When cabin fever begins to set in and you start running out of idea’s to keep everyone occupied, it may feel like the end of the world. The kid’s may start running wild soon and the lack of sunlight and fresh air is starting to feel like torture. What should you do? Perhaps going back to the basics would the best place to start and we have a rounded up a few ideas to pass the time!

Blast from the Past

Round up the kid’s and cuddle up with a warm mug of hot chocolate to look back at all the wonderful memories throughout the years. Our Marketing Assistant, Sara, loves to sit with her mother on snowy days to reminisce and laugh at the heart warming, awkward, and sometimes forgotten photographs taken (there are A LOT). Photo albums are a wonderful way to kill some time and keep everyone’s attention long enough to recharge those nerves!

Build a Fort!

So this might sound like a crazy idea but down the tech and get back to basics! Whether you have kids or not- building a fort is a fun, creative way to kick cabin fever. Embrace that inner child, grab the sheets and blankets- get to work! From the interior designers and bloggers at thekitchn.com, here are 8 great tips for creating the most awesome indoor fort. Don’t forget the snacks!

Meal Prep Time

Take advantage of this extra time of! You to-do list that keeps getting longer and when the snow melts, it will seem like you have  less time to get it done- so how much time will you have to cook? Fast food meals are probably popping up on the menu but that can easily be avoided. Instead, try out this delicious recipe from Shalamar’s family cook book! Whip up a big batch of these to make multiple trays of tasty enchiladas that you can freeze and  have a quick delicious meal handy whenever the clock is counting down.

Chicken Enchilada’s

Ingredients

 3 Large bags of boneless chicken breast

 1 Jar chicken base (8oz pudding type)

 2 Cans chopped green chilies

 9 Boxes cream cheese

 50 Tortillas

 3 Big bags Mexican shredded cheese

 1 Onion

 1 1/2 Sticks of butter

 2 Cans diced tomatoes (drained)

 1-2 Cans black olives (optional)

 

Directions

 Cook chicken breasts with base – save 9-10 cups of broth for enchiladas – rest for soup

 Pull chicken apart

 Heat cream cheese and 9-10 cups of broth on Low heat – stir often – whisk after cream cheese is dissolved enough to blend well

 Add 1 stick of butter and drained chilies to cream cheese mixture

 Saute onions and 1/2 stick of butter for 2 minutes

 Toss chicken, butter/onion mixture, drained tomatoes, black olives, 2 cups cream sauce

 Spray pans

 Stuff tortillas and pour remaining sauce over top – sprinkle jalapeno slices, cheese, and cover with foil

 Bake 350 degree for 30-45 min or until bubbly – remove foil for last 10 min

 Toast top (may turn on broil briefly)

Clean and Organize

Treat cabin fever by treating your cabin to a little love. Cleaning and organizing can help manage your stress (and teach kids some responsibility!) by giving it a little rhyme and reason to on going chaos. Crank up some oldie music tunes to get you in the groove, Jay likes to put on John Mellencamp whenever he cleans.  Our blog Resolutions for Your Home is an excellent resource on how to manage your clutter and protect your home!