What is your go-to comfort food? I know, I know. We’re not supposed to see food as comfort, but come on!

For me, cookies and milk. The warm doughy cookie and cold glass of milk brings comfort to my stomach and joy to my soul. 

A cookie fits perfectly in a hand, or a pocket, and is ready to split in half and share with a friend. 

Oven heating the house. Lots of butter and sugar stirred with extra chocolate chips and candy sprinkles in the batter. And someone to lick the beaters, of course. Who really worries about the raw egg? 

This time of year, we entrust our favorite recipes to special friends. We bake together and always share what we make. 

My grandma baked her Christmas cookies November through December. She’d have stacks of plastic bins sealed and tucked away until Christmas Eve. Then she’d share with neighbors, send us all home with containers, and fill the dessert table at Christmas dinner.  

We feel nourished and comforted by flavors and foods. A 2017 review published in the International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science said it best, “We associate comfort food with good memories and strong relationships.”  

We’re blessed to have comfort. Hope your Christmas was sweet and your New Year even sweeter! Happy comfort in 2024!  

Image by Ylanite Koppens from Pixabay.