So I know that I am definitely in the minority here but, I love winter.  I do.  I have loved it all my life.  I live in beautiful New Hampshire, US,  where the weather always offers something to talk about.  It can be 60 degrees or -35 degrees during the winter months and 55 degrees or 95 degrees during the summer months.  I know some of those temps don’t sound too appealing and truth be told, -35 in the winter and 55 in June isn’t appealing at all, but we take the good with the bad.  Another truth… There are a few things about winter that I could do without.  Icy roads, ice storms and the sub zero temps are not fun.  I also can’t stand cold cars and cleaning and scraping snow and ice off of them.  There, I got my winter gripes out and now I can share the top five reasons I love winter.  

1. Playing In Winter Magic

Some of my earliest memories include my brother and I standing in the windows or our house, jumping with excitement when we witnessed the first snowfall of the year or when we would wake up in the morning to find everything covered with a foot of snow.  We couldn’t get our snow gear on fast enough to get out there and play in our winter wonderland.  We would make huge forts, build snowman families, enjoy a few good snowball fights and when we got tired, we would lay in the snow and make snow angels.  I do all of the same things with my kids now. They feel the same excitement I did as a kid when we have a big snow storm that covers our yard in winter magic or when they see the first flakes of the season.  Snow turns the outdoors into a winter playland that can’t be outdone. Even the best video games today can’t compete. We have so many pictures and videos of our family winter adventures and in all of them there are big smiles and lots of laughter. 

 2. Winter Sports

Living in a part of the world where winters are cold, snowy and can be long, it helps to participate in or enjoy being a spectator of the many sports played throughout the winter. I love  snowmobiling or as I call it, snowmachining. I have done it before I was born and it still remains my favorite winter sport.  Before my husband and I became parents we would ride thousands of miles each winter.  Oftentimes, we would go for a ride after work and ride for about 100 miles or so.  We rode up mountains, across lakes and ponds and got to enjoy the views given by some very remote areas of the woods.  We would pack lunch and snacks.  When we got hungry we would find a beautiful spot off the trail to sit and enjoy the winter scenery and a bite to eat.  

We are now parents and enjoy watching our kids do their activities.  A big presence in our life is the fantastic sport of hockey.  My little daughter eats, sleeps and breathes hockey.  She can’t get enough and we can’t get enough of watching her play. We also enjoy skating, skiing, sledding and tubing.  We take advantage of  and appreciate all the sports winter has to offer whenever we can. It certainly makes the season more enjoyable.   

3. Winter Walks in the Woods

Winter walks in the woods are like no other walk at any other time of the year.  This is something I look forward to every winter and I do it as often as I can.  Once the ground is frozen and the trees and rocks have the glisten and sparkle of frozen snow and ice on them, the winter woods call to me.  As I walk along the trail behind my house, I breathe in the fresh, crisp and refreshing air while looking at all that surrounds me.  I feel the nip of the cold air on my uncovered face as I walk.  The quietness of the snow covered woods is probably what attracts me to it.  Snow brings a comforting quietness to most everything, especially the woods. It stifles the noise and chaos of everyday life, if only temporarily.  The snow covered woods are where I refill my soul.  This is where I get a nature high that lasts for days.  It is my salvation and my natural energizer.  I find myself longing for these walks during the hot summer months and when the first flakes fall from the sky for the season, I know it won’t be long until I can enjoy the simple pleasures that only nature has to offer.

4. A Gardening Vacation

If you have followed me for any length of time, you know that I love to garden.  I put much energy into it and get such great joy out of it.  I love to eat fresh veggies, herbs and fruits and I love, love, love to fill my plate with what I grew in my backyard garden.  Gardening is an activity that doesn't stray a bit from the belief, you get out of it what you put into it.  If you want to enjoy fresh fruits, veggies or herbs from your garden, you are going to have to put all the energy and time into it that it demands, and it can be a bit demanding at times, which is why I do enjoy the Gardening Vacation winter brings.  It’s a season of rest for me (at least from gardening) and my garden beds.  It’s the time when I get to enjoy the fruits of my labor, literally.  I am making soups with my squashes, using my onions and garlic in almost everything I make and enjoying tomato sauce made with my homegrown basil and tomatoes.  I don’t have any garden chores to do over the winter, with the exception of cruising through seed catalogs to put together orders for next year's garden.  I also spend some time reflecting on what grew well, what I enjoyed growing and what things I may not plant again for whatever reason.  It's a time of rest, a much earned and appreciated Garden Vacation.

 5. Soup Season

When the colder weather creeps in my menus change from salads and iced teas to soups and hot chocolate.  Soup is so easy to make and the varieties are endless. Soup can pack a veggie punch, which to me is one of its strongest selling points other than being very budget friendly.  I add spinach to tomato soup before I blend it, onions and garlic are ingredients to almost every soup I make and sweet potato chunks are a welcome addition to many soups.  

Soup is also a fantastic make ahead of time or batch cooking meal. Honestly, it always tastes better the second day.  It’s great for lunches or dinners and can easily feed a crowd.  Another great selling point, as if soup needs one, is how hydrating it can be, which is so important during the cold winter months.  Soup can also be gluten free, oil free and sugar free quite easily, so it can meet a variety of dietary desires.  I never get bored with soup and I am always on the prowl for new recipes to try.  I have also constructed many of my own recipes.  My favorite is my recipe for Veggie Noodle Soup.  It has all the goodness of the things I just mentioned.  It's very easy to make and budget friendly.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Veggie Noodle Soup

Ingredients

*5-6 Celery Stalks

*5-6 Carrots

*1 Large Onion

*2 Teaspoons of Sage

*2 Teaspoons of Salt

*Fresh Cracked Pepper to Taste

*8 Cups of Veggie Broth

*1 Cup of Rotini Pasta or Your Favorite Pasta (opt for Gluten Free Pasta for a GF Version)

*Oil for Sautéing or Use a Bit of Broth

Directions

1. Chop the celery, carrots and onion.
2. Lightly coat the bottom of a 6 quart pot with oil (or broth for oil free cooking). 
3. On Medium High Heat add all the veggies to the pot and sauté with the lid on until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
4. Add sage, salt and pepper. Stir.
5. Add the broth and pasta.  
6. Turn the heat up to High, put the lid on the pot, and cook until it boils.
7. Once the soup is boiling, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 25 minutes or so.  Serve while hot and enjoy!  

Show Us Yours!

If you make this we would love to hear about it!  Send us a pic on Facebook Messenger or Instagram Direct Messaging at Grow Your Lunch Oh.  Who knows, your picture could be featured (with your permission of course)  in one of our upcoming posts, emails or newsletters!