Snow, mandarins and cooking

These are truly some of my favorite things about the winter months. I don't enjoy the cold, but I do enjoy the snow. I especially enjoy the snow because my boys enjoy the snow and have already spent a good many hours in their snow gear...eating up the white stuff and getting me to pull them on the sled. (Unfortunately we don't have many hills close-by.) This winter Riley is finally capable of putting his whole outfit on, right down to the mittens, so that has made life a lot easier on me. It's hard enough to get squirmy Liam to sit still long enough so I can get his boots on. I spent probably an equivalent of 2yrs of my life sledding (if you'd add it up). We had no end to snow up in Smithers where I was a kid, and we'd go sledding every day that there was snow. Even as a teenager, I'd sled down our steep street in Salmon Arm and dodge the cars that would come around the corner. Anyway, Riley is totally all into the snow and we look forward to teaching him how to downhill ski this year.
Have you finished a box of mandarin oranges yet? We are on our second box and they are so yummy. Liam would start and finish a box of oranges in a single sitting, but we try to keep him to at least one a meal.
Now that the weather is cooler, I also have been cooking/baking a lot more. It is much more appealing in the winter months. Our church is working on their very first cookbook, so I have typed out a pile of recipes. I also sent them to my friend Angella who has added some of them to her other blog Recipe for Disaster. I will have more to add as soon as I can get them typed out. Most of you who know me will recognize the recipes as they are common ones used by our family. I'm on the meal-team for my church, which makes meals for those who have just had a new baby. So today I made up Quiche Lorraine, Mandarin/almond salad, and peanut butter cookies. It smells so good in here...like when we go home and mom has been baking. (Happy Birthday to mom D!)
Last night Riley got to have his first sleepover at his best friend Jaxsons' house. When I got off the phone and told Riley that he was allowed to go...I was all ready to jump up and down and be excited with him, but he stopped smiling and got all serious and said..."Mom, I'm quite sure they will give me back in the morning." (So much like his dad.) And as we dropped him off, and Greg was walking him up to their door...Riley says, "Dad, you can stay at the van. I'll go on my own." Yes, very independent.