RECIPE ROUND UP| Polar Vortex Comfort Food: Warm your House, Warm Your Tastebuds

So we are hunkered down in layers of flannel, bundled in blankets, and running a humidifier on both levels of the house to help the furnace keep up with the polar vortex today and tomorrow. Evidently, it’s colder here than in Antarctica. School kids are home today and tomorrow, so it’s like a frigid ice-desert out there. We heard banging and popping all around the house as the house struggles against temperatures it was not built for. I read it’s a natural occurrence but it is pretty scary and kept us up all night, hoping our house was not going to fall down around our ears.

But you can help keep things warm and support your furnace by cooking in the kitchen! It helps to make sure the dishes add extra warmth and STEAM into the air to support the furnace and humidifier. The more moisture in the air, the warmer it feels. Soups, stew, and crock pots are great for this. And having the oven on baking deliciousness also helps. I rounded up some of my favorite dishes to keep the house warm, as well as soothe your cold bones and tummy. I added a baked breakfast to warm up the start to your day. I added some easy and decadent dessert treats too. The quinoa cake is dense and a stick-to-your-ribs decadence you can enjoy under blankets while watching Netflix. I mean, what else are you going to do tonight as a dangerous deep freeze descends on your home?

We are in this for two days, and it is going to get worse before it gets better. If you need to leave the house while in this deep freeze, keep all areas of exposed skin covered and do not stay out longer than 10 minutes if possible. Be safe. Stay warm. If you are reading this and are in a warm climate, good for you! But be sure to check on your family and friends that ARE in this deep freeze. It’s not something to mess with.