What has the power to makes the final cold, dreary winter days a little brighter? Some delicious, steaming hot, cozy foods of course! Nothing beats curling up inside with a blanket and some good ole cozy comfort food. While I'm psyched for the warmer weather to arrive in Lexington, I'll definitely be enjoying the last few winter weeks by cozying up to some of my favorite winter eats. These five cozy foods are tried and true ways to warm your heart and stomach.
Mac n' Cheese
Something about the cheesy gooey goodness of a hot bowl of mac n' cheese never fails to instantly warm my heart. From the extra buttery Kraft Mac n' Cheese of my childhood to the elaborate seven-cheese recipes served up at your favorite fancy restaurant, Mac n' Cheese never fails to bring a little comfort to a chilly day.
Speaking of chilly... Chili anyone?
When you need a lil' extra spice in your life, whipping up a pot of chili is the way to go. It's such a versatile dish that can be made and perfected to your own personal liking -- beef, turkey, chicken, vegetarian, mild, medium or extra hot & spicy. You can take the dish in any direction. Serve it up over some rice and you have just found your new go-to cozy dish.
Soup
I don't think anyone can argue with the perfectly cozy vibes that come along with a nice bowl of soup. Chicken noodle soup is my go to when I'm sick in bed, just plain cold or not feeling too happy. Chicken noodle soup definitely has some magical healing powers. That being said, I don't want to discount any other fabulous soup varieties! I love a good bowl of creamy pumpkin soup, and the broccoli cheddar soup from Panera never fails to amaze me. Bread bowl, anyone?
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a cozy bowl of goodness at your service and a no-fail way to start your day. Whenever I roll out of bed on a chilly morning, I pull on a sweatshirt and head to the kitchen to put my highly developed culinary skills to work by whipping up some oatmeal. Or, rather, I stir some water into my Quaker quick oats and stick it in the microwave for a whopping 60 seconds. Then I stir in some peanut butter and slice up a banana and I am ready to sit down and enjoy the ultimate cozy morning breakfast with my freshly brewed cup of coffee. If you're not feeling pb & banana, sliced apple and cinnamon is another wonderfully mouthwatering option. Bonus points if you drizzle on some caramel sauce or sprinkle on sliced almonds.
Hot Chocolate
No better way to increase your coziness than by enjoying a nice, creamy cup of hot chocolate. Whenever I drink a cup of hot chocolate it brings me some of my favorite days of my childhood -- snow days. After exhausting ourselves playing in the snow, my sister and I would run inside and sit by the fire, wrap ourselves in the fluffiest blankets and sip our hot chocolate topped with a generous portion of mini marshmallows. It doesn't get any more cozy than that.