Hands Down, The Most Comforting Meal For The Chilly Nights

There’s nothing I enjoy more than a delicious, hearty soup on a cool fall day. I’m a big fan of this season – I like the cooler weather, the crispy air and the golden shade of autumn sunlight. What I don’t like is the fact that it gets cold inside the house, too. Which is where all kinds of soups come in handy. No, you can’t wear them (at least I wouldn’t recommend that), but a steaming hot bowl of soup will fill your belly and make you feel warm again.

My family doesn’t always agree with me, though! You know how it is with teenagers; I guess soup isn’t a very trendy dish these days. They would rather have tacos, burgers or lasagna – or something else I really can’t even pronounce correctly.

I was determined to make soup, anyway, but I wanted to surprise my family by turning it into something they would actually love to eat. Enter, this incredible tortilla soup!

This is such a brilliant idea and I knew immediately my kids would love it. And they did!

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Quick Tip: Like your food extra spicy? Add some diced jalapenos!

So Good, You’ll Want To Make This Twice A Week

Last week I was feeling a little under the weather. Maybe I caught a bug or perhaps I just hadn’t had enough sleep – whatever the reason, I was tired and cranky and I didn’t feel like cooking at all. Don’t you just wish you had a personal chef when that happens? People keep talking about personal trainers but I would definitely rather hire a chef!

Anyway, trying to avoid the fact that I was going to have to cook something eventually, I started searching online for easy recipes. I didn’t really care what it was, as long as I didn’t have to go to the store to get the ingredients, and as long as it only took me a maximum of twenty minutes. Lucky me, it didn’t take long until I stumbled upon this one. Sometimes it amazes me how you always seem to make the most delicious and comforting meals from such simple ingredients.

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Quick Tip: Use whole grain brown rice for a healthier option.

My cousin Jane had always wanted to be an exchange student. She always wanted to visit other countries and experience the life there. We’re quite similar. We both wanted to experience new culture, learn new language, and feel the freedom of being able to journey to the other side of the world. Jane actually had that opportunity while we were still in high school. We were both members of the school paper, but while I was the editor, she was one of our field journalists. It’s the exact same reason why she was able to be considered for such an opportunity.

One of the things that would decide her grant was a live demo interview with her family. The committee had said that when it came to news, it shouldn’t matter whether you’re interviewing a family member or not. You always have to be professional. During one of our gatherings, two members of the committee were invited. They gave Jane a scenario and Jane had to interview any of us based on the scenario. I thought she did quite well, but she was still nervous. After the demo, the committee didn’t say anything. Jane’s Mom graciously offered them chili pie while they were evaluating Jane at one of the corner tables. They left the gathering with nothing but a thank you for the pie. A couple of weeks later, Jane was granted the chance to fly to Europe for the program. She was happy. She didn’t care whether it was because of her talent or the chili pie. I voted for her talent. But the chili pie must have had a part in it.

Photo and recipe courtesy of The Southern Lady Cooks.

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Quick Tip: Serve with a crusty bread or a side of salad.

I like to plan ahead when it comes to meal planning.  One of my favorite ways to do that is to make a big batch of a recipe and freeze it for later.  The great thing about doing this is that I have recipes stocked in the fridge for any busy day that I can quickly heat up for my family.  The downside, of course, is that the same meal can get old if we’ve had several busy nights in a row.

This chili recipe is PERFECT for preventing leftover burnout.  On day 1, have the chili straight from the bowl.  On day two, add some lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and other favorite toppings to make taco salad.  One day 3, use the same ingredients but build nachos as your meal.  So versatile, all using similar ingredients, but in different proportions.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Heidi Washington.

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Quick Tip – To store, spoon 3 cups into a gallon size freezer bag and place flat in the freezer.  Once frozen, you can turn the bag upright to take up less space.

So often, you’ll see olives tossed in the middle of a relish platter or served as a topping for tacos or pizza. These ways of eating this antioxidant-rich food are perfectly fine, but what if we jazzed them up a bit?

I know, I know, why fix a good thing if it ain’t broken, right? I totally understand how olive lovers wouldn’t want to compromise their favorite relish tray snack food. However, life is all about trying new things, and once you discover how amazing cheddar-crusted olives can be, you’ll be a believer.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Applegate.

Quick Tip: serve these amazing little cheddar crusted olives with your favorite dipping sauce.

Everything is better with bacon, and this recipe is no exception.  This casserole is packed with protein and potatoes, so you’ll need a light dessert to follow this dish.

This easy recipe serves 8 and is ready in about 45 minutes.  Becasue it’s such a rich dish, you may want to serve this meal with a light side salad or green veggie, to balance it out.

Recipe and photo courtesy of  12 Tomatoes

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There’s nothing better, and more outrageous, then when two worlds collide, in terms of food.  This lemon-garlic, shrimp and grits is a prime example of that.  Finally a breakfast food with elegance!

This recipe serves 4 and is ready in about 30 minutes.  The thick consistency of the grits, mashed into the crispy and citrusy shrimp, is a flavor you won’t forget!

Recipe and photo courtesy of  The Food Network

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