WHETHER THE WEATHER

“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailors take warning.”

I come from a long line of weather watchers. Maybe, the fact that Minnesota has so much weather, explains the fascination with our ever-changing atmosphere in this state. The Farmer’s Almanac was never far from the kitchen table where it was consulted often in my youth.

My paternal grandfather proclaimed that, once March arrived, “winter’s back was broken” and, come what may, spring would not be far behind. My maternal grandmother would announce that, on any given cloudy day, if you “spy a patch of blue sky the size of a Dutchman’s breeches,” it would clear. If your bones ached, rain was on the way. If birds swooped low and huddled near shelter, a storm was brewing. So I guess my parents couldn’t help being indoctrinated in the art of weather watching. Nor could I.

When I was young, my Mother kept track of rain on the calendar. She would write down the rainy days, then flip ahead six months to the day for a prediction that hoarfrost would coat the trees. Oddly enough, it usually did. If we spotted sundogs, it confirmed that the temps were frigid. Winter thunder signaled we would see snow within the week. In the fall, we watched the wooly worms for the size of their black and brown bands. Folk wisdom claimed that a narrower brown band foreshadowed a harsher winter. The premature gathering of seagulls in August would signal an early fall. An animal’s thickening coat, as winter approached, meant a colder than usual season. Thicker than normal acorn shells also predicted a rough winter.

My Mother was weather obsessed and, I think, so am I. I have half a dozen weather apps on my phone and check them often. I could definitely live in perpetual sunshine and really don’t like a cloudy day. If it rains, though we may need it, I can hardly wait for night to fall so I don’t have to peer through gloom. But, life in a place that is constantly changing, is good for the soul and, as Mama used to say, “Take the bitter with the better.”

Kind of good advice for surviving March in Minnesota.

FARMER’S ALMANAC CHICKEN WITH CHEESE AND APPLES

5 tablespoons butter

3 medium apples, halved, cored and sliced

2 large onions, sliced thinly

3 whole chicken breasts, boned, skinned and split

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2 tablespoons brandy or apple cider

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 2 quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and onion and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Spoon into baking dish. Rub chicken with salt and pepper and arrange over apple-onion mixture. Combine cheeses with bread crumbs and thyme and sprinkle the mixture over the chicken. Drizzle brandy or cider over the cheese. Bake for 35 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and chicken is done.

 

SNOW DAY MAC AND CHEESE

1 pound rotini or elbow macaroni

2 cups whole milk

8 ounces cream cheese

3 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1-1/2 cups sharp Cheddar, grated

1-1/2 cups smoked Gouda, grated

Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain and rinse with cold water. Drain and transfer to a baking dish. Set aside. Combine milk, cream cheese, butter, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until butter and cream cheese have melted, about 10 minutes. Assemble macaroni and cheese by tossing the Cheddar and Gouda with pasta. Add hot milk mixture and combine well. Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes until cheese is set and top is golden brown.

WEATHER TRACKER SUNFLOWER COOKIES

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

2 cups oatmeal

1 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds

1 cup coconut

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs. Stir in vanilla. Mix well. Add baking powder and soda. Mix in flour. When well combined, stir in oatmeal. Add sunflower seeds and coconut. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.