Winter is full of warm scents.  I love clove and everything cinnamon at Christmastime (and beyond.)  It’s just so cozy! Like the aromatic equivalent to a blanket. (Is that weird?) And considering the amount of snow that’s fallen in the past month, I need all the cozy blankets I can get.

One drink that encompasses all the spicy, comforting goodness of the season is chai.  A delicious blend of spices and tea.  A little spicy.  A little sweet.  All good.  Sure, you could go to Starbuck’s or your local coffee shop, but making your own is even better.

Snow on snow on snow!

So, we’re stuck in the house on another snowy day.  This time coming to us from Winter Storm Linus at a rate of 1 - 2 inches an hour.  It’s not so bad though.  I like the board game playing, reading and movie marathons that come from a day like this.

One of my favorite snow day lunches is grilled cheese and tomato soup.  But wouldn’t you know it, we don’t have any tomato soup in the pantry, nor do we have the ingredients I need to whip some up.  So today I’ll make do with Bloody Marys. Hey, it’s not like we’re going anywhere anyway, right?

A completely home crafted Bloody Mary is great! Fresh (or summer canned) tomatoes blended with horseradish, hot sauce, lemon and all the right spices is not too difficult and great to customize.  However, that’s not what I’m doing today.  I don’t have all the necessary ingredients (namely tomatoes), but I do have a bottle of Christie’s New England’s Best Bloody Mary Mix.