As the weather begins to grow colder, many people begin to turn to the comfort foods that they love to eat. The hearty soups and stews, as well as heavier meals that keep us warm in the fall and winter. Many comfort foods are made from scratch or basic ingredients, so it is a great time to utilize your food storage. Many items also go on sale in the fall and winter, and it is a great time to stock up on them. Flour and sugar usually go on sale in the late fall, and canned vegetables will go on sale during the winter months.
One great comfort food that is especially good in the winter is chili. Chili utilizes the beans that you have in your food storage. It is also a hearty meal all by itself, though you may want to add bread and vegetables. You can find links to several chili recipes at the bottom of the article.
Another great way to utilize your food storage is to bake in the winter. Nothing is more welcoming then the scent of baking cakes and cookies. If you do not want to eat them all yourself, you can easily give them away as gifts at Christmas time. You can also make your baked goods healthier by using whole-wheat flour. I recommend using a combination of white flour and wheat flour, and experimenting to make sure that you find the right combination, as wheat flour can make your baked goods heavier.
Another great comfort food is homemade bread. You can make this in a bread machine, which is very easy. You can also make this traditionally, and knead the bread, and shape it yourself. Many mixers have a kneading setting, which can do the first kneading for you. You can find tips for bread making here.
Chili Recipes
Dinner For A Buck: Two Chili Recipes
Cornbread Chili You’ve Got to Try This
Spicy Vegetarian Chili
Chili in a Flash-All Day Flavor in 15 Minutes
Rattlesnake Chili with Corn Fritters
Superbowl Sunday Chili