Traditional Winter Faire

Its a cold winter day and all you want when you get home from work is to sit down under a cozy blanket with your fuzzy slippers and warm fleece pajamas, relaxing while the dinner you prepared this morning simmers in slow cooker.  The house is filled with mouth watering aromas of the winter faire you are about to feast on, and you think.....as you smile and release a cat like purr....this is life.  It's good right?

So here is the question.....Whats in your slow cooker?

When I was little girl, my mom used the crock pot or large stock pot on the stove-top  A LOT.  We were a large family and prepacked meals from the grocery store were designed for families of 4 or less with small portions, bordering on anorexic.  We had hearty meals designed to feed an army.  There were several staples in our typical winter faire.  Stew was a really common and frequent menu item.  Pinto Beans w/ham and cornbread was also a staple for our hoard on budget. I remember sitting at the breakfast table sorting the dry beans before their soak filtering out the rocks and dead legumes. Large pots of Macaroni and Cheese (not the box) were common too just as Pot Roast and Chili were. 

As an adult, Stew is no longer in my repertoire. I can't choke down the soggy off colored vegetables anymore now than I could as a kid. The sensory memories they trigger are very unpleasant.  You remember the days when we were disciplined to "clean our plate" "there are children starving in Africa"? Well the soggy vegetables combined with my gag reflex and topped off with Okra and Lima Beans, make for memories that should only exist in nightmares.  :)  There is no cleaning the plate for me, and there is no stew. 

My favorite winter offerings continue to include homemade chili, macaroni and cheese, shepherds pie, pork roast, & pot roast. Soups like Lentil and Minestrone and fresh Chicken Noodle or Tomato with grilled cheese sandwiches. Basically comfort foods. When I make chili, no matter how big the pot and no matter how noble my intention to save and freeze the leftovers, it doesn't survive long enough.  Its all eaten before I can reserve any.  I guess its a compliment, at least I know they love it.

Winter isn't as limited as it was when I was a kid. We still have hamburger and hotdogs and steaks and typical summer grill foods even in January. The difference is....when its to rainy or cold for the grill, we use the foreman.

Its easier to plan meals for a small family, to be more creative, adventurous, and even to splurge now and then. I like that my choices are broader and more palatable. However, if it hadn't been for growing up poor and meals planned based on their economical value, I couldn't appreciate the difference.  Gone are the days of okra and plum jelly, but with their farewell, a fondness for what they represented has awakened.

Whats on your menu this cold winters day?