Winter Sustenance Thread

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Winter is coming. We're headed into the darkness of Winter and need something to keep us going through the cold and dreary days.

What do you do to get through these times? Have a favorite soup or stew? Post your recipes here (and other ways to getting to the other side of Winter).

[mahagonny]

Mahagonny's crazy soup

Two cans of mushroom soup
mushrooms, calamata or sweet black olives, onions, celery and or fresh peppers in skillet w/butter & olive oil
small pieces of browned or grilled chicken
minced or chopped garlic, sundry spices
half and half
a little water if it's too thick

Wife thinks it's nuts, to which I reply 'well, I thought I was enjoying it while I was having it.'

[dismalist]

Winter is coming. We're headed into the darkness of Winter and need something to keep us going through the cold and dreary days.

What do you do to get through these times? Have a favorite soup or stew? Post your recipes here (and other ways to getting to the other side of Winter).

Ah, thank god daylight saving time will be over in six hours on the East Coast.

Winter? Favorite soup is wine! Mulled, but only if hell is freezing over.

Happy Winter, everybody!

[Puget]

Having a bright full spectrum "happy light" on in the morning helps me a lot.

I also love soup. I make a variety, but most often a sort of vegetarian minestrone we called "refrigerator soup" growing up because it involves hauling out whatever is on hand-- it pretty much always has a can of tomatoes, carrot, onion, celery, potato, beans, and pasta, but the other ingredients are variable-- green beans, frozen peas, corn, squash, kale, cabbage, etc. can all go in if available. So can some veggie sausage if desired. Serve with some parmesan or other cheese and some oyster crackers or toast. Filling, warming and comforting.

[Larimar]

Soup here too, and vegetarian chili with cornbread, made in the crock pot.

Also hot herbal tea. Sleepytime Honey is one of my favorites for evenings, and Japanese Sen-cha during the day.

[cathwen]

Chicken stew with dumplings—nice fluffy ones.  Another vote for chili and cornbread.  Lasagna.

[sinenomine]

And another vote for veggie chili and cornbread. I'll add pasta with pesto. For winter drinks, Earl Grey tea, or coffee with Bailey's.

[waterboy]

Soup, chili, and sitting in a recliner covered in cats.

[Larimar]

Yes, definitely cats on the lap.  :)

[Puget]

I should have added-- the best thing I did last year was have a gas "wood stove" installed in the living room. It doesn't have the same crackle and smell as a real wood stove, but the convenience of turning it on with a remote more than makes up for that, and the flames and wonderful radiant heat are the same. If there is one thing cozier than cats on your lap it is cats on your lap in front of a fire. Highly recommend if you can swing it-- stove plus installation was under $4k.

[Harlow2]

Mahagonny's crazy soup

Two cans of mushroom soup
mushrooms, calamata or sweet black olives, onions, celery and or fresh peppers in skillet w/butter & olive oil
small pieces of browned or grilled chicken
minced or chopped garlic, sundry spices
half and half
a little water if it's too thick

Wife thinks it's nuts, to which I reply 'well, I thought I was enjoying it while I was having it.'

Wow! That sounds really good; I never considered the olive-mushroom combo, though I like it on pizza. Which spices work best?

[AmLitHist]

That soup sounds good, Mahagonny!

For me: vegetable soup (made with ground turkey or beef, and a cup of quick barley added at the last 20 minutes); chili; chicken and egg noodles, with onion, carrots, and celery (thicker than soup--not too much broth); cats; my heated massaging chair; and lots of yarn/crochet projects to work on.

[downer]

Yoga, running, and hiking. I love snow shoeing.

In Jan or Feb I plan to plant some seeds indoors with grow lights for plants that I can then put in the ground in April.

[Harlow2]

Yoga, running, and hiking. I love snow shoeing.

In Jan or Feb I plan to plant some seeds indoors with grow lights for plants that I can then put in the ground in April.

Hiking for me too (I do about 20 miles per week) and growing lettuce under lights. I meant to get it started 2 months ago, but maybe this conversation will be spur to action. I also start tomatoes and peppers, but those won't go into the ground here until Mother's Day.

Vegetarian chili with the peppers I've grown, and various kormas.

[mahagonny]

Mahagonny's crazy soup

Two cans of mushroom soup
mushrooms, calamata or sweet black olives, onions, celery and or fresh peppers in skillet w/butter & olive oil
small pieces of browned or grilled chicken
minced or chopped garlic, sundry spices
half and half
a little water if it's too thick

Wife thinks it's nuts, to which I reply 'well, I thought I was enjoying it while I was having it.'

Wow! That sounds really good; I never considered the olive-mushroom combo, though I like it on pizza. Which spices work best?

Thyme, bay leaf, parsley I guess. Salt and pepper.  I'm open to new ideas.

Carrots might be nice too.