Keeping Warm

Every February that I can remember, living at my parents' current house, we had a late snow that took *everyone* by surprise, but wasn't a big deal...except at my house.  Our street was seemingly always just above the snow line, and was just windy and steep enough that when everyone else was driving to school and to work, we were sliding backwards down the hill praying that we wouldn't end up in the ravine.  (Shortly after they moved in, one neighbor's wife very  nearly DID end up in the ravine.)  It doesn't help that there's a gate at the top of the street, so if no one remembered to lock it open the night before you'd have to stop and wait for it to swing open...and by that time, you'd slid all the way back down!

Anyway, February is almost over, and we've got our snow.  And the snow has basically come and gone (and left some very cold temps behind) EXCEPT in our neighborhood.  We still have about 6 inches, our front steps are covered in at least half an inch of ice, and this afternoon I found out how to get Ernie interested in going outside.

Do you see what they're doing?  Two spray bottles, five drops of "neon pink" food dye each, a couple cups of water...they had a blast.  I envisioned them making pictures....maybe faces...but I forgot that I handed this project to Ernie.  She informed me, after coming inside, that she needed to go back out tomorrow to "finish" coloring the snow pink.  She won't rest until it's ALL COLORED IN.  

You like their outfits?  I won the "sock" battle, they're both wearing socks.  I told Ernie to put some pants on, and I can see (in the first picture) that she complied by putting on madras shorts.  They coordinate with her short little skirt.  *sigh*

While the girls seem totally oblivious to the need to stay warm, I've been warming my belly with some Korean cooking this week.



Doesn't that just look HOT??  The recipe is here, it's called "dok boki."  The rice cakes/rice sticks were found at a local asian market, a Chinese brand.  These are AMAZING.  Think super chewy mochi, you boil the rock hard rice sticks until they're all bendy, then cut and pan fry in lots of oil.  I don't keep Korean chili paste around, so I used equal parts Sriracha and soy sauce, with a bit of sugar and some seasoned rice vinegar for my sauce, then sprinkled on lots of sesame seeds.  I used more sugar than the recipe called for, and still these are SPICY.  Oh my.  So, so, so good.  And, since no one else in my family likes spicy in the least little bit, all for me!  I've thoroughly enjoyed my lunches this week :)