Brrrrr...Winter!
Winter is not coming, it is already here! For me, the start of Winter is not December 21st but rather when consistently low temperatures and snow appear! Despite hailing from Chicago, the cold weather goes right through me (yes, I'm a whimp) and I don't want to leave my apartment. This means riding the Peloton at home, watching an inordinate amount of Netflix, and ordering in great varieties of food. I find myself planning trips to warm places and daydreaming about pina coladas on the beach. Today, I will keep you in the Loupe on ways to survive the long, cold winter!
Brrr ... It is cold outside and if you are not cooking, you can either not eat (fulfill weight loss New Year's resolution) or order in. Ordering in might be one of the truly great things about New York (and/or any metropolis); you can basically get any food at any time delivered to your door (vis a vis Seamless, GrubHub, Postmates, Uber Eats or plain old-fashioned calling the restaurant)! The best part of ordering in is not needing to step out into the cold, staying in your sweats, and, of course, for many of you ... cold pizza in the morning! Vacuvita was introduced to me by fellow Louper Greg M. and is a system that allows fresh foods, and left overs, to have longer shelf lives. I must say, I'm not really a leftover guy and sloppy seconds ain't my style (special kuddos for who said it and in what movie). However, I've tended to use Vacuvita to store market fresh foods, as well as the multitude of excess bagels that gets ordered to my apartment every weekend --- this system extends the shelf life of those leftovers by taking the oxygen out. Vacuvita helps you to not leave the house (or not have to) and eat fresh food (that shouldn't still be)!
One of the great Winter (oops I mean Summer) treats is s'mores cooked over a blazing fire. The problem is in the Winter who wants to go outside, build a fire, and who can? I've always reserved s'mores for summer beach nights but now as I find myself craving the warm weather, I am also longing for America's favorite ooey, gooey summer treat. S'More to Love allows you to make the perfect s'more, indoors, every time. Just stack your ingredients, place in the toaster and/or oven and voila ... you barely have to interrupt your Netflix program. You'll love them so much, you'll make some and then you'll make s'more!
If you must go outside (and I mean must), first get yourself some gear from Filson. This company has been outfitting outdoorsmen with rugged clothes since 1897! I would say that Filson is to rugged clothes as Yeti is to ice chests ... which means they over engineer the gear and create lifestyle brands and addicted consumers in the process. This is the place to buy wool coats, shirts, hats, scarves and really every layer you will need while outdoors for extended periods of time. You need if you spend your time watching flag football, tailgating with the Packers at Lambeau Field, cheering the Iditarod in Anchorage, or just taking a plain-old nature walk. Since you can no longer get flannel shirts that aren't made of cashmere (J Crew is apparently out of the flannel business), Filson is the place to go. This brand was introduced to me by fellow Louper Brad K. and I have loved everything I ordered. I would argue that I am not even afraid (ok, less afraid) of heading out into the cold. You might even like the cold weather (or at least look like you like the cold weather) in these awesome wintry duds!
The nice thing about Winter's arrival (besides snowy Central Park photos) is we are one step closer to its departure. Consider yourself prepared for plunging temperatures and Vacuvita, S'More to Love, and Filson Found!