With all this snow, it's hard to think of anything but comfort and things that keep me warm.  All my cooking lately has been comforting and slow, the kind that takes hours before it's ready and fills the house with tempting aromas.  Last week I made a very hearty beef and bean chili and now for something else that's incredibly flavorful and warming.

Tell me there's nothing better on a cold day than a rich broth-y soup topped with crusty baguette and bubbly cheese.  I love French Onion Soup! I'm not typically a fan of onions, but when they've been properly cooked down and had time to let their sugars out, they're downright delicious.  Am I right?  Every sip/bite of this soup is a fine balance of umami with a hint of sweetness, gooey and nutty. If you want to make this for yourself, check out the recipe below. Excuse me while I have another bite...

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.

We just had a big snowstorm here in my part of New England.  It was two and a half days of snow, snow and more SNOW! To tell you the truth though, I didn’t mind it.  It was nice spending time at home with my family without worry or thought about going outside.  It also gave me ample time to work on some knitting projects.  

Source

As if he knew I’d need something to do during the blizzard, a friend posted a link on Facebook tagging me in the comments asking “Pretty please?”  Well, I was up for the challenge and knew I had seen a good pattern on Ravelry for a similar mitt.  I went through my stash and began work on Monday evening.