did banking and went grocery shopping yesterday so I'm safely ensconced in my warm house with my two cuddly cat friends. Lots of time for knitting and spinning and watching some Dr. Who on Netflix.

I have no snowy photos from today, but I do have some from a stop I made at Cranberry Lake on Sunday. There was about two feet of snow, but I walked in and was able to get inside because of the way the snow had drifted by the door. It was very cold though and I didn't get to walk around as much as I would have liked. I bet there is a lot more snow now and that snowshoes will be necessary next time. The big expanse of snow is the frozen lake.

Today my spinning group was supposed to meet at my house, but we have postponed it until next week. One intrepid friend came anyway and we enjoyed some lovely conversation, some delicious St. Lawrence Valley Roasters Cost Rica coffee and some of Aunt Hilda's Stovetop Rice Pudding. My Aunt Hilda was a most awesome cook, and my recipe book is filled with recipes handed down from her, my Grandma Fish and my mom. I had forgotten about her rice pudding recipe and had been searching for a rice pudding that was made from uncooked rice, didn't need to be baked and was creamy and delicious. My sister Jane reminded me of Aunt Hilda's recipe which was published in 1981 in a cookbook put out by the First Baptist Church of Rome, New York, and the recipe satisfies all of my criteria.

Stove Top Rice Pudding

1/2 Cup Raw Rice (Arborio if you have it) 3 Eggs

1 Cup Boiling Water 1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Quart Milk 1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 Cup Butter 1/2 Cup Raisins (Optional)

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon, 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg (Also Optional)

Boil rice and water for 7 minutes. Add milk and butter-boil slowly for 1 1/4 hours, covered. Watch carefully because it boils over easily. Stir frequently. Remove from heat. Beat 3 eggs and sugar until thick and foamy. Add egg mixture to rice mixture and fold in real well till foam disappears. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, spices and 1/2 cup raisins. Pour into a pan or casserole and cool a little, then refrigerate.

I usually add a little bit more rice as I like the pudding a little more solid than soupy.

Enjoy!!!

I wanted to share a pair of socks I made from some of my handspun, hand dyed yarn. They were claimed by Travis when I was there this weekend. He said the color reminded him of the Razzle Dazzle popcorn at Maison du Popcorn at the Massena mall.

No blog post is complete without a cat photo. This was Gerard as I was leaving last weekend. I'm not sure if he was trying to sneak into the bag, or if he was checking to make sure I had everything I needed.

I now must remove Gerard from my right arm and repair to the sofa for a little knitting time. I'm still working on my Peace Fleece cardigan, having finished the Rosemary's Middle Sweater I was making, so I am moving toward accomplishing my knitting goals.