Weekend Picturebook: Mini Getaway to KC
{First things first: BBQ. These were literally some of the best ribs I’ve ever eaten in my life. I’m drooling right now just thinking about it. – Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ}
{We loved our boutique Hotel Sorella on the Plaza – from the artwork to the adorable breakfast nook to the unfortunately unusable rooftop pool.}
{After a long day of shopping we enjoyed an amazing meal at Zocalo’s, including margs, tacos, guac + discussing our 2015 resolutions.}
{After dinner we walked outside to find it snowing … HARD. We were not prepared, but loved it. We walked around the beautifully lit Plaza like a giddy young couple, then raced back to our hotel for warmth.}
{And warmth we received – drinking coffee + baileys at the rooftop bar.}
{Before heading home the next day we made a stop at our new favorite coffee shop, Kaldi’s. Cappucinos + Mochas TDF!}
{And of course had to make one final (long and expensive) stop – ikea! Photo: loading up the mini to the brim in 12 degree weather!}
xo xo
[We like Kansas City quite a lot – check out our other weekend picturebooks: August 2011, May 2013]
Our Snow Days By The Numbers
4 days working from home
6 home-cooked dinners in a row (my personal best)
2 Walmart trips, $200 spent on groceries
30 oreos eaten
2 TV series watched from start to finish (The Blacklist, The Big Bang Theory Season 7)
35 TV episodes watched
1 movie watched (Love Actually)
10 pots of coffee made
4 blog posts written
5 school days off for the kids and 5 days of rejoicing we didn’t have kids
25 photos taken of puppy playing in the snow
15 hours of video games played
259 oz. of alcohol consumed (6 beers, 6 straw-ber-itas, 3 bottles of wine, 1 growler)
1 bad fall on the ice
4 magazines and 9 book chapters read
7 presents wrapped
Innumerable posts read on Facebook and Twitter about the storm
3 additional hours spent planning for my party next week
60 group text messages sent re: snowpocalypse
5 DAYS OF INSANE CABIN FEVER
xo xo
You can read more about #Snowpocalypse2013 here: Observations on Working From Home, Snowpocalypse Meal Plan
Snowpocalypse Meal Plan
If you live in NWA, you know there’s an impending snowpocalypse on it’s way. We’re supposed to get 5-7 inches of snow and several inches of ice within the next 48 hours.
It just started sleeting at our house, making it the perfect time to start the crockpot of chili for tonight. What’s better than chili on a snow day?!
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, boy do I wish I was back in school when snow days come around. It’s not quite the same when we’re working and have laptops and portable phones to keep us busy during a snow day.
{You can read more of my thoughts and memories about snow days here: Grownup Snow Days and What I’ve Learned in College, Snow Days Edition}
Let’s talk food. When it comes to snow days, you want to have enough food and drink in case you get snowed in. It needs to be delicious comfort food, and it does not necessarily need to be healthy. Below is our meal plan for the next few days.
W E D N E S D A Y
Italian Meatball Sliders (kings rolls + frozen meatballs + provolone + marinara = amazing)
Leftover Green Bean Casserole (officially the end of our leftovers, don’t judge me)
T H U R S D A Y
Chili! You can get Mille’s Chili recipe here.
Salad (simple – lettuce, baby tomatoes and balsamic)
F R I D A Y
Tacos
(we love the tyson pre-cooked and cut chicken and steak for tacos,
add sliced peppers to the pan and it’s just like a restaurant)
S A T U R D A Y
Pepperoni Rolls (recipe below, one of our favorite meals ever, so delicious!)
Salad or veggies, for good measure
Fingers crossed we can leave our house Saturday, otherwise it will be peanut butter sandwiches.
Others fingers crossed the power doesn’t go out, otherwise it will also be peanut butter sandwiches.
Stay safe and warm out there, and full! xo xo
* * * * *
Pepperoni Rolls {recipe}
Ingredients:
2 cans biscuits (we prefer the small biscuits, but any would do)
pepperonis
block of colby jack cheese
italian seasoning
grated parmesan
marinara
Optional: jalapenos
{photo cred: The Gunny Sack}
Directions:
Set oven to 350 degrees.
Flatten the biscuits on a baking pan.
Inside each biscuit wrap 2 pepperonis, piece of cheese and jalapenos if you wish.
Fold up.
Sprinkle italian seasoning and parmesan cheese on top.
Bake as directed on the can of biscuits.
Serve with marinara dipping sauce.
Grownup Snow Days
You go to bed wishing, hoping, praying. You can barely sleep all night. You wake up in the middle of the night and run to the window to see what it looks like outside. You wake up at 5am, turn on the TV and watch for your school at the bottom of the screen. You’re hoping for a SNOW DAY.
I remember those nights growing up all too well. Since we don’t get a lot of snow here when we do it basically shuts everything down and you’re pretty much guaranteed at least one snow day a winter.
Those were the elementary school, jr. high and high school days. No school = play day/snow day/fun day.
{said play day/snow day/fun day senior year of high school}
Then you get to college.
I’ll never forget my sophomore year we were expecting a huge ice storm. The UA kept sending out emails saying they hadn’t closed school for snow/ice ever. (Maybe it wasn’t ever, but it was like 30 years or something crazy.) So I wasn’t expecting school to be cancelled and I definitely wasn’t expecting school to be cancelled for a week, but that’s certainly what happened – The Great Ice Storm of 2009. There are a lot of things I’ll never forget about that week. Let’s just put it this way, we were the only people who had power so we had about 10-12 people staying with us for a week. Infer from that what you will.
While that was awesome, it wasn’t quite as exciting as snow days growing up because guess what your assignments are still due the same day they were due before the ice-pocalypse. Your teachers can email you. You can email assignments to your teachers. Sometimes I curse technological advancements.
{a huge part of The Great Ice Storm of 2009 was beating Mario on Nintendo 64}
We actually ended up having two more of these storms while I was in college, not near as bad as 2009, but just as entertaining. During Snow Storm 2010 I’ll never forget is walking 2 miles to Gusano’s for pizza. Totally worth it.
Read my blog post “What I’ve Learned in College, Snow Days Edition” here.
{Snow Storm 2010 walk to Gusano’s}
But here’s the thing. I’m not in high school any more. I’m not in college any more. I’m not a kid waiting by the window any more. Now I’m an adult with a real job that doesn’t close because of snow or ice. We have computers. We have blackberrys. We have deadlines and projects and social media. (which never sleeps!) A snow day does not mean a play day anymore. So as I watch the snow out the window and read about the impending overnight ice, it’s not quite as exciting as it use to be. But hey, c’est la vie, and one thing I am looking forward to is the day I have kids of my own and I get to see their excitement for a snow day.
xo xo
m.davis xoxo 