Treading water in my snow boots

Spring?  Where are you?  Please come rescue me from these long, white-covered days.  I can no longer stand to wrestle my kids into their coats, boots and gloves.  I've already reached my winter quota of at least 2 falls on the ice, and I'm sick of reading "lay flat to dry" and "dry clean only" on the tags of our sweaters when doing laundry.  Checking our local news website for possible school closings and pushing the four-wheel drive button in my SUV both lost their luster.  Warmer weather means cook-outs, long walks, flip-flops, parks, the sun on our cheeks and Vitamin D lifting our spirits.   

This has been a difficult winter for many of my family and friends both physically and mentally.  For those of you that have been dealing with illness, the emotions of a loss or unemployment, my heart goes out to you.  Winter is hard enough for all of us; having to struggle through trials such as those would be a true test.  Kudos to those of you that have made positive life changes this winter.  New fitness regimens, home purchases, new babies and pregnancies make these cold days seem bright and cheerful.  Our family falls into that proverbial treading water and waiting for warmer weather category.  We've been blessed so far to stay illness free, but certainly haven't accomplished any major life goals this season.

I for one, am over being cooped up in this apartment with two kids.  I hope with the Spring weather comes more homes for sale in our target purchase area.  There have been some positives to being hunkered down in this small space.  I've been blessed with a lot of one-on-one (or should I say one-on-two?) time with Nick and Abby.  I've had the opportunity to try out some new recipes and have enjoyed quality couch time with my hubby watching football.  With that said, I still can't shake the overwhelming feeling to load up the family and drive to warmer weather.

It's February folks.  We're only 40 days away from the official first day of Spring 2011!  There are surely going to be some beautiful days between now and then.  So, whether you're treading water like me or hitting the gym every day to reach that fitness goal, sunshine is right around the corner.

Here's a yummo recipe to try that will at least taste like Spring.  It's easy and cheap to make.

Caprese Salad:

1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese
3 leaves fresh basil
2 ripe Roma tomatos
Balsamic vinegar

Slice the cheese and tomatos.  Alternate on a platter.  Roll the basil leaves together and slice.  Sprinkle the basil on top of cheese and tomatos.  Sprinkle entire salad with small amount of vinegar to taste.  ENJOY!