Blizzard!

Well, not yet, but it is snowing, and sometime in the night it is supposed to transition to a blizzard.  We are expected to get somewhere in the vicinity of 2 feet of snow.  Maybe more.

School was canceled today.  The governor declared it illegal to be on the road after 4 pm unless you are an emergency worker of some kind.  I am actually in that category, but only if I'm going to work.  I'm not, having convinced one of my coworkers that he really wanted to stay overnight after his shift and work Saturday in my place.  I do have to be there Sunday, provided the roads are passable.  I have sand and salt, shovels strategically placed about the house, firewood aplenty indoors, lots of water, and lots and lots of food.  Of course I do!  All those soups, stews and baked beans are there if I need them.  And I have two freezers full of things:  meat, fish, sausages, various veggies, breads, and so on.

Since I suddenly have a lot of time on my hands, I'm cooking a lot.  I've made a batch of yogurt which is doing it's thing on a heating pad in the basement.  I'm making a big pot of beef and barley soup as well:

2 packages oxtails

chopped onion

2 ribs celery, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 quarts vegetable stock

red wine, about a cup

Worcestershire sauce, about a tablespoon

1 small can of tomato paste

salt, pepper, bay, thyme, parsley

pearled barley

Currently everything but the barley is simmering.  In a few hours I'll take the meat off the bones and then add the barley and let it cook.  I plan to let it sit overnight and then eat or can (or both) the whole lot tomorrow.  When it's going to be worse outside.  Brr!