Winter Wonderland and a recipe

We're snowed in again! There's about a foot of snow on the ground and more falling as I write. A cozy fire in the living room draws everyone there. I went out this morning and took some photos. It was so dark the flash wanted to go off which made for some very dark backgrounds. Above - hydrangea blossoms covered in snow.

A pretty Barberry bush laden with delicate snowflakes.

The red osier dogwood in the back yard with tufts of marshmallowy snow. Our daughter's boyfriend was stranded here last night, he tried going home and didn't make it very far, so he left his car and trudged back through the snow to spend the night on the couch. We enjoyed a fun pancake breakfast.

On this snowy Sunday I'm hoping to get a few things done. I made some Breakfast Egg Strudels for our Christmas morning breakfast. They are great to have in the freezer.

Here's a recipe:

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Melt the butter, add the flour, then stir in the milk. Whisk until bubbly and thick, then stir in the the salt and cheese and stir until melted. Set aside while you prepare the eggs.

6 eggs, beaten lightly with a fork
2 Tablespoons minced parsley
2 Tablespoons minced green onion or chives
1 cup diced smoked ham
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
pepper and salt
1 Tablespoon butter

Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the eggs and scramble until set but still moist. Stir in the remaining ingredients and add to the cheese sauce. Let cool slightly.

8-10 sheets phyllo pastry
1/4 cup butter, melted

Place one sheet of phyllo on work surface. Cover remainder with towels to prevent drying out. Brush sheet lightly with butter. Fold in half, brush with butter. Spoon about 1/3 cup of egg mixture along narrow end of phyllo, leaving a 1-2 inch border. Fold sides over to enclose filling. Roll up. Brush top with butter.

Now, you can either bake them or freeze them. To freeze them, I place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper, set the pan in the freezer until the strudels are frozen, then place them into a ziploc bag.

To bake before freezing, bake at 375 degrees 15-18 minutes.
To bake after freezing, do not thaw, but bake at 375 degrees 35-40 minutes.

These are so good with fresh fruit on the side and some cinnamon buns.