The new year has been rung in, the Christmas decorations are packed away and it is full on winter here in the PNW. I figure you have two choices. You can get depressed and tired of the cold, gray, dreary days on end, or you can embrace them. I spend my time vacillating between these two viewpoints – enjoying cozy evenings by the fireplace and planning my next escape to sunshine and warmth. But we should love where we are. Life is too short not to.
The cold weather makes me want to hibernate at home, read by the fireplace or put on some peaceful music, light a candle and work in my craft room/office. As one reader has commented, “snow means slow.” I like that. So, I have been spending the last couple weeks hunkering down at home, going for walks, then coming back inside to stomp the snow off of my boots and put together a big pot of soup to simmer all afternoon.
Winter food
One of my favorite winter soups is creamy, cheesy potato soup. I found the recipe on a postcard (Western Image) years ago and have made it numerous times. It is hearty soup that sticks to your ribs… and waistline. And if you are going to be home all day anyway, why not make some homemade wheat rolls to go with it? Absolutely nothing goes better with soup than homemade rolls with butter slathered on top (because carbs don’t count in the winter months).




Below is the soup recipe in case you are interested. Instead of using bacon, I like to boil a left-over ham bone and use some of the meat and broth from that. This can simmer for a while which heats up the kitchen nicely for the rolls to rise. I find it easier to bake or boil the potatoes ahead of time and just add the cooked potatoes to the soup. To assemble, make a roux of the butter and flour and gradually add the milk. (I prefer to use a mix of broth and cream.) Then just dump in the rest of the ingredients and heat through. Add a salad and it is the perfect winter meal.

Getting air
In the winter months, it is very easy to hunker down at home, get engrossed in a project and not step out the door the entire day. Who wants to go outside when it is cold and dreary? Besides, it feels like a lot of work to layer on a coat, hat, gloves, heavy socks and lace up boots. But we all need to air out, so I push myself to get outdoors. Once I get out, I am always glad that I made the effort. There is nothing quite as silent and reverent as a fresh layer of snow. Wildlife gently meander through it in search of food, leaving their tracks behind like cookie crumbs.






I hope that you are finding ways to enjoy your winter wherever you are – whether it is basking in the sunshine or hunkering down on a cold night. Every day is a gift to be appreciated.
Although I enjoy seeing pictures of snow, I’m glad that I don’t have to live in it. That being said, I’d love to be able to look out my window and see dear… or even a moose. That soup looks great, and homemade bread… YUM! You are so right about the importance of loving where we live.
Hi Janis –
I really enjoy the snow (even if it is cold) when the sun is out and glistening on it. But those days can be few and far between. Your temperate climate and sunshine sound pretty appealing to me this time of year. Soak it in and make a pot of soup anyway!
I’m with you when it comes to hunkering down. There’s usually a pot of soup in the fridge. Right now it’s squash/chickpea soup. Have you ever tried pickle soup? Basically potato soup flavored with diced dill pickle & brine. My granddaughters love it. I enjoy the wildlife here. No wild turkeys but lots of deer & the occasional moose. Saw one just yesterday. Slowly gaining daylight & we’ll soon be doing spring yard work. And you with relocating.
Hi Mona –
I have never tried pickle soup, but I would totally be on board with it. I bet my grands would love it too. Is there anything that isn’t better with dill pickles? A few years ago, son #4 made fried dill pickles when he was visiting and now we always request it when he comes (really good on burgers). I recently tried one of those premade bag salads with dill pickle flavor and it was surprisingly good. As I am sure you noticed, I used your phrase “snow means slow” in this post. I wasn’t sure if I should mention your name with it, so I decided to lean on the side of caution. It fits with hunkering down perfectly.
I like your cute expression that we all need to “air out”. I was just thinking about trudging out onto the ice this week if the lake is frozen for that very reason. I need some fresh air and I haven’t done that in a long time. Funny though, I’m a little concerned about falling. In the past that thought would have never crossed my mind.
What a joy to see all that wildlife outside your door. I loved the pics. As you know, we get to experience some of that in town with plenty of turkeys and an occasional moose. They are always fun to watch.
Hi Janie –
Going out on the ice is a great idea for airing out! It brings back memories of ice skating as a kid. Yes, I also have a fear of falling now. Geez. They have cleat thingamajigs that you can attach to your shoes that I have heard work well. Might have to invest in those.