I tried this new recipe for my cookie exchange it was a long and tedious process for dainty cookies. I don't know if I would do it again. The checkerboards gave me heck and I ended up making striped cookies and then marbles with the rest of the dough.
Marble cookies:)
Salted nut chews. Ryan's favorite.
8:30 am. The kids were out sledding in a blizzard.
Montrose Ice Rink Now Open!
Ice Skates Available For Check-Out At Montrose General Store
For Immediate Release—The outdoor ice rink located just south of the Montrose Softball Complex is frozen and ready for action! The rink is one of the only outdoor facilities available outside of Sioux Falls, and is being maintained by community volunteers.
A variety of ice skates, hockey-style and figure, is available for check-out at the Montrose General Store. The used skates were purchased using funds available to Montrose through the Horizon’s Community Leadership to Reduce Poverty Program. Montrose was chosen to participate in the program in the fall of 2006, and is now in the action phase of the Horizon’s process. The ice rink is just one of the many projects being tackled by volunteer committees. The committees were formed during the Montrose Vision Plan meeting, held December 2.
“Getting more people involved in a healthy activity like ice skating is exactly the type of thing Horizon’s is here to promote,” said Horizon’s Community Coordinator, Martha Landes. “One of the goals was to provide more opportunities for area residents. Hopefully people of all ages will take advantage of this great asset to the Montrose community.”
Plans to improve the ice rink include bringing in some picnic tables for sitting, and possibly building some benches for changing into and out of skates. The ice skating rink committee is also looking into future plans for a winter shelter near the rink, installing an overhead light and other enhancements.
Skate donations—especially very small and larger sizes-- are also being accepted at the General Store, in addition to the twenty pairs already available. Use of the ice skates is free to the public, but the ice rink committee asks that the skates be returned immediately after use so others can enjoy them.
For more information on the ice skating rink or to volunteer your time in maintaining the rink, building benches or teaching others to skate, contact Jamie Grosdidier at 605-363-3927.
Dh spent the morning helping our new neighbors, (just in from California the day BEFORE it snowed) with their van. It seems that water will not work in the radiator in South Dakota like it does in Cali. Not in December anyway. There was a bit of a language barrier but dh says that they both agreed that ice was ice and there was no getting around the frozen part. One propane tank heater and a couple of hours later I think they got the van started. One more awesome reason why we love living in the village. No matter what language you speak, helping your neighbor out always makes the top of the list.
I tried to get a photo of both kids on the sled, but the drift was so narrow, they kept sliding off before I could snap the picture :)
I awoke to the sound of snowplows before 5am this morning. The weatherman predicted the snow, so it wasn't necessarily unexpected. Still it was sort of shocking to see the earth covered in a beautiful, white, fluffy, soft blanket. The kids screamed, "IT SNOWED!", and begged to go out. It was, however, nine below and too cold for little faces so we tried to fend them off with cartoons and pancakes. It became too much for dh and he reluctantly got dressed to go shovel (sorry girls at our house outside chores are for him, inside for me :). I spent a grueling 20 minutes bundling up the children with snow pants, boots, hats, gloves under mittens, scarves, and huge coats. They lasted two minutes in the now zero degree weather. They came in all pink and frosty and begging for hot cocoa. Not sure how the rest of the world makes hot cocoa, but here we boil some water in the green teakettle and each child dumps some powder into their mug. When the water starts to make the boil sound we pour the steamy liquid into the mugs and stir. Then we add one or two ice cubes to cool it off:);marshmallows optional. I know what you are thinking...we might as well skip all the hoopla and fill it with tap water. But where's the fun and learning in that? So now I am blogging and sipping from my dark hot chocolate from Godiva, ice cubes and marshmallows not included. There is a reason the three letters G-O-D are in Godiva. It's heavenly. Stay warm, where ever you are...
