But not today.

I woke up this morning and looked out the front window.  The city crews had either forgotten about our street, or we were waaaaay down on the list. . . like last.

Yet, the postponed Christmas dinner was on.  And the gym was open.  Because, of course, all the other streets in town had been cleared.

My plan fior the day was simple:  get to the gym and work out hard, then go to Mom and Dad’s house and eat an embarrassingly large helping of prime rib and yorkshire pudding (soaked in gravy).

And there was no way a two-foot deep blanket of snow covering the driveway and street was going to stop me.

I informed the hubby of my plans.  He suggested that we wait a little while to see if the street crews showed up.  I told him, gently, that that was not an option.  I explained that the snowbound phase was over, whether Mother Nature liked it or not.  And that I wasn’t going to be bound by the street crew schedule, either.

He sighed.

I stomped back into the closet and put on my shovelling clothes.  Actually, I had to decide on some shovelling clothes, since I’ve haven’t shovelled snow since I’ve been married.  Over a layer of workout spandex, I tossed on sweats and sweatshirt.  Then I broke out my old Dexter hiking boots that I’ve had since high school.  They’re in great shape!  Probably because I never go hiking, and I rarely shovel snow.  I then donned my winter coat and my cute red, black and white stripped hat with the little puff ball on top.  Anyway.  When I emerged from my bedroom, hilarity ensued:

“You look ridiculous, Mom,” said Snacky.

Anthony was too busy laughing to comment.

“Whatever,” I told  them, “we’ll see who laughs last.”  I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be me, though.

“I’ll be out soon, Honey,” said the hubby, as I stomped out the door.

I surveyed the driveway and the street in front of our house. There was no way around the fact that the entire driveway needed to be cleared.  Not too mention enough of the street so that our car could get some traction and crawl on out of the neighborhood.   A lesser woman would have been intimidated by the job at hand.

Thankfully, I was not alone in my labors.  Our dog Princess loyally volunteered to come out with me.   Not that she was much help.  But she’s pretty darn cute, so she gets extra credit just for hanging out with me.

I had half of the driveway done when the hubby came out.  He prides himself on being an expert at shovelling snow, and got right down to business.  Not too long after that, Snacky came out.  He gave me a little break.  And I do mean little.  He moved about 10 shovels full of snow and then claimed HE needed a break.  Then out came Anthony.   He really got after that snow.  I told Snacky he should be embarrassed that his little brother was working harder than he was.

Snacky was not at all embarrassed.  Snacky prides himself on not unnecessarily breaking a sweat.  He takes energy conservation to new levels.

Anyway…

We got the driveway and the street in front of our house cleared.  After an two hours.

Mere mortals would consider that their workout for the day.  But the stairmaster was calling.

We all got our workout stuff on and got ready to go to the gym.  Workout for me, hoops for hubby and the boys.  We saddled up and hopped in the car, opened the garage door and peeled out of the driveway, hoping for enough momentum to launch us into the tire track trail (generously left by the people in big trucks that you can actually drive in this weather) leading out of our neighborhood.

Not so easy, of course.  Another half-hour of the hubby launching the car back and forth, alternating with bouts of the hubby shovelling more snow out of strategic spots (which I helpfully pointed out for him), ensued before we finally managed to manuever the car into position and crawl down the block and out of the neighborhood.  As we squirted out of our block and onto the (of course) cleared cross street, we were all ridiculously happy about our new-found freedom from the confines of our block!

The rest is history.  I got a great (second) workout in.  We made it to my parents’ for a great dinner (thanks Mom and Dad!).  And when we got home, the hubby and I broke out the heating pad and massage pillow to soothe our aching bodies!

The roads are deep in snow, and the only people I see out there are in really big trucks (and one Subaru).  So we’ve postponed Christmas dinner at my parents’ house until tomorrow night.  With only light continued snow flurries expected we can presume that, by then, the city will have cleared roads sufficiently for us to creep around a little.  Hope so.  I can only stay housebound for so long before the family starts paying for it.

Plus, I will absolutely need to get to the gym by tomorrow to resume my workout routine.  I’ve had two days off for the holiday, and have exercised absolutely NO RESTRAINT around any food.

So what are we doing today?  Everyone has his or her own little project going on.

Quent is furiously studying post-holiday sales online.  In true college-student fashion, she requested cold, hard cash for Christmas.  Now she’s figuring out how to get the most fashion bang for her new bucks.  She and her friends will be heading for the mall as soon as the roads are drivable.

Anthony is working out his new Wii.

Snacks is working out his new ITouch.

The hubby is holding down his favorite living room chair, eating and watching some fairly boring NBA games.

Me?  Other than renewing my blogging career, I’m spending time in the kitchen.  Cause I do love to cook.  I’ve baked the pies for tomorrow’s family holiday dinner at mom and dad’s.  So I got a head start on that part of the game, anyway.  Plus I’m baking an extra pumpkin pie for tonight (can’t make my babies wait until tomorrow for pumpkin pie, can I?)  FYI, because I know you are absolutely dying to know, I use the recipe on the back of the Libby’s Pumpkin can for my pumpkin pies, because I haven’t found anything better yet and it’s SO easy.  Today, I used the leftover (homemade, of course) dough — from the best pie crust recipe ever — to make little miniature cinnamon sugar roll-ups for one of the boys’ many afternoon snacks.

Cinnamon Sugar Roll-Ups

1)  Roll leftover pie dough flat.

2)  Sprinkle dough with sugar and cinnamon, to your taste.

3)  Cut dough into strips and roll into spirals.

4)  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until flaky.

Given the fact that I’m newly responsible for my family’s Christmas dinner tonight, I’ve been working on that, too.  I found a package of beef stew meat in the freezer, and I did the quick defrost.  Then I built a nice tomato sauce around the meat and I’ve left it to simmer until the meat is nice and tender.  To be served with spaghetti, of course.  And a green salad, with a simple homemade vinaigrette.

Today’s Meat Sauce

Spray the bottom of a cookpot with Pam, or coat lightly with olive oil.  Saute 1 pound beef stew meat, 1 finely chopped onion and 6 finely chopped garlic cloves until the meat is browned and the veggies are tender.  Just stir from time to time and pay attention — it doesn’t take that long.

Once the meat is browned and the veggies are tender add dried oregano (to your taste, but I used about two teaspoonsful); a generous pinch of red pepper flakes; and salt and pepper (again, to your taste, and I tend to be pretty liberal with the salt and pepper).

Next add one 14.5 ounce can of tomato sauce and 2 14.5 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes.

Let the mixture simmer on low heat until the cows come home — or until the stew meat is really nice and tender.   About 2-3 hours, depending on the size of your meat chunks.  Just keep testing the meat for tenderness after it’s been cooking for a while.  Remember to keep the heat low so the sauce doesn’t scald.

Homemade Vinaigrette

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white or red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

pinch sugar

Plus add chopped scallions or garlic, if you like — I added the scallions today.

Throw all ingredients in a small jar and shake well.  Use any amount desired on your salad.

So as I’ve spent my afternoon updating my blogs and baking and cooking, the day has faded and evening is here.  But the natives are restless (especially me), and I still haven’t seen the street crews out front.  A light snow continues to fall, but it’s nothing like last night’s deluge of white stuff.  So we’ll hunker down tonight, and hope we can get out and slog around tomorrow.

Seriously, though. . .

Despite all media-driven expectations about gift-giving on Valentine’s Day, anymore it’s typically a pretty low-key affair in our house. The hubby and I don’t spend a lot of undue time or energy on it. Probably because we spend all of our time and money on our kids.

What we usually do is go out to eat together. Which is actually really special, b/c keeping up with our kids’ activities fills up the weekly schedule, making it damn near impossible to sneak a date in most of the time.

The reality is we’ve been married for 17 years now, and I’m lucky to be married to a man who spoils me rotten in all the right ways: he puts up with my moods; he does all the nasty chores like cleaning the bathrooms and washing the cars; and he is ALWAYS the one to go out late at night if there’s a last minute errand that has to be done for the next day (and with three kids this happens with amazing regularity). PLUS he rubs my feet WHENEVER I ask and always picks out great wine for me (even when he thinks it’s too expensive).

In other words, due to his efforts over a sustained period of time, the hubby is now officially off the hook when it comes to Valentine’s Day surprises.

But that’s between the hubby and me — we’re old pros when it comes to making a relationship work.

Now my job is to teach my kids how to make relationships work.

So, this year, I’m much more focused on what my sons are doing for Valentine’s Day. Because, in spite of the highly commercialized aspects of Valentine’s Day, I do believe it’s a good excuse for a young man to practice MAKING A GIRL FEEL SPECIAL. If he has a girl.

In the past, my only function as a mother on Valentine’s Day was to go out and purchase enough Valentine’s Day cards for everyone in whoever’s class for the big card exchange. This year marks the first time I’m getting to apply my mothering skills to Valentine’s Day, by offering my best advice on guidance on navigating the waters of boy-girl relationships.

To begin with, my younger son has a “girlfriend.” The reason I say “girlfriend” is that they’re still in elementary school — so the concept is much more theoretical than practical. Much of their “relationship” is conducted through go-betweens. Although, it’s my understanding that there is much eye contact and smiling that goes on between them, and even the occasional conversation at lunch or recess.

HOWEVER, Ant approached me and asked me if I would pick up a gift for his girl for Valentine’s Day. He sweetly apologized for having to ask me to do it, but pointed out that he has no money and no car and has to be in school all day. What a cutie!

Okay, so we decided that a tasteful box of chocolates would be an appropriate gift. He then mentioned that he would have to talk with her friends about when to get her the gift, since they aren’t allowed to exchange any gifts at school unless they’re bringing something for everybody. I advised him that he should propose to meet her AFTER school and give her the gift. Bingo! See, I told you I give good advice.. .

So I’m presuming the meeting is being arranged. For my part, I went and got a little heart-shaped box of chocolate that comes with a small stuffed teddy bear, and a Valentine’s gift bag with pink tissue paper.

At one point, I realized just exactly how happy and excited Ant’s girl is going to be when she gets her gift. My cynicism about Valentine’s Day eroded just a little in that moment.

Anyway, that was easy compared with my attempts to advise my older son on his Valentine’s Day responsibilities. In fact, this has become quite the battle of wills.

Snacky is currently “talking to” a lovely young lady — pretty, polite, a cheerleader, in the choir. I heartily approve.

Here I need to digress a little on the topic of “talking,” in order to eventually get to my point.

You may have noticed, if you have kids in middle school or high school, that when our budding young adults become interested in each other, they are quickly deemed to be “talking to” each other.

To put it in context: “Yeah, you know Monique? She’s the one Dre talks to.”

What I’ve been able to determine is that when kids are “talking,” they’re in a sort of lower-tier commitment. In the teenage public mind, the two “talkees” are connected, but not yet committed enough to say they’re dating; or that they’re girlfriend-boyfriend. The rules around “talking” are somewhat contradictory. It’s expected that you don’t hit on a guy or girl that you’re friend is “talking to.” However, if you do mess around with someone who’s “talking to” someone else, it is perfectly legitimate to say: “Well, it’s not like they’re going out or anything.”

So back to Valentine’s Day: evidently, the rules about Valentine’s Day gift-giving is unenforceable between kids who are “talking to” each other. While a guy who neglected to give his GIRLFRIEND a Valentine’s Day gift would be up s**t creek without a paddle, a guy who doesn’t get a gift for the girl he’s “talking to” is off the hook.

I found this out when I asked Snacky what he’s going to get the young lady he’s “talking to” for Valentine’s Day. He informed me that she TOLD HIM not to get her anything b/c they’re not actually going out.

Me: “So she just up and said not to get her anything?”

Him: “Well, I asked her if she wanted me to get her anything. And she said no because we’re not going out yet.”

Hmmmmm. . .

Me: “Well, son, I would highly suggest that you don’t take her advice. There is no high school girl who actually doesn’t want to get something for Valentine’s Day.”

Him: “But we’ve only been ‘talking’ for three weeks.”

Me: “So? Get her a token gift.”

Him: “What’s a token gift?”

Woooooow. . .

Me: “A small gift. You know, just to let her know she’s special to you. You do like her, don’t you?” (Yes, I’m the mistress of the guilt trip.)

Him: “Well, duh, I like her. . . that’s why I’m ‘talking to’ her.”

At this point, Quent jumped in with her two cents: “Nobody ever got me anything when we were ‘talking.’ I always told ‘em not to ’cause there’s no way I was going to do anything for them.”

Me: “Thanks for that illuminating advice.”

Quent: “I’m just saying. . .”

So around and around we went. And I have to confess that we are currently at a stalemate. Although I’m feeling a little miffed that my son isn’t taking my advice, I can guarantee you that I’m still planning on winning this battle in the end.

To be honest, I never even thought about blackeyed peas until I met my husband. His family on his mother’s side migrated north to East St. Louis from Mississippi, and he grew up surrounded by Southern cooking traditions. According to this Southern tradition, blackeyed peas served with greens (I prefer collard) symbolize financial good fortune for the New Year — the peas represent coins and the greens represent paper money. Anyway. The hubby let me in on the blackeyed pea good luck tradition, and we decided to pass the tradtion along through our family.

This year, as usual, I’ll be serving my blackeyed peas with a pot of collards and a bigass ham.

Here’s my simple and tasty recipe for blackeyed peas.

First of all, try to find Melissa’s Blackeyed Peas in your grocery store produce section. They are ready to prepare, and cook well in just about an hour or so minutes. For my family, I get two of the 11 oz. containers.

Spray cooking spray on the bottom of a soup pot. Finely chop one medium-sized onion, one small jalapeno and 6 cloves of garlic (more or less of the veggies to your taste, of course). Saute the onion, jalapeno and garlic in the soup pot until they’re tender. Next, pour 5 cups of liquid into the pot. I use about half and half proportions of both chicken broth and the pot likker from my greens, and throw a cup of the greens in, too. Then, add the two containers of blackeyed peas. Add any combination salt (or garlic salt) and pepper that suits your taste, bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour or so, until tender. Viola. They’re done. I don’t add meat to the blackeyed peas, since I serve them with both ham AND greens cooked with ham hocks. When serving, splash Louisiana Hot Sauce on your peas snuggle them up with the greens on your plate.

Additional recommendation: cornbread is a MUST with this meal.

My contribution to this year’s Christmas dinner is, as usual, the desserts. The family strokes my ego every year with compliments about how I’m the BEST piemaker in the family, thereby ensuring that I continue to produce. I’m not gonna complain, though, b/c my aunt is preparing HER usual – prime rib with Yorkshire pudding. Mmmmmmm…..

Every year I think about doing something different than pies, but I always fall back on my standards, pumpkin and apple pie. For the pumpkin pie, I really haven’t found anything I like better than the recipe on the Libby’s Pumpkin Pack label. The apple pie is my own creation, though, refined after years of tinkering. Because I’m the generous type, and ‘tis the season for giving, I’m going to share my masterpiece here. Feel free to comment on my culinary genius after you try it.

Mama’s Apple Pie

Perfect Crust

• 2 Cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Cup of vegetable shortening
• 3 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1/3 (approx.) milk

Place flour in a large mixing bowl. Add salt and mix thoroughly with the flour, using a fork or a whisk. Next, add the shortening. Using a fork or pastry cutter, blend the shortening with the flour/salt mixture. This takes a little time, so don’t be lazy. You should end up with a mixture that resembles small nuggets. Be sure the mixture is consistent. Next, add the vinegar. Continue with the fork/pastry cutter blending until the vinegar is incorporated. Now you’re ready to add the milk. DO NOT pour it all in at once – that would be an amateurish move on your part, and I’m trusting you to do better with my ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS pie crust. Set your impatience aside, and slowly add the milk a splash at a time, working the dough with your fork/pastry cutter. Pause after about half of the milk has been added and feel the dough with your fingertips. Is it sticking together? Not really? Continue with the milk. When the dough IS sticking together, STOP with the milk. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Take it out and get ready to roll. (You can refrigerate it overnight if you need to, just be sure to take it out and let it soften up for a while before you use it.)

Filling to Die For

• 8 Granny Smith Apples
• ¾ -1cup of sugar
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Ginger
• Allspice
• Flour
• Butter

This mixture will require some concentration. You will be responsible for the correct balance of sugar and spice. Every batch of apples requires a little different balance.

Peel the apples. Slice them thinly into a large bowl. Add ½ cup sugar and mix thoroughly. Is this sweet enough for you? If not, add more sugar, a little at a time, tasting periodically, until you have the right balance of sweet and tart. This is up to you because you have your own taste buds. My sweet may be TOO sweet for you. I would recommend not going over a cup of sugar, though. There have to be some boundaries, after all. Next, you will add approximately 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ginger, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon of allspice. Mix thoroughly with the sugared apples and taste. If the spices balance right, you’re done. Otherwise, adjust whichever spice you think is lacking. Again, trust your taste buds. Once you think you have the right balance of spices, add two tablespoons of flour and mix thoroughly.

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out the dough for the bottom crust of your pie. Pile the apple filling in. Cut up two tablespoons of butter into about 8 pieces and dot the top of the filling. You will have leftover apple mixture. I do this on purpose because my kids love the “cinnamon apples.” Whatever doesn’t fit in the pie plate gets divided up between them.

Roll out the dough for the top crust. Make sure you cut slits in it. Place the top crust on the pie and seal it. Crimp aluminum foil around the edge of the crust, and place a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the top of the pie. This will keep the crust from browning too much. Put the pie in the oven and set the timer for 40 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove the foil from the top of the pie – but keep the aluminum foil on the edges of the crust. Set the timer for 15 more minutes. When the timer goes off, check the pie. It is done when the top crust is a light brown and the inside of the pie is bubbling. If it isn’t done at this point, give it another 5 minutes at a time until it is done.