After celebrating NYE as a family in a Marriott somewhere in middle America, braving a blizzard, and getting some freezing cold midwest skiing in, we settled into a wonderfully slow-paced January. Central to our existence here is time spent at our favorite restaurant: the Wallace. Each week (give or take a few days), the chefs sit down to plan a menu that works with baseball, dance, the leftovers in the fridge, and the hankerings of the four of us. Once the menu is drafted, it gets thrown on the chalkboard and the real work begins.

I think everyone here can agree that the best part of the complete lack of restaurants in Stafford is that it forces you to turn your kitchen into whatever kind of restaurant you are craving for the day. Some days it’s high brow food. Some days it’s a simple smash burger. Most days we have four happy customers that will come back for seconds.

Even the kids have gotten into cooking lately which has been great… especially when you get a paltry 8 inches of snow and the world stops turning for almost 10 days. Sophia turns out baked goods morning and night and Will is always eager to jump in on some big name dishes (that’s my wine glass not Will’s). Our barista doesn’t always hit home runs but I’d like to think he can make a decent cup of joe most days.

It won’t be the Wallace forever, but no matter where we end up, there will always be food shared with family.