Editor’s Note: This morning we have Sarah Stromquist on site dishing about some of her favorite comfort foods that help get her through the Winter doldrums. Here she is:

Idon’t know about you but I can’t resist the temptation of comfort foods, especially during the winter months. You know, those foods that bring back pleasant childhood memories, those tastes that evoke loving feelings, and the comforting associations with family, friends and good times.

Such a nostalgic cozy feeling is needed around here when going through these dark, blustery days confined to the house with two young ones.

Whenever the time calls for it I am no stranger to treasured comfort foods, and without a doubt I am just a simple girl. With all the lovely, amazing foods in this vast culinary world, my all-time favorites are spaghetti and meatballs and a good chocolate cookie.

One luxury of comfort foods is that there is no concern about health and nutrition - it just has to be perfectly yummy. It’s a blessing, and one I take solace in, that simple foods can bring such joy.

I indulge whenever necessary and today is definitely one of those days. I need the reassurance and the comfort of a tasty, simple, home-cooked edible remedy to get me through.

I am familiar enough with my comfort foods that a recipe is never involved - just made based on years of experience and a refined ability to know just how it should be. Even still, these foods can loose their luster at times.

So how do we take a perfect food and make it even better? How do we turn up the wow and make them irresistible?

By taking my home cooked favorites and revving up the yum factor in simple ways, I’ve created new family treasures that will hopefully become my children’s comfort food.

I ’ve turned my favorites on their heads. Starting with breakfast, here’s what I’ve created…

Eggs Benedict

Not really any more work, but a definite face lift that will wow any holiday guest and loved one.

-Swap ciabatta bread for the English muffin,

-Melt cheese on the bread slices and melt it nice and crispy,

-Layer the cheese toast with eggs, tomato slices, spinach, and fried onions, and

-Drizzle with hollandaise sauce and shave fresh Parmesan cheese on the top for that added touch.

French Toast

Kids love to help make this recipe.

-Cut extra thick raisin bread into cubes,

-Add a dash of each cinnamon and nutmeg and a bit of vanilla to the egg/milk mixture,

-Soak bread cubes in the egg mixture,

-Cook on all sides (takes a bit more attention at the stove but not really any more time), 

-Place the cooked cubes on a skewer, and

-Place on the plates with a warm maple syrup drizzle and finish with a side of fresh fruit.

On to lunch. Around here the coveted grilled cheese is considered a staple. I put it through the paces, make a few adjustments and, with the kids approval, this new grilled cheese has top marks. This tasty sensation will delight those young and old alike.

Grilled Cheese

-Use a fun tasty bread such as herbed foccocia or a lovely artisan loaf and cut into slices of desired thickness,

-Layer thin slices of cheese like Gruyere, Brie and/or Provolone in with the Cheddar,

-Add thinly sliced pears or apples to the mid layer and slather a thin coating of peach or mango chutney to the inside of the bread, and

-Cook as usual.

At snack time I punch up the flavor of freshly made hummus with lots of freshly roasted garlic. This is served with warm sesame pitas made from scratch. If you have never made pitas they are a very easy bread to make - a great one for first timers and young kids to tackle.

Now for dinner. I put the challenge to the ultimate test and reinvented my spaghetti and meatballs. If I do say so myself, I succeeded marvelously with this one. And since there were zero left overs - I know it was a hit.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

I make my sauce as usual (and always reminisce about my father as I smell it cooking) and my meatball mixture according to tradition. Then…

-Instead of forming little meatballs, cook the meat in a pan and stir until done,

-Then add sauce to make a thick meat sauce mix and fill large pasta shells,

-Place the shells in a shallow baking dish and smother with cheeses, and

-Bake until cheese bubbles.

All the flavors are there, but the delivery is a fun and welcome change – important when entertaining the younger crowd.

For a side with dinner I change up a true classic and reinvent the Caesar salad.

Caesar Salad

-Use spinach instead of romaine, 

-Whip up a creamy Caesar dressing with extra garlic, and

-Use crisp roasted garlic as croutons (peel as much garlic as needed and set on a shallow pan smothered in olive oil and bake till golden brown).

I also bake a chunk of Parmesan cheese for a couple of minutes and, once cool, use it for a garnish on the salad. Simply scrumptious. But be certain your other half enjoys some as well… or you’ll be sleeping alone!     

For dessert I couldn’t think of how to top the perfect chocolate chip cookie until I was inspired by Halloween candy. I decided that Reese’s cookies would be awesome.

I have a fabulous recipe for peanut butter cookies and freshen it up by adding chocolate chips (lots of them) and make the cookies big and thick. These cookies are perfect for the quintessential milk dunking as they can soak up a lot of milk and reach your mouth without falling apart. A definite requirement for the true cookie connoisseur. Next time I will take the time and dip half the cookie in melted chocolate for that extra rich touch.

Last but not least, the revamping of the golden oldie Bread Pudding. This is not your grandma’s recipes anymore! I can sneak chocolate into just about anything…

Chocolate Bread Pudding

-Use sweet croissants and rip them up into pieces,

-Add them to a bowl with a cup of cut up chocolate chunks,

-In the egg mixture add one cup of melted chocolate with ½ cup whip cream and blend well,

-Stir all together and toss in some chopped nuts if desired,

-Let the bread and liquids stand for at least an hour,

-Cook per recipe instructions, and

-Serve with a liquored whip cream, a good vanilla ice cream or just warm and plain. Undoubtedly heaven on a spoon.

I hope you are inspired to take your comfort foods to a new level. I would love to know what you have tried.