The temperature is changing—even in South Carolina – and that means that it is time for Comfort Food!

Thanksgiving is a fond memory as the Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza season is raring to go.

This time of year, I crave a great homemade Gumbo made with Andouille sausage and chicken. And the 7.5 quart Frieling Black Cube Non-Stick Stockpot With Lid is the perfect size.

I always make a big batch so that I can freeze it in smaller portions for a slow-cooked freezer dinner when I don’t feel like cooking.
I use a good amount of okra to thicken my Gumbo so there is no need to make a roux with butter and flour. The end result is a lighter juicier Gumbo that sticks to your ribs but has a fraction of the fat. When you are ladling out your bowls of gumbo, a long-handled soup ladle like the one from Küchenprofi helps make the job swift and clean.

No matter what you are making, the Spice Grinder is literally your buddy in the kitchen. By crushing your dried spices, you release the oils and get more flavor out of your spice.

The other day, I crushed fennel seed, coriander and star anise in my “Spice Buddy” and mixed it with butter and a pinch of fleur de sel. I served it with Wasa crackers, and it was a hit!

It seems like all comfort food needs garlic and there is nothing more tedious than mincing garlic! The Parma Garlic Press is super heavy and feels really good when you are using it.

This is the tool for every garlic lover out there.

Besides Gumbo, my other winter favorite is mashed potatoes and gravy. Mashed potatoes and gravy make any simple protein into a favorite meal. If you make your own gravy, or even heat up gravy that someone else made, a GravySeparator is a must.  I had never seen a glass gravy separator until I saw the Küchenprofi one and the fact that the strainer is stainless steel and the glass is medical-grade borosilicate glass is impressive. A gravy separator of this quality is worthy of being a hostess gift. Imagine how happy your holiday hosts will be with this gadget that is heavy-duty, works like a charm and cleans up in the dishwasher like new every time you use it.

Saving the best for last, I look forward to cooler weather because it’s almost prescriptive to make hot chocolate and/or a Hot Toddy.
The hardest thing about making Hot Chocolate from scratch is heating the milk. I don’t know about you, but every time I try and microwave the milk, it goes from lukewarm to all over the microwave in a nano-second. A milk pot is so much easier! Milk pot is my nickname for a small saucepan like the .8 quart Saucepan with an induction-ready clad bottom and a pouring spout,
it’s so easy to make that you might make it every night!

The traditional Hot Toddy is made with Scotch whisky, American or Irish whiskey, lemon, honey and hot water. Today, almost every spirit is game. If you can drink it hot, it can be a Hot Toddy.

I prefer using an herbal tea flavor base and if you think of it in those terms, you can make a Hot Toddy with any of your favorite teas.
So far, my favorites combinations are:
1.  Traditional Scotch Hot Toddy with a Cinnamon Stick
2.  Hibiscus—think Red Zinger tea—and Tequila
3.  Chamomile and Honey with Irish whiskey or Spiced Rum, lemon or orange
4. Turmeric Tea with Spiced Ginger Bourbon

I use herbal teas to make all kinds of Hot Toddys but my favorite is using Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea, Spiced Rum and a touch of honey and lemon or orange.

This is a hot cup of tea and a cocktail in one and you don’t have to be sick to drink it!

Makes 1 drink
1 cup hot water
1 Chamomile tea bag—I am partial to the Celestial Seasonings Honey VanillaChamomile
1 tablespoon honey
Zest of an orange or a lemon
1-2 ounces favorite Spiced Rum such as Canerock Spiced Rum

Make tea in your favorite mug by pouring boiling water over tea bag.

Let steep 5 minutes.  Add honey, citrus zest, spiced rum and stir to combine. Enjoy it while it’s hot!

Happy Holidays and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year!