snow day

struck brightly by the winter
when the snow falls thick and silent
i can only hear you breathing

i will follow a set of deep tracks
other people all stay hidden
as the cars rest under snow drifts

so clearly the dark sky
appears framed by cables
so clearly your breath's white
as you struggle to tell

that the people we have become
still lay awake hoping to hear airwaves
say snow day

~ matt pond PA, "Snow Day"

Matt Pond PA's "Winter Songs" has been the soundtrack chez Caffeinated Yarn this winter (read a review here).

Paul has been wearing his new owl hat proudly:

Project Details
Pattern: Owl Hat, by Ruthie Nussbaum (free!)
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino, Natural Mix, less than 1 skein
Needles: Clover US7 bamboo 16" circs and DPNs

Notes: I'm a loose knitter, so sticking with size 7 needles resulted in the perfect size for Paul's rather large head. Easy pattern, very fun to knit. The owls are a little high up on the head for my taste. I would adjust their placement next time. Now I want an owl hat, too!

Today truly was a snow day, albeit a wet, sloppy, and melty one. I slept in, did some knitting, breathed in the pine scent from the tree, and relaxed. I did trek out in the snow to pick up ingredients for baked mac & cheese from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites. It's still not exactly health food, but it's much better for you than the Paula Deen mac & cheese recipe that topped the Food Network's Top 100 Recipes of 2007 list. Here's the recipe, tweaked a bit:

Mac & Cheese

Serves 4-6

Prep time: 20 min.

Baking time: 45 min.

1.5 C. 1% lowfat cottage cheese

1.5 C. buttermilk or milk (skim is fine)

1 tsp. dried mustard

Pinch of cayenne pepper

.25 tsp. nutmeg

.5 tsp. salt

.25 tsp. ground black pepper

.25 C. grated onion (or less) ~ I often just zip this through the food processor

1 C. grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (4 oz) ~ it's worth buying something decent*

.5 lb. uncooked elbow macaroni

2 T. finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese*

.25 C. bread crumbs

* NB: I sometimes cheat and add a little extra cheese.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 9- or 10-inch square baking pan with a light coating of cooking spray.

In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, skim milk or buttermilk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and puree until smooth. In a large bowl, combine the pureed mixture with the onions, Cheddar cheese, and uncooked macaroni. Stir well. Pour the macaroni and cheese mixture into the baking pan. Combine the grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese and the bread crumbs and sprinkle over the top.

Bake for about 45 minutes, until the topping is browned and the center is firm.

Easy-peasy, delicious comfort food!