Another snowstorm hit central Maine over the weekend, and it brought about a foot of snow. In January, the ground was bare. In February, not so much. Except for the dangerous driving conditions, which prevented us from seeing our nephew’s play, I really don’t mind the snow and the attendant clean-up. This might sound strange, but I actually like outside chores, and it makes me laugh to see the dog leap and jump and twist as he tries to catch the shovelled snow. Also, with enough shovelling, I feel as though I have earned an extra piece of chocolate as well as a snack of popcorn, and foodie that I am, this gives me extra motivation.

I am happy to report that with this storm, Clif decided that his wrist was strong enough so that he could help with clean-up. He’s been itching to give Little Green, our electric snow-thrower, a whirl, and I said, “Go for it.”

Go for it, he did, cleaning the whole driveway while I shovelled the paths out back to the woodpile, bird feeders, and compost bins. I also cleaned the steps and the walkway. It all went so quickly that I almost felt as though I hadn’t worked enough for that extra piece of chocolate and the popcorn.

“Of course you have,” Clif said when I mentioned this to him, and, I needed little encouragement to indulge.

Today the sky is a beautiful blue, and our yard is a winter wonderland.

There is more cleaning up to do, and soon the dog and I will be out there, each doing our respective chores—me shovelling, him barking and jumping. Before I go out, I’ll have a homemade banana muffin and a cup of tea. (There’s not enough work out there for extra chocolate and popcorn.)

I’ve been thinking about our suppers this week, and I’m going to try my hand at coming up with my own meatloaf, using ground chicken, garlic, chili sauce, liquid smoke, egg, and bread crumbs. Also, I’ll be making, for the first time, a toasted chickpea and carrot soup courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.

I’ll be writing about how each dish turns out.