Trying to do some "wintery" things

So, we didn't get the weather that my Tulsa family got.    I feel so badly that they were not able to leave the house for days.  In fact, my parents were planning on visiting us this weekend, but instead were trapped at home.  To be honest, I was a little envious that they got snow---but definitely not envious of all of the trouble it caused families.  There have been a lot of tragic stories as a result of this wintery weather.

Well, we finally got our snow overnight last night.  It wasn't much---maybe 1 inch-but it was still a new experience for Luke.  All area schools and most employers closed for the day, so there were kids outside playing in the snow at 6am!!!!

 



As far as taking advantage of the winter weather goes, I cooked a stew yesterday. Also, I have been really into cinnamon apples lately--what a great cold-weather side dish. They taste similar to the cinnamon apples at Cracker Barrel:

This simple spiced apples recipe is great for breakfast, a warm and yummy side, or served atop pork. If you can't find McIntosh apples, substitute another baking apple such as Rome or Gala, or try a crisp, tart green apple such as Granny Smith. Prep: 10 min., Cook: 10 min.

Yield: Makes 6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)
Ingredients

* 4 McIntosh apples, peeled and sliced (about 2 lb.)
* 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (I would try honey next time to make eliminate the processed sugar)
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 2 tablespoons water
* 1 tablespoon butter

Preparation

1. Toss together first 4 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, tossing to coat apples.

2. Cook apple mixture, 2 Tbsp. water, and 1 Tbsp. butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until apples are tender.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 128 (0.0% from fat)
Fat: 2g (sat 1.2g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.1g)
Protein: 0.3g
Carbohydrate: 29.2g
Fiber: 1.3g
Cholesterol: 5mg
Iron: 0.6mg
Sodium: 21mg
Calcium: 25mg

Finally, I thought I would share a funny video I saw online.  It is about the winter storm and specifically is about the Houston area; however, it may as well be about Austin.  Our meteorologists get a bit overly excited and the city practically shut down today.