Fortunately (or unfortunately)for me, I no longer live in blizzard central where I grew up and spent the first decade of my adult life. Still, the news of blizzards in the northeast has me feeling a bit nostalgic. It also has me thinking of all of the frugal things that my parents did during snow storms and blizzards to keep us kids warm, happy, and fed.
Hang blankets for extra warmth: Growing up, our homes were fueled with oil. During snowstorms, the temperatures would drop causing us to run out of oil quicker. To slow down the consumption of heating oil, my dad would get out his hammer and finishing nails and hang blankets over the archways between the foyer and living room, and also between the foyer and kitchen. If he had not already done it yet, he would weather proof the windows with plastic as well. This gave us a place to come in and take off our coats after a good snow fight, and then we would pass through the blankets into a warm toasty room that was not suffering heat loss. We often spent all of our time in these extra warm rooms, even sleeping there if necessary. I almost forgot to mention that he would set a fire in the fireplace too. But I only recommend doing so if your fireplace has been serviced properly.
Left-over soup: To help us stay warm and toasty, my mom would make what she called left-over soup. It was essentially soup made from leftovers. Into a large pot she would throw a cut up chicken, and also a large can of stewed tomatoes. She also added any vegetables and other meat that was in the refrigerator. She also threw in left over rice or noodles.
Chili: To my dismay, my family is not very fond of my mom’s left-over soup recipe. If your family is finicky like mine, you can substitute chili on cold days. This chili can be served in a bowl by itself, over a plate of rice, on hot dogs, over tortillas chips with cheese, or made into taco shells.
Snow ice cream: We would sometimes embrace the cold at dessert time and enjoy a bit of snow ice cream. This is one of the most frugal dishes you can make because the main ingredient is free. To make snow ice cream, set a large bowl outside during the blizzard and retrieve it when it is full. In a separate bowl, stir together 2 cups of milk, 1 cup of white sugar, and a tablespoon of vanilla. Fold this mixture into the ice cream and serve!
Green Ways to Winterize Your Home – Part 1