We recently had a big snowfall. The kids were anxious to get out and play in the snow. Before they could do that, however, there was shoveling and snowblowing to do.
When I was young, the snow seemed so much bigger. I, undoubtedly, spent much more time inside cozied up reading books, but in some ways it seems that we were always out in the snow.
I went to elementary school in a historic building. Thinking back, I kind of have to wonder how safe the building was. The bathrooms were in the basement. The stairs were dark and narrow. They smelled musty and dank.
Upstairs, the wooden floors creaked as hundreds of children scurried to their classrooms. The classrooms smelled of sweaty children and chalk dust. In the fall and spring, the windows were opened to let in the breeze. In the winter, as the wind howled outside, the coat rooms smelled like wet boots and snowpants. When the weather was too cold for us to go outside, the 5th graders would go watch the younger kids’ classrooms while the teachers took a well deserved break.
When the sun was shining and the wind wasn’t bitingly cold, recess was outside. The boys played some tackle game that involved whitewashing each other. My friends and I built houses in the snow. They were always ruined by the next recess.
When the plows cleaned the parking lot, they piled the snow at the edge of the playground. The teachers forbade us from playing King of the Hill, but that never stopped people from climbing the hill and pushing each other off.
After school and on weekends, we dug caves in the snowbanks large enough for us to crawl into. By the time the cave was deep enough, I could hardly feel my red face. I laid down in the blue, yellow light and look at the sparkles of the snow crystals all around me. The smell of now surrounded me with it’s crisp freshness. I could see my breath hang in the air. It was warmer in the cave than it was outside, but before long, the cold seeped in through all of my layers.
I miss the snows of my childhood.
These days, I spend a lot more time watching my children play in the snow than I spend playing in it myself. I take my camera outside and take pictures of them laughing as they sled down the hill created from piling up the snow after shoveling.
“Ok, guys, let’s all go down together.” “No!” “Aaaahhh!” and an eruption of giggles.
When they come in, noses dripping and cheeks red, they throw off their snowpants and boots. Chunks of snow fall on the rug. They demand cups of cocoa as they snuggle on the couch under blankets, still laughing.
It’s days exactly like this when oven stew is the perfect supper. I like to have some biscuits ready to go in as soon as the stew comes out. It’s minimal effort, but leaves the house (and our bellies) feeling warm and toasty.
I am not sure if this recipe says that Ada’s busy or her oven is busy, but I’m glad she took the time to write down this recipe for oven stew. On those days where all we want to do is play in the snow, I don’t have to fret about making dinner.
The Recipe:
Ada's Busy Oven Stew
Ingredients
- 1 cup V-8 Juice
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1 TB Sugar
- Salt According to taste
- 2 TB Tapioca
- 2 lb Cubed Stew Meat
- 4 Carrots Cut into Chunks
- 4 Stalks Celery Cut into Chunks
- 4 Potatoes Cut into Chunks
- 2 med Onions Cut into Chunks
Instructions
- Put all ingredients into a heavy baking dish or dutch oven. Cover with a lid and bake at 250 for 4 hours. Do not brown meat. Do not stir or lift lid while baking.
If you like this recipe check out this other recipe for oven stew, Sally Lunn, and Cherry Cream Puffs.
I made this recipe while my son had a friend over. His friend saw the onion on my cutting board and said, “Is that an onion? I like onions.”
