15 ways to maximize your snow day
Brad Panovich, Chief Meteorologist for WCNC, said in a Facebook Live video that this weekend is our best chance at snow so…after you get the bread, milk and toilet paper, here are a few ideas on how you can enjoy your snow day in Charlotte.
(1) Make snow ice cream.
This four-ingredient recipe from Food.com will help you make this winter treat.
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(2) Walk to your closest restaurant for a bite to eat or a cup of coffee.
Avoid cabin fever by taking a stroll to one of your local foodie hangouts. Are you Uptown? Try Coco the Director. Farther out? Try WXYZ Bar in Ballantyne. Both are located inside hotels so fingers crossed they will be open (as they plan to be) during the storm to accommodate their hotel guests and local wanderers—but call first to be sure.
(3) Bake a batch of cookies.
Get your inner Martha Stewart on…between flurries. Maybe soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies?
(4) Sit by the fire or cuddle up in a warm blanket.
Got a fireplace in your space? Perfect. Perch in front of it and bring along a glass of wine for good measure.
(5) Start a snow fight.
Play in the snow with your friends—furry or human.
(6) Binge watch your favorite series on Netflix or Hulu.
I couldn’t get enough of “House of Cards!” “Breaking Bad” and “The Mindy Project” have a cult following so they might be worth checking out too.
(7) Sleep in or take a nap in the middle of the day.
This is one of the small luxuries of a snow day!
(8) Go outside and make a snowman or a snow angel.
Enough said.
(9) Indulge in online shopping.
Check out boutique sites like that of KK Bloom or Doll. Or maybe shopping even means learning how to shop for your first house, finally. Note these seven tips and these other nine nuggets of wisdom.
(10) Wear your PJ’s all day!
Then…
(11) Make comfort food.
Grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup, anyone? You could also try stew or maybe chili. Try to make the Chicken and Wild Rice Slow Cooker Soup from 100 Real Days of Food blog. Here’s a recipe from Savory Spice Shop for Brunswick Stew with Shredded Chicken that is great for a snow day:
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 yellow onions, diced
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (16 oz.) package frozen corn
- 1 (9 oz.) package frozen baby lima beans
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. prepared yellow mustard
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. Woody Creek BBQ Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp. Smoked Spanish Sweet Paprika
- 1/4 tsp. Dehydrated Minced Garlic
- Salt & pepper to taste*
- Hot sauce to taste (optional)
*To add more smoky BBQ flavor, try using the shop’s Hickory Smoked Sea Salt and Bourbon Barrel Smoked Black Pepper for the salt & pepper.
Directions
Heat oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or similar pot. Add onions and cook for 5 min., stirring occasionally. Add chicken and stir in all remaining ingredients except hot sauce. (Season with a dash of salt and pepper here, but save majority of salt & pepper for the end.) Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. Uncover and transfer chicken to a wide bowl or platter. Use two forks to shred chicken. Place shredded chicken back into stew. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt & pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 10 more min. Stir in hot sauce to taste, or serve with hot sauce on the side.
Slow cooker method: Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove chicken and use two forks to shred it. Add shredded chicken back to slow cooker for about 30 min. before serving with salt & pepper and hot sauce to taste.
Serving Suggestions
Yields 8 to 10 servings. Serve with sour cream and cornbread.
(12) Make snow paint.
Use food coloring and water to make a snow paint creation to decorate your lawn or go to one of the local parks and leave a fun quote or design.
A post shared by Mt Baw Baw Alpine Resort (@mtbawbaw) on Jul 22, 2016 at 7:50pm PDT
(13) Deep clean the house.
You know you want to.
(14) Create new music channels on Pandora or Spotify.
You need something to look forward to when you get back to work.
(15) Work out.
Get out your Wii Fit or stream a fitness video on YouTube and break a sweat. Did you know that TaeBo is still a thing? Try working out with Billy Blanks on your snow day.
Photo: John D. Simmons/Charlotte Observer
This story was originally published January 5, 2017 at 10:00 PM with the headline "15 ways to maximize your snow day."