Aside from "summer vacation" there is no better pairing of words to the teacher's ear than "snow day." Let alone three snow days in a row. In our lovely and temperate Pacific Northwest, snow days are a bit like a unicorn. I recall only a handful from my childhood years in this area. In fact, in one such snow day, I wound up walking up Sahalee Way from Redmond Fall City Road at about 11:00 at night in several feet of snow. And might I add, I was about four feet tall at the time and wearing ballet flats. When I arrived on my parents' porch around midnight, I was a Jenni popsicle.
While this snow storm wasn't quite as epic as delivering three feet of snow (although if you're a Cliff Mass follower, hold on to your snow hats because the main event hasn't hit yet), I woke up Monday morning to about 7" of snow covering my patio table so that my cute little two top suddenly looked larger than life, like furniture for a giant.
I love the way the snow causes such a quiet. It doesn't just blanked the streets, rooftops, and sidewalks, but it cloaks the everyday hustle and bustle of a city. It's nature's way of telling all of us to slow down. And if you didn't already know that I'm a sucker for anything clean and white (note all of my dishes and my kitchen), I love how the snow makes the city look just a little more shiny and new.
This snow day called for a big pot of soup. One that involved very few ingredients found at a single grocery store, and which would yield 6-8 servings of leftovers. Here is my super simple Snow Day Soup.
Snow Day Vegetable Barley Soup
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 containers Trader Joe's mirepoix (or you can waste your time chopping several cups of onion, celery, and carrots)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 boxes (8 cups) low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup barley, uncooked
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 large zucchini, diced
1 28-oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a large Dutch oven, sautee the minced garlic and mirepoix in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until the onion starts to become translucent.
Add the vegetable broth, barley, cabbage, zucchini, crushed tomatoes, and bay leaves. Bring to a rolling boil. Then, reduce to low, and add the Italian seasoning and some salt and pepper.
Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes on low, stirring if you have time. I actually just let it sit. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
Remove the bay leaves and serve with some hearty bread or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast on top. Enjoy!
This recipe was adapted from one fround on thespruceeats.com.
While this snow storm wasn't quite as epic as delivering three feet of snow (although if you're a Cliff Mass follower, hold on to your snow hats because the main event hasn't hit yet), I woke up Monday morning to about 7" of snow covering my patio table so that my cute little two top suddenly looked larger than life, like furniture for a giant.
I love the way the snow causes such a quiet. It doesn't just blanked the streets, rooftops, and sidewalks, but it cloaks the everyday hustle and bustle of a city. It's nature's way of telling all of us to slow down. And if you didn't already know that I'm a sucker for anything clean and white (note all of my dishes and my kitchen), I love how the snow makes the city look just a little more shiny and new.
This snow day called for a big pot of soup. One that involved very few ingredients found at a single grocery store, and which would yield 6-8 servings of leftovers. Here is my super simple Snow Day Soup.
Snow Day Vegetable Barley Soup
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 containers Trader Joe's mirepoix (or you can waste your time chopping several cups of onion, celery, and carrots)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 boxes (8 cups) low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup barley, uncooked
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 large zucchini, diced
1 28-oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a large Dutch oven, sautee the minced garlic and mirepoix in the olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until the onion starts to become translucent.
Add the vegetable broth, barley, cabbage, zucchini, crushed tomatoes, and bay leaves. Bring to a rolling boil. Then, reduce to low, and add the Italian seasoning and some salt and pepper.
Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes on low, stirring if you have time. I actually just let it sit. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
Remove the bay leaves and serve with some hearty bread or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast on top. Enjoy!
This recipe was adapted from one fround on thespruceeats.com.