Mary Ann’s Baking Day article inspired me. So much so, that I think I’ll go to her house next time it’s cold! Of course, I’m kidding about showing up on her doorstep, because I’ll be busy at home doing similar things. I too tend to get that “nesting” thing going when the chill winds begin to blow. Do you?
I have the urge to bake, like Mary Ann, and I have a couple of other “rituals.” Usually, I make some kind of bread or biscuits, and my kids know they’ll soon be sampling my homemade granola bars. I have to make some type of bread or rolls to go with the soup.
See, simmering soup is a must for me on chilly days, although sometimes I switch to stew, or to make a pot of slow cooked chili or spaghetti sauce. It warms more than the kitchen. For me, it’s just a requirement to have something baking in the oven and a big simmering pot on the stove, making mouths water. Otherwise, it’s just a plain, old, cold day. My kids would think it was the wrong house if they came home on the first frosty afternoon and were not greeted with sumptuous scents and tasty treats from the kitchen.
Don’t forget the hot cocoa! If I don’t have the ingredients to make the good stuff, I’ll drop what I’m doing and go buy what I need. It’s a must. Oh, and marshmallows too. Have you seen the new chocolate marshmallows? Jet-Puffed has real chocolate marshmallows for a limited time only, so you’ll have to hurry if you want to try them in hot chocolate.
One of my favorite things to do is pull out the thick, cozy blankets, sweaters, and robes and I usually wash them again, even though I did so before I packed them away. I like the freshly laundered scent and the snugly feeling of slipping something warm from the dryer onto one of the people I love.
Is there anything special you like to do on the first cool days of the season?
Something else to bake:
Beautiful, Edible Thanksgiving Centerpiece