After the unseasonably warm weather we’ve had in the Pacific Northwest, fall came as a bit of a surprise to me. Like, really. Temps in the 70’s one day, then dropping to a high of somewhere in the 30’s a couple of days later…and holding steady. I guess the cooler weather’s gonna hang for a while!

Which, of course, means that it’s time for comfort food. Now, I’m not exactly a lousy cook, but I’m no Martha Stewart, either, taking hours upon hours to find, prep, and serve meals. Half the time I’m wondering if stuff in my fridge is still edible! And with two nieces at home and a full-time job (not to mention the being-an-author part), I don’t have that kind of time. Or energy. Or, frankly, money.

So in true non-Martha-Stewart fashion, my first comfort food of the season was chicken soup thrown together with, basically, leftovers out of the fridge that were an hour or two away from being tossed in the trash. (Oh, c’mon! Surely you’ve cut out the icky parts of a vegetable and used the rest! Right? Right?)

By now I’m sure several of you are cringing and have decided not to ever accept an invitation to my house for dinner. But, really, the results weren’t too bad, if I do say so myself!

How could the scent of garlic and onions say anything but “yummy home cooking?” Add in somewhat-fresh vegetables and diced up chicken, then some homemade chicken broth and I think it’s a winner! Hey, the fact the family ate it without complaint was a huge plus!

What’s your favorite cold weather comfort food?

Happy Food and Wine Wednesday!

~Melia