'Tis the Season: Food

I can find something to bake or cook any time of the year. But, this season when temperatures drop, snowflakes fly (come on snow!), and the holidays arrive is probably my favorite. When handed total darkness at an obnoxiously early hour and hard frost when light returns, everyone needs a little comfort. One place I find that is in food.

Dinner during the cold months is oh so pleasing. It's cool enough outside that using the oven and heating up the house isn't miserable like it can be during the summer months. Add to the warm, cozy house the wonderful aromas of roasted seasonal veggies, simmering sauces and slow cooked soups and stews. There are so many ways to soak in the meals cooked--outside of devouring every last delicious bite. Taking a moment to see the beauty in the prepared food is a must. The beautiful tray of colorful roasted veggies, the vibrant color of a carrot or butternut squash soup, or the plate of pumpkin pancakes with a handful of plump blueberries tossed on top with rich maple syrup.

Baking during these months is another satisfying activity. Whether whipping up a batch of simple oatmeal cookies or putting together a cranberry cobbler, snickerdoodles or spiced walnuts, baking is something along the lines of sacred for me. My guilty pleasure is to grab a fresh out of the oven serving of whatever it is I've made. Truth be told, if there were a way of creating single servings of these things, I would do it. There is absolutely nothing as good as a fresh from the oven baked good. But, since I haven't figured out single serving baking just yet, I double the pleasure by sharing the goods with others.

It was only recently that I realized how much both of these activities have become creative outlets for me. Sometimes fancy outlets but sometimes just simple straightforward outlets--take a bunch of separate stuff and make something wonderfully fulfilling. Not too dissimilar from taking a bunch of words and writing a poem or novel or using a range of colors to compose a visual art piece. But, everyone wins when the plate is the canvas and seasonal ingredients the paint.