New Years in the Snow

There is something to be said for spending 5 days off the grid. Bill and I spent the week of New Years at the family cabin on Lake Kirkwood - no email, no cell phone, no T.V. and since it is winter, no running water. Yep, had to melt snow to cook, brush my teeth, and wash my hair!  I felt a bit like Laura Ingalls.  With the exception of my unshaven legs it actually was not too bad. I'll do it again next year but I might get my legs waxed before we leave!

So what did we do for 5 days being off the grid? I cooked a number of new meals - the chicken pot pie and the buttermilk muffins were my favorites. All my new recipieces from Cabin Cooking: Good Food for the Great Outdoors by Williams Sonoma.  All the pictures in this cookbook come from the cabin and area around Lake Kirkwood!

Besides cooking and eating, we took naps, learned 2 new card games, and read the book Love and Respect togther.  The premise of the book is that women are wired for unconditional love and men are wired for unconditional respect.  The book did not contain much that we did not already know but it did provide a good platform for us to take inventory of our relationship.  I was really encouraged - Bill and I are off to a good start with our marriage!  

And of course the highlight of the trip was watching Sophie enjoy the snow. I was overwhelmed - in a good way - by how much she loved the snow. I think the pictures/video speak for themselves!