“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.
