Yes, it’s still winter in the Midwest, as evidenced by these photos my mom snapped recently. Isn’t that shot pretty, with the moon glowing in the sky?
These two remind me of “the ends of the Earth,” a fun phrase my father used to say when my sister and I were kids and went out to play in the snow. We’d put on all our snow gear and trek through the snow, pretending we were explorers walking to the ends of the Earth.
…and Harry doesn’t seem to like this cold weather, either! xoxo
I realized a few months ago that my Instagram revolves around food and cats, and believe it or not, I’m totally comfortable with that. So I suppose it’s only natural that I should add these photos to my feed, huh? Here’s what we’ve been doing lots of lately, starting, of course, with Yahtzee, my all-time favorite games — even though I usually lose every single game. But I’m a good sport, I promise…most of the time.
Harry and Stella have been unnaturally photogenic lately. It’s funny because they’re so different in front of the camera: Stella loves it and will just stare at you with her wide eyes and pose. Harry, on the other hand, acts like a hipster cats, like he couldn’t care less and usually won’t even make eye contact. Oh, those crazy cats!
And of course, we’ve been looking at a lot of winter skies lately. My mom took this photo one morning recently, and it makes winter look like such a peaceful blanket, unlike the blowing snow we had this past weekend.
What “life photos” have you been snapping lately, friends? Anything in particular? A favorite meal? A recent purchase? Your adorable cat? I’d love to see your Instagrams, so be sure to leave your link in the comments! As always, you can follow me on Instagram for all the fun and shenanigans! xoxo
Melissa told me it’s time for another recipe for her new series! I decided to make some comfort food for a very cold day here in Illinois. I was able to make all of this in under an hour, so if you need a quick meal one weeknight or for unexpected company, this is pretty easy! Here we go…
Chicken Noodle Soup
*1 package of Bear Creek Chicken Noodle Soup mix (or any other brand that makes 8 cups)
*1 can Del Monte green beans
*1 grocery store rotisserie chicken
*Make the soup mix according to the directions. Add the green beans and as much or as little chicken as you wish.
That’s it….heat it for awhile and serve with bread or muffins, along with some fruit.
All Bran Muffin (These are super easy and quick. I eat one for breakfast every day in the car on the way to work. They are pretty healthy and filling too!)
*1 1/4 cup flour (I use 1 cup wheat flour and 1/4 cup white flour)
*1/2 cup sugar
*1 T baking powder
*1/4 t salt
*2 cup Kelloggs All Bran Cereal (original)
*1 1/4 cup milk
*1 egg
1/4 C vegetable oil
*Raisins, walnuts or dried cranberries, if you want
*Mix the All Bran and the milk…let it sit for a minute when you assemble the dry ingredients. Add the oil and egg to the All Bran mixture and stir. Add raisins and walnuts if you want. Bake at 400 degrees for around 20 minutes, but check after 15 minutes.
Blueberry Muffins
*For these, you can use a standard muffin recipe, but this time I just used the boxed mix and added fresh blueberries. I topped them with a confectioners sugar glaze, just for fun!
Fruit Compote
*2 cans mandarin oranges
*1 large can sliced peaches
*Blackberries or blueberries — optional
*1 can pineapple — optional
*Mix together, refrigerate for a bit and enjoy!
There you have it. A whole dinner — pretty nutritious and really easy! Enjoy!!!!
If you live in the Midwest, chances are you’re hunkering down at home today. I know I am. We’re getting pummeled by a whopper of a winter storm, and it’s one of the worst we’ve seen in recent decades — snow, ice, howling wind (I can hear it from our kitchen table…) and bitterly cold temperatures. The weather is supposed to be like this for the next couple days, so I plan on staying in and staying warm, preferably in front of the fireplace with one of the cats sitting next to me.
BUT! In the interest of documenting this most historic of events, I did manage to venture outside yesterday. As the wind whipped across my cheeks, I felt like I was on some sort of expedition to Antarctica. I could practically feel the cold seep right down to my bone.
There’s always a certain quiet and stillness that comes with blizzards, when everything is covered in snow. Our street was pretty deserted.
But of course my mother had to climb a snow hill. Isn’t she cute? In the first photo, she’s waving, and in the second photo, she’s giving a thumbs up!
So who else is braving the storm this week? Stay safe and warm, friends, and enjoy some much-deserved relaxation! We’ll be watching the season premiere of Downton Abbey! xoxo
P.S. The Big Blizzard of 2011. 🙂
When temperatures dropped to 9 degrees last month, Washington-based photographer Angela Kelly saw the perfect opportunity to capture winter at its finest. Armed with her camera, her seven-year-old son and some homemade soapy water, she ventured outside to blow bubbles. The results? The smaller bubbles froze in mid-air, quickly shattering to the ground. The larger bubbles kept their shape and formed patches of ice crystals, resulting in these gorgeous photos…
“We noted how they would freeze completely before the sun rose but that once the sun was in view they would defrost along the tops or cease freezing altogether,” Kelly told KOMO News. “We also noted how they would begin to deflate and implode in on themselves making them look like alien shapes or in some cases shatter completely leaving them to look like a cracked egg.”
Aren’t they beautiful, friends? It’s as if you’re peeking inside a snow globe and watching winter come to life! You can purchase prints of some of these gorgeous shots through Kelly’s Etsy shop.
P.S. Soap bubbles in nature, bubble portraits, women in bubbles and landmarks in bubbles. Also, remember how much I love snow globes? 🙂
[Via My Modern Met]