snowed in, venture out

What do you do when you’re snowed in…again?

You grab your slippers (check!), grab your book (check!), grab some hot chocolate (check!) and settle down for an evening of some nice reading.

Along with your hot chocolate, you decide you want something sweet. The box of chocolates just isn’t doing it for you and after rustling around in your siblings leftover Christmas chocolate + candy (hey, we all know if it’s in sight, it’s up for grabs) you decide to grab some inspiration from Katie and her Single Lady Chocolate Chip Cookie. If you’re not familiar with Katie, go get your little heart covered in some much needed chocolate affection. You then brew up your own little dessert creation that’s so tasty and easy that you have to wonder if there’s a whole cult out there devoted to NOT divulging it and sharing it with the rest of the world.

Either that or, you think to yourself, you’re just not that clever.

I prefer to stick with the cult/faction idea.  

Hope you’re not too hot and bothered about this single serving fiasco, but it’s going to have to wait. I was so enamored with my creation that I didn’t stop to think of taking a picture of it. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, so if I failed it was just going to stay between me, Snap, Crackle, and Pop (hint much?). Stay tuned. I promise, it will make you happy (even if it’s just a little happy).

Once the snow started melted and the whole “we stuck inside again….yay?” wore off, the family members dispersed. Some in this direction, others in that direction.

Trisha and I were left to ourselves.

Oh.boy. is right.

My mom and I have both openly discussed how we could survive during the days of Laura Ingalls Wilder or Jo March.

We would also be perfectly content to wake up at the crack of dawn each morning if we were waking up to a ranch thundering with horses. You could say we’re a bit infatuated with Ree, The Pioneer Woman.

Needless to say, we had to venture to the one place that would bring us a bit of some good time comfort.

Cracker Barrel is filled of memories from when my family and I would make our annual summer vacation to Lake George. The most exciting part for us kids was the 2/3 mark when we would stop at Cracker Barrel. Our family would hardly ever go out to eat, so stopping for breakfast or lunch was just unheard of. My brother and sister and I would be beside ourselves. We could order what we wanted? We could choose? We could play big-size checkers while we waited? We could look around the candy store? Is this Heaven?

You get the picture.

My mom and I took off for the evening after Mass and enjoyed ourselves immensely. In a crowded house and home we don’t often have time to just be together. Stealing a few hours while everyone else was out and about and completely happy was perfect.

And I got to order whatever I wanted, which may or may not have been a steak cut fries, cole slaw, and green beans…

I’m not sure what I was thinking, but it was the best idea I had since I brought up the idea to go to Cracker Barrel in the first place…

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On another note, I spent some time wandering around the shop and spotted these babies (no pun intended).

 

At first I thought Jenna had posted about them at some point about how much she loved them. She didn’t. She does love them, though, which makes the whole situation even more ironic.

I know there is a blogger out there who once professed their love for them. If you’re out there or know who I’m talking about, please let me know. Or else I just feel like I’ve gone insane, or maybe ate too many green beans.

But I love Cracker Barrel green beans, therefore I do hope that is not the case…

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Have you ever ventured to Cracker Barrel? What’s your favorite restaurant from your childhood?