Snowed In

Sometimes, I really don't want it to snow. It messes so many things up- classes, performances, outdoor runs, travel plans (Just to name a few!). But Friday night I embraced the fact that on Saturday, Central Pennsylvania was going to get hit with several inches of snow, and I was very much looking forward to being snowed in!

When I awoke Saturday morning, there was nothing. My morning  CPR class had been canceled the night before, but there was nothing on the ground. I was annoyed. Around 10am it started to flurry, but nothing was laying on the ground. I managed to get in a really good 7 mile run. But  by the time I got home and stretched, it was really coming down!

I drove two miles to Big Lots to finish some Christmas shopping (Now I'm 99.99999% done!) and got home before anything got too terrible. But it was really coming down, and we were in for the night!

It was bliss. What a lovely snow day! My day was filled with getting important things done, as well as relaxing and soaking in the Christmas spirit! I crossed so many things off my to do list. The boring, adult to do list that I never want to do. But I did it while watching the storm outside.

The cats love watching the snow flurries. We have two huge bay windows in our home, so it's like they always have 24 our access to an IMAX movie called "Mother Nature".

I turned on Christmas music and made several batches of yummy baked goods to give to my piano students as Christmas presents: Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, Oreo Balls, Peanut Butter Fudge, White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, and Jam Coffee Cake.

I am not a fan of the recipe I have for the White Chocolate Cramberry Cookies. Whenever I make them, the dough never sticks together. It's like sand. I somehow always manage to get it to stick, but I need a new recipe. Let me know if you have any great recipes for that type of cookie!

 

White Chocolate Cranberry

 The Oreo Balls were really simple!

1. Crumble up 36 Oreos and mix them up in a huge bowl with 1/2 c. milk

 and a packet of instant chocolate pudding until it makes a paste.

2. Roll the paste into little balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.

 Put them in the freezer for 15 minutes.

3. While they're freezing, melt baking chocolate in the microwave. (White chocolate is okay too!)

 Then dip the balls in the chocolate and freeze for another 20 minutes. Voila! Yum!!!

If you've never tried Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, you simply must. It is so terrible for you. It's packed with butter, powdered sugar, and cream cheese. Let's put it this way, It's a pre-diabetes Paula Deen recipe. But it is so good! It's one of those foods that is totally worth having! Make yourself a batch, cut out a couple squares for yourself, then take the rest to a neighbor or to work. It is too dangerous to have it in the house a couple nights in a row!

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake...

...ya, we ate some...

Now, don't know if you've ever heard of Jam Coffee Cake, but it is a recipe I got from my mom, and it reminds me of my childhood. It tastes like childhood! It is not a recipe I generally go to because it requires a rolling pin and a very careful transfer of dough from the counter to a cookie sheet, but I will make an exception for Jam Coffee Cake!

Jam Coffee Cake

1. Mix 2 c. Jiffy Baking Mix, 3 oz softened cream cheese, 1/4 c. softened butter,

 and 1/3 c. milk. Roll onto a floured surface. Then transfer to a greased cookie sheet.

(Be careful! This part is tricky and usually requires a couple 4 letter words!)

2. Coat the jelly down the middle. I use strawberry. Fold the left and right side

 of the dough over so they meet in the middle. Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes.

3. While the cake is baking, use milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla to make frosting.

 When the coffee cake is done, pour the frosting over top and let it dry. 

Slice into slivers and enjoy!

By the way, I am sorry my pictures are not appetizing. My Oreo Balls in particular look a little messy. But it is hard enough for me to get something that tastes amazing. I can't worry about how it looks! Presentation is definitely not my forte... nor is picture taking!


After baking, my hubby and I curled up on the couch to watch the movie Misery. I had just finished re-reading the book, so I wanted to re-watch the movie. It was his first time, and he really liked it. It was perfect- a creepy snowy movie to watch on a snowy night.

I hope all my Central PA friends had a great snow day!

What are your favorite snowed in activities?

Do you have a White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie Recipe to share with me?

What's your favorite Stephen King novel turned movie?