Comfort Cocoa

This is the season of comfort food. Hallelujah! Warm spices, warm drinks, baked goods, savory meats...so many wonderful things to eat! Comfort foods contribute so much to holiday memories! My family has a few time honored dish traditions, as well as some new additions that have added some variety to the repertoire. Thank goodness for my new favorite things because they have rocked my world!

Years ago my mother in law introduced a new pineapple dish at a family dinner. This dish was met with some skepticism, as it has been every time I have made it and asked someone to try it; but a couple of fork- fuls in and I was hooked! Why the skepticism? Pineapple tidbits, cheddar cheese and crackers. These are the main ingredients. Probably sounds odd right? It is amazing! It tastes like pineapple upside down cake but savory with a layer of chewy cheese and crispy crackers. This dish is a revelation. It has definitely become a comfort food for me. Not one that I indulge in more than a couple of times a year, but when I finally take that long awaited bite it is so inviting and warming. Like a big ole pineapple hug. I do not know what it is called but I wrote the recipe down as "Pineapple Express". This dish was shared with my side of the family, and has become an expected item at our holiday dinner. I, of course am always hoping to see it at my mother in law's Christmas dinner too! New dishes can be fun and exciting and after so many years they make their way into the canon of tradition. It's just a casserole but it has a story. It faced the odds of being unfairly judged for it's unusual ingredients. Stand tall pineapple express! You are family tradition now! I will make sure our children pass you down.

As an older tradition my kids already expect my homemade hot cocoa on nearly every cold night that we are home together. My mom taught me how to make this love in a mug. All on the stove top. I have tweaked it a little bit over the years. Not to dishonor the original recipe, but to experiment with my own ideas. Whole milk will always be the preferred starting point. And our good old friend whisk joins the party every time. Maybe whisks are just the magical tool that create some of the finest comfort foods known to man??? Homemade hot cocoa definitely joins that list. Top it off with some cinnamon, marshmallows or peppermint...or not! It's all delicious.

(If you use cinnamon sticks be sure to strain the cocoa before serving. I neglected this step once and my dear hubby nearly impaled his throat with a shard of cinnamon stick. He has been scared of my cocoa ever since!)

Comfort foods just stir the soul. Bringing back memories, faces of loved ones since past and wrapping our hearts and tummies in a blanket of coziness. Now I have to be careful not to indulge in too much of this coziness, most of my favorite comfort foods are not exactly healthy. I love a good salad but it's never brought me to tears of joy. Not like pineapple express and hot cocoa! These dishes are cherished. I have more old and new holiday traditions to share with you soon. I hope you will share your favorite new holiday dishes with me! I would never say when it comes to holiday food, "out with the old, in with the new". Instead let's say, make room at the table we have a newcomer!