Snow larder.

Yesterday we went to church, dropped a meal to a friend who'd just had a baby, picked up one of Ziggy's classmates, then headed to a birthday party way on the west side of town for another classmate.

By the time we arrived home, well after three, this is what it looked like.

Rain had turned to snow, and began to accumulate. Temperatures, like in many other places around the country, dropped steadily. In the late afternoon the Mister's work holiday party as well as our Sunday Night Group were canceled for the evening. By nightfall, Metro Nashville Public Schools and most of the daycares, preschools and private institutions in the metro area has been called off for today. Accidents abounded.

I tucked Ziggy into our bed, leaving his open for a friend who was to fly in late last night from a business trip, believing that if his flight wasn't canceled, he might have an easier time getting to our home from the airport rather than making his way out to his own, quite a bit further away, but holding the heart lure of his beloved wife, newborn son and two young preschool aged sons.

Near one in the morning, I woke. Made sure the the faucets were dripping. Assured myself that the cats were in, and the dog was settled. Then began to take stock.

On an index card, I wrote the meal choices I can make over the next few days or a week, if I'm very careful to ration a few staples. I did not make it down into the basement last night to inventory the deep freeze, though I do know it contains a whole turkey, a few whole chickens, a pork roast, select vegetables, pasties from a shop in my husband's hometown, and a few other bits and bobs.

My snow larder meal option list looks like this:

Pintos & tortillas or cornbread
Roasted winter squash with pasta and sage, cream and asiago
Black bean and sweet potato enchiladas with spinach
Taco Soup
Potato-corn chowder
Pancakes
Pasta with boiled eggs and vegetables
French toast
Chicken & dumplings
Chicken Tetrazzini
Rice and beans (black, pinto or kidney)
Lentil stew, or dal with or homemade naan
Deviled eggs
Fritata
Omelettes
Biscuits
Vegetable soup
Mackerel patties

The milk is the main item needing some rationing. We've also got plenty of peanut butter and apple butter and bread and oodles of good farm eggs. We've got Cheerios and baking supplies for Mexican Wedding Cookies and Cracker Toffee and Banana bread.

Plenty of coffee and tea and nuts and tuna in cans. A bit of cheese and plenty of cornmeal.

We're set.

How about you?