Originally published in The Blade on Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Enjoy the freezin’ season without getting the chills
BY RYAN E. SMITH
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Winter lovers got their wish - and then some. First, cold temperatures hit the area last week like a punch to the gut, tumbling below zero, canceling schools, and sending even the most fanatic of Snow Misers indoors. Then the snow came, adding even more to the wintry chaos. By now, you probably just want to stay inside and stay warm. The good news is there's no need to miss out on winter's wonders just because you're afraid of frostbite. Here are a few ways you can celebrate the season from inside. Think of it as winter fun without the wind chill.
Play hockey on your PlayStation 3.
You've got the super-cool game system that everyone wants, so you might as well use it, right? Seems like a good time to play NHL 2K7 - before you have to worry about wasting sunny, summer days indoors.
Make snow cones.
It's like the white stuff outside, only tastier. Just one rule: no throwing snowballs in the house. Here's an easy recipe to get you started:
1. Combine 1 cup of sugar and 1 envelope of unsweetened Kool-Aid powdered drink mix.
2. Add 1/2-cup cold water, stirring to completely dissolve.
3. Combine 2 cups cold water and 2 cups ice cubes in a blender.
4. Run blender on frappe setting, until ice is consistently crushed and slushy.
5. Spoon crushed ice into cups.
6. Pour flavoring mixture over each cup of crushed ice. (Source: About.com)
Watch a wintry movie.
Subzero temperatures don't have to be the end of the world, unless you're watching The Day After Tomorrow, which offers a vision of a modern ice age. Other cool winter tales: Misery, Fargo, and A Simple Plan (based on the novel by Sylvania native Scott Smith). For kids, try Ice Age.
Have fun with liquid nitrogen.
Liquid nitrogen has a temperature of -320 degrees Fahrenheit. That's cold enough to freeze all kinds of things. At COSI, from time to time, you can watch them use it to freeze - and shatter - balloons, rubber hoses, racquet balls, and even flowers. They make ice cream with it, too. (A nonliquid nitrogen version of the recipe is on COSI's Web site: www.cositoledo.org.)
Make paper snowflakes.
Follow the example of Thomas Clark (aka "Dr. Snowflake"), a retired surgeon from Ann Arbor who has made paper snowflakes into an art form. An exhibit of more than 75 of his creations wrapped up last month at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont.
Enjoy some winter art.
You could take a walk in the park to see a beautiful winter wonderland. And you'd be cold. A warmer option would be to view paintings of it at the Toledo Museum of Art. Check out Winter Landscape with a Bird Trap (c. 1600-25) by Pieter Brueghel the Younger and Winter Scene on a Canal (c. 1615) by Hendrik Avercamp. Grab a coffee from the museum cafe and ponder whether being inside the Glass Pavilion is a little like standing in a snow globe.