The Weather Outside Is Frightful...

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One of the reasons I love living in the Pacific Northwest is that we tend to have pretty mild weather for the most part. Sure we get some sub 0 Fahrenheit temps most winters, but they usually only last for a day or two and we move on.

This year has been a bit different. I mean, winter only officially started yesterday and we've been buried in snow for a month already.

Not that I mind, the Scandinavian chunks of my DNA dig the frozen north scene, but as a homesteader, I most definitely do not dig sub 0 weather.

I think a lot of it has to do with my critters. Me, I have a cozy little abode to hibernate in when it gets nose hair freezing cold out, but even though I know they are built for weather extremes, I still want my beasts to be cozy and such.

That said, I think the animals are coping just fine with the frigid temps. My four hogs have a heat lamp, a bed of straw that is about 6X8 in their barn stall, on demand feeders, and heated water, but mainly I know they are pretty okay because they were steaming when I went into the barn lol! Okay, and they ate their marshmallows happily, because who wouldn't? (Yes, I give my pigs marshmallows on occasion for a treat, they love them!)

Can't wait to whip up something tasty with these awesome homemade gifts of excellence one of my dear pals gave me!

Anyway, it's almost Christmas, so even though it is fricken freezing outside, I have tons of stuff going on in the house. As our beef steer was recently butchered, we had to make sure our freezer was ready for him to return, and my hubs had almost a hundred pounds of grapes in the meat freezer.

Guess who now has twenty-five gallons of future wine fermenting around the house? This Kat!

And wine is one of many things we have been enjoying lately. The hub's hard apple cider that he pressed and did his magic brew making stuff to is ready and let's just say that a fair bit of it disappeared into some happy party attendees at our kitchen table last night.

Last night was game night, but instead of D&D we had a food and boardgame fest. There were chicken parmesan sliders, all sorts of pigs in a blanket variations, and I am serious here, at least ten pounds of cookies and candy. And libations courtesy of my brewmaster hubs. It was a good time.

This morning though, this morning is baked goods crafting time. I've already baked two cakes for Christmas truffle purposes and after I finish this festive missive I have a batch or two of Cracker Candy to make. And homemade pizza for my two offspring to demolish when they get home from school. I figured they needed a special treat since they had to go out into the frozen world today.

With the snow already up to our windows, the pets are keeping a pretty low profile. And by low I mean they are lazing about like tuna begging grifters.

They are pretty cute though.

And nothing beats looking out the window on a below zero, beautiful sunny day while petting a purring cat in your lap while sitting next to a toasty warm Tamarack stuffed woodstove.

So you'll have to excuse me, I have baking to finish and a cozy chair waiting for me.

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And as most of the time, all of the images in this post were taken on the author's not bothered by cold anyway iPhone.

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