I’m slowly giving into the fact that it’s no longer summer. The weather in Kansas has been so wishy washy…75 one day, 30 another. I’ve been holding onto those 75 degree days with all my might, but they have been slowly disappearing, giving way to gray skies and colder temperatures. I think we saw our last warm day for awhile at the beginning of this week.

With the cold weather comes the return to comfort food…those dishes that aren’t so popular in the hotter days of summer resurface for the season. My attempt to hold onto summer sometimes shows up in what I make for comfort food. For example, we have Ham and Swiss sandwiches all the time in the summer so to “winterize” that favorite, I like to make a Ham and Swiss soup. This is one of my absolute favorite “hearty” soups to make, for good reason. The flavors blend together so nicely and it really is one of those soups that warms you up from the inside out….

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One of the best compliments someone can share with me is to say my home is cozy, warm and inviting. I hope people walk into our home and feel at ease, like a cozy quilt wrapped around them.

Of course, with 4 kids in the house, cozy is sometimes hard to achieve, but we still try. I love having quilts all around, soft lamp lighting and candles lit, as well as some kind of soft, calming music playing. I always say I don’t keep my house spotless because I want anyone and everyone to feel comfortable walking in the door (of course, I say that’s my excuse for not keeping a perfect house, anyway…;) ). …

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Blanket and Talktus… my 8 year olds “comfort” items. The blanket I made for Jacob was the first quilt I had ever sewn (and those of you who know me know that the words Kristen and sewing do not typically go hand in hand) . Talktus is a sweet little stuffed dog Jacob grew attached to soon after his 1st birthday. My children never sucked their thumbs. They never used pacifiers. Instead, all 4 of them have attached themselves to a special blanket or stuffed animal. In Jacob’s case, he dearly loves one of each.

Jacob does not take his blanket anywhere with him, except when we go out of town to relatives houses for a weekend. Both blanket and Talktus are simply there to provide comfort to him when he sleeps. He’s never really dragged them around everywhere, but if they are missing when bedtime hits, he can’t, or will not, go to sleep.

Jacob is now 8. 8 years old and still sleeps with his stuffed animal and blanket. He’s had a couple of sleep overs, and much to my relief, the boys have brought their own stuffed animals as well. So, my parenting question of the moment… at what age should you try to wean your kid off of their nighttime comfort items? At what age are you too old for comfort? Jacob does not at all seem like he has any interest in giving them up. Right now, it doesn’t seem to be hurting anything, but I know a day will come when he will be made to feel embarrassed for still sleeping with a blanket and stuffed dog. I would love to hear your opinions on this one!

Speaking of comfort.. how about comfort food? As much as meat loaf happens to not be one of my favorite things, it always makes me think of home. I don’t even remember mom making meatloaf all that often, but for some reason eating it today still transports me back to the dinner table

This recipe for Diner Meat Loaf Muffins from Cooking Light is just about one of the best meat loaf variations I’ve tried. I substituted Panko Breadcrumbs for the crackers, but that was the only change I made. I hope you enjoy and I hope, no matter what your age, it makes you think back to home… a place where you were never too old for comfort.

Diner Meat Loaf Muffins (from Cooking Light)

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw)
1 cup finely crushed fat-free saltine crackers (about 20)
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.

Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.

Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes.
CALORIES 276 (28% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 3g,mono 4g,poly 0.8g); IRON 3.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 131mg; CALCIUM 48mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.7g; SODIUM 759mg; PROTEIN 28.7g; FIBER 1.8g

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• Random Non-Food Related Thought #1 – I’ve been contemplating buying a Dyson vacuum but am hesitant to plunk down that much change for a vacuum cleaner. According to my contacts over at Twitter, a Dyson is well worth the investment. What do you think? Experiences?
• Random Non-Food Related Thought #2 – I turn 35 in less than 2 weeks. Why is it that as a teenager I had perfect skin, but now that I am in my mid-30’s I am having massive breakouts?  Bring on the .
• Random Non-Food Related Thought #3 – I wonder if people who are auditioning for American Idol play the American Idol Wii game. I’ve actually won the game and have become the next American Wii Idol… thinking it may give those people considering auditioning a little more confidence than they should have to audition.
• Random Non-Food Related Thought #4 – I really need to find a good blog designer for another blog I’m working on. If Jules with Everyday Design is not available, I need to get someone else in place pronto! Do you know of anyone you can refer?
• Random Non-Food Related Thought #5 – My husband doesn’t read this blog or our family blog, and I think that is starting to irk me a bit. Seriously… if he wrote a blog (which will never happen) but still…if he wrote a blog I would hang on every word and would love to have that glimpse into his life.  Do your loved ones read your blog?

My thoughts are now getting a bit too random to even continue. I do have to share this recipe with you that I tried out last week. You may have remembered seeing it on our menu. I followed the recipe exactly, but added some chicken breast pieces sauteed in rosemary and garlic. Delicious!

Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce from Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine

1 pound penne pasta
2T butter
1 onion, chopped
salt & pepper
1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin puree
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for topping
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.

In the same pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and heavy cream and bring to a boil. Return the pasta to the pot, along with the reserved pasta water, and toss. Stir in the parmesan; season with salt & pepper.

Top pasta with parsley and more parmesan to serve.

I know that so many people have such a love/hate relationship with Rachael Ray. I admit, I don’t watch her shows, but I do like a lot of her recipes. Other food bloggers do too! Check out some of these food blog tried and true Rachael Ray recipes:

• Gigi’s Apple Cake from Culinarily Obsessed
• Garlicky Bean and Chicken Enchiladas from Taste and Tell
• Spanish Shrimp and Chorizo Skewers from I’m Running to Eat
• Cheddar Cheese and Macaroni from Family, Friends and Food

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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There are a few foods that I think of that I equate to the word comfort. My mom’s homemade Mac & Cheese is one.
Her homemade chicken and noodles are another. Add to that her homemade spaghetti and meatballs and I am transported back to the days where home was comfort…sitting around the dinner table every night, laughing about something goofy one of us did. Back to the days when my biggest worries were missing an episode of Growing Pains and making sure my dog and cats were getting enough attention….

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