Snow Storm Must Haves

Remember that time it was 70° in Boston? The tulips in our small, but loved, front yard started to poke their cut little stalks out of the ground. And now they're covered in snow. That four letter word. Love it or hate it, we're getting more of it.

Like 12-18 inches or more. Did I mention it's March?

So if there's no stopping Mother Nature, it's time to batten down the hatches and breakout the New England Snow Storm Survival Kit. It may vary person to person, and TBH there probably isn't even any milk or bread left on the shelves at this point. So let's be real and talk about what we need to mentally survive a March snowstorm. Here are the recommend, Hunger|Thirst|Play approved staples and Snow Storm Must Haves.

Something to drink...

Shocker, right? Thirst is my middle name after all. Snow storm must have #1 = a large glass of [red] wine will receive two thumbs up in this house.

BUT a snow storm of Nor-Easter proportions can be toasted in a variety of ways.

Hot. Chocolate. How to make the best hot chocolate? Forget the water and use milk or whatever milk substitute jives with your belly. Make it hot and top it with good ole' Marshmallow Fluff. Not only will it stay hot for 8 hours, it'll still probably melt your tongue off when you finally drink it. More details on the fluff lava in my Fluffernutter Cupcakes recipe.

This super creamy CrockPot Hot Chocolate from Jillee at OneGoodThing.com is a great option if you plan on playing a bit in the snow or want a hot drink after shoveling. My recommendation is to step up your game and add a little Bailey's to the hot cup of love.

Beyond chocolate-y goodness, if it's an adult beverage you seek to warm your frozen snowed-in heart you really can't go wrong. A few personal favorites would be a nice snifter of Grand Marnier, a large delicate glass Argyle Pinot Noir [current go to] or a hopped up IPA like Newburyport Greened IPA. For the snow-haters out there, bring your A-game and toast to warmer days ahead with Rosé Slushies.

Halo Top

HAVE YOU HAD THIS STUFF YET?! IT'S GOING TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

Ah, I'm sorry I'm yelling. It's just SO good. And you can really eat the whole dang pint for under 300 calories. As my friend Lea would say, "If I'm eating ice cream from a pint, you can bet I'm eating the whole pint."

But no really, there's not much to say other than it actually taste good, there are a ton of flavors, and you can burn it off in 30 minutes on the treadmill. Okay, maybe more like 45 if run as slow as I do.

Full disclosure:  I'm eating it right now as I write this.

Halo Top for the win.

Veggie-Packed Tomato Soup

This soup gives me life. Seriously, I eat it for lunch nearly daily. It quite literally fuels me.

You would never know there's a whole stinking butternut squash and container of baby kale, all up in that tomato goodness. And just a smidge of spicy Sriracha brings the right amount of kick in the pants, err, mouth? Either way, you won't be sorry.

While you're killing it with the snow day success, you might as well know it out of the park and make a grilled cheese. Gooey, tangy sharp cheddar sandwiched between crispy, buttery sourdough bread. Dunk that in velvety, tomato soup and call the day a win. Even if there's 2-feet of snow to shovel.

Distraction

There will be snow to shovel, snowmen to build, but at some point you need a break from the expanse of white nature paint. While Shea will serve as a toddler sized distraction of play, there will most likely be some screen time to work out.

Netflix + HBO Go = Snow day bingefest glory.

If you love comedy and are a fan of Eugene Levy, check out Schitt's Creek on Netflix. Our most recent binge-watching obsession and my husband's first Netflix Marathon.

Surprised for two reasons. 1.)  It was HILARIOUS. 2.)  I can't believe Henry made to his forties without a Netflix marathon. Good job, sir.

It's just around the corner...

While most of us are not welcoming the onslaught of snowflakes with open arms, perhaps we can find a few embracing moments throughout the day. Whether it is indulging in your kid-side with a snow angel, snuggles on the couch while escaping through your preferred distraction of text or screen, or treating yourself to a snow day snack - from our couch to yours - cheers to an unexpected snow day!