Monday, October 24, 2011

The Comfort of Comfort Foods


Whenever we are gone for more than a day, we notice that our cat eats like crazy.  She’s always been that way.  Once, for less than a year, we had another cat and he traumatized her so much she practically lived under that bed – except for her mad dashes to the food bowl.  She gained two pounds in six months and our vet was none too pleased.  How strange, we said.  How odd.   

But, then again, how typical.  Whenever I have a particularly stressful, crazy, busy week, I also make mad dashes to food.  Particularly comfort food.  Now, I’m not advocating this coping mechanism, just fessing up to it.  I’ve always wanted to be one of those people who waste away living on tea and toast when they’re stressed, instead of the kind of person I am – the dash to the food kind.   

My comfort foods?  The short list includes meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, fried chicken, stews and soups, garlic bread, pasta, and every and all manner of baked desserts – pie, cake, cookies, preferably in various forms of chocolate.  Weirdly, I’ve never been crazy about ice cream, some folks’ Achilles heel. I have one friend who chomps chips.  Another who stirs up scrambled eggs.  Another craves macaroni and cheese. 

What about you?  What are your favorite comfort foods?   Or are you the tea and toast type?

5 comments:

  1. Do I look like I'm the tea and toast type? Grandma De was but not me. I'm the ice cream, potato chip, candy type. Oh, and pizza. And maybe a hamburger, not just any ole hamburger, but a good double butterburger hamburber at Culver's. While there I will finish up with a double dip of the flavor of the day. Of course, since I've met the model husband, I have no more stress in my life so I'm happily wasting away on tea and toast! Not!

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  2. You are funny! What about Elephant Ears -- I always thought those were your favorites, too . . .

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  3. The idea of comfort food took on a whole new meaning since I discovered I was Diabetic. Now, it;s all about the carbs, since I have to deprive myself as part of my daily regimen. Just a good chunk of bread and a cold slab of butter soothes my soul better than desserts or other treats.

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  4. Dark chocolate is at the top of my list, but if I'm truly hungry, I'll precede it with very sharp cheddar melted over something like broccoli, cauliflower or a mushroom and asparagus omelette. Also on my list would be salmon, shrimp, crab, lobster and scallops on a big salad with lots of blue cheese dressing, BBQ chicken or ribs, lasagne with very little pasta, highly spiced chili with no beans, and an occasional prime rib. My other favorite desserts would be coconut cheesecake, dark chocolate mousse or flourless torte with coffee ice cream. Yum!! And that's my short list...

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  5. @Ken: I agree - sometimes there is nothing like a good piece of bread with butter (although I sympathize with you, too!) @Jan: I like your short list!

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