Thursday, February 4, 2010

Snowdrifts and Marshmallows...



I was making marshmallows the other day and started thinking about—SNOW. It's not so far-fetched. Marshmallows are soft and white and so is snow. Mom was telling me about growing up in West Virginia. In the big snow in 1950, she got to go with her daddy (my grandpa) to check on a neighbor who had a small baby. He told her to be sure to follow in his footsteps. They got about halfway across the yard when he turned around to check on her. Only the topknot on her hat was sticking out, so he quickly pulled her up, and they continued next door. That was at least 36 inches of snow with drifts up to 6 feet. They used Mom's sled to go down the road to get groceries.

When Mom was a teenager, her mom (my Granny) always cleaned the house on Saturday morning. When they finished on one Saturday, they looked out to a winter wonderland of quietly falling snow. About 6 inches of untouched snow was on the ground. “Let's walk down to the Ohio River!” So they walked up to Grand Central Avenue, across a couple of fields, across River Road, did a slippery-slide down a hill, and across another field to the banks of the swiftly flowing Ohio River. It was so quiet, peaceful, and beautiful. What a special memory for them.

Back to marshmallows: they don't have to be white, and different extracts can be used instead of vanilla to flavor them. I used peppermint, and they are yummy. How about strawberry, orange, or raspberry? Tint them pink, orange, etc. Then to top them off, dip them in a dark chocolate fondue. Now, that's a dessert for Valentine's Day!

When I was four years old, we moved from the Washington, D.C. snowy suburbs in January, to Jackson, Mississippi. On the way, we drove through Atlanta where it had snowed overnight. Dad still had the snow tires on, and we drove straight through Atlanta wondering where all the cars and people were. After moving to the South, we learned that wasn't such a good thing to do. After crossing into Alabama, the weather suddenly changed, and it was warm. On January 24, 1974, all of us worked in the yard in shorts and got sunburned.

One week-end in February, Dad said “Let's go to Mardi Gras!” We went on a day trip (better for little kids) and Suzanne, Rich, and I especially liked the floats, and catching beads, candy, and trinkets. Mardi Gras King Cake and beignets were a special treat.

February has at least 3 celebrations—Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, and Shrove Tuesday. Any, or all of these occasions would be ideal to celebrate at the Castella Room. So whether it's a steak dinner with a dessert of marshmallows, fruit and a chocolate fountain, gumbo and King Cake, or huge hot syrupy pancakes, call and reserve the Castella Room for your special day.

Phone: (678) 455-6275
Fax: (678)648-3169
Address: 65354 Shiloh Rd, Suite 700
Alpharetta, GA 30005
E-mail: info@adairepc.com