A Snowy Week in Nashville

(Gruyère Fondue + Your Weekly Meal Plan)

I am sitting here by the fire, watching my son, Grayson, and his cat, Blue (short for Rainbow Blueberry) fast asleep by the fire. They have the sweetest relationship, these two. I have never seen a cat who tolerates being cuddled so aggressively - Grayson literally lays on her like a pillow or wraps his arms around her and holds her like a stuffy - but she doesn’t seem to mind. They love each other.

It’s nearly 9 pm, Day 6 of the snow/ice storm, and I am official ready for warmth. And routine! After nearly 3 weeks off for Christmas break, the kids finally went back to school last week, and now, here we are: another week of no school. (God clearly thinks I need some extra practice in learning to let go. Ha!) My plans for a productive week went totally sideways, and I’ve had to make the most of what is: single-digit temperatures, icy roads, cancelled plans, and also - lots of hot chocolate and time by the fire, games and books and movies with the kids, and some really epic sledding.

When I’ve felt frustration creep in - at the messes and endless meals and the lack of my own time - I’ve tried to reframe “I have to” to “I get to.” Instead of “I have to cook yet another meal…” I’m trying to reframe it to “I get to prepare healthy meals from good ingredients for the people I love.” Instead of griping about the cold, I’m focusing on how grateful I am for our warm house. And for snow, which we so rarely see in Nashville.

Once I let go (of my expectations for getting anything done this week!), I’ve been able to enjoy creating sweet memories with the kids, and to embrace the lack of a routine. Breakfasts have been epic: Belgian waffles one day, buttermilk pancakes the next, and crêpes for days in a row. We’ve played in the snow every day, and I’ve been reminded just how fun it is to fly down a big sledding hill. I’ve cooked some of my favorite winter dishes: Sausage Ragu Rigatoni, Roasted Butternut Squash & Pear Soup, Buckwheat Galettes with Egg, Ham, & Cheese, Ginger Molasses Cookies, and - best of all - Swiss Cheese Fondue (recipe below).

For the fondue, I simmered some white wine, garlic, and Gruyère cheese (with a bit of cornstarch) on the stovetop in a small pot until bubbly, then served it by the fire with a spread of accoutrements: tiny boiled potatoes, crusty pieces of bread, salami and prosciutto, apple slices, grapes, pickles, sliced cucumbers, and olives. I didn’t have a fondue pot or fondue sticks, so we just the a small pot and wooden skewers.

It reminded me of a fondue meal I had at a tiny restaurant in the French alps years ago. There’s nothing better after a day out in the snow than potatoes and bread dipped in warm, bubbling cheese. Heaven! The kids loved the dipping part, though they were less enthused about the flavors of the fondue itself. (If you read my last post, you know that their palates are a work in progress. Lol.) Mostly, it was just fun to have an excuse to eat on the floor by the fireplace :)

For anyone else currently snowed in, I thought you might enjoy making your own Swiss Cheese Fondue. Here’s the recipe!

Simple Swiss Cheese Fondue

Serves 4

• 1 garlic clove, halved

• 1 cup dry white wine

• 1 1/2 pound Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Serve with: Boiled new potatoes, cubed baguette, sliced apples or pear, sliced vegetables, cornichons or other pickles, and charcuterie (like salami or prosciutto)

Rub the garlic clove over the inside of a small, heavy-bottomed pot.

Bring the white wine to a simmer. Stir together the cheese and the cornstarch, and slowly add the mixture to the wine, 1/3 at a time, whisking constantly. Once all of the cheese is added, stir until thickened and bubbling. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Note: Because I don’t have a fondue pot, so I had to put the pot back on the stovetop a few times during the meal to reheat the cheese. If you have an actual fondue pot, definitely use it!

Weekly Meal Plan: January 21-26

Friends, it’s 6 degrees here right now and I am still very much in winter comfort-cooking mode. And chicken pot pie is high on my list of wintry comfort foods!