Comfort Foods

So I'm sick, I came down with a really nasty cold, with almost no warning and I blame my dear husband.  He thought he was suffering from allergies a couple weeks ago, and I warned him not to get me sick (I was sick with some weird stomach flu at the time).  Now here I am sick as a dog and craving some of the weirdest combinations of food from my childhood, comfort foods.  One of the unfortunate things about being a stay at home mom is that you don't get a sick day, ever.  However, if you are sick and I mean really sick, your oldest may tell you to lay down on the couch, get you a pillow and a blanket, tuck you in and give you a big kiss and a hug, then ask if you are better yet.  My oldest did just that the last couple times I have been sick, he even brought me the box of Kleenex and the trash can from the bathroom.  I'm pretty sure his wife will thank me for this someday.  Anyway back to food.  My kids are too young to cook and Sam doesn't know how to cook anything except chili, which is very good, but not in my top comfort foods.

Because my parents are off visiting my dear sister and her beautiful family I have decided to make a list of my favorite comfort foods in the hopes that writing about them will satisfy me.  So here goes in no particular order...

1. MACARONI & CHEESE - Especially my grandmother's it was the best!  I literally lived off this when I was pregnant with my first son.  It was one of the few things I could keep in my stomach.  I also LOVE Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, but it has to be prepared the classic way, with a 1/4 cup of butter (never margarine) and 1/4 cup of 2% milk.  I know it's a lot of fat, but it just makes it taste good!
2. MASHED POTATOES - This one surprises me.  I HATED mashed potatoes growing up, now I can't get enough of them.  My mom's are the best, it probably has something to do with the immense amount of butter and milk she puts in them.  
3. GRILLED CHEESE - Not just any old grilled cheese will do as a comfort food.  My dad has to make it for me to consider it a comfort.  He really makes the best.  Not sure what his secret ingredient is, but probably the amount of butter he uses.  I think I've discovered a pattern.
4. BLT - Not sure what it is about a good BLT, but it always makes me feel good, even better with garden fresh tomatoes and thick cut smoked bacon from Frank Stoysich Meats.
5. CHEESY POTATOES/FUNERAL POTATOES - This one comes from my adult life.  I was first introduced to them before my husband and I were married at his sister's funeral.  I have had a love/hate relationship with them ever since.  Love to eat them, but hate that I want to eat the entire pan.
6. CHOCOLATE CHIP BELGIAN WAFFLES - The best I have ever had came from the Ellsworth Air Force Base Officers Club.  I ordered them when we went there for Sunday brunch.  I was a kid then and could get away with smothering them with tons of butter and whipped cream.  I can still taste them today and haven't had one in years.
7. SCHNITZEL AND SPAETZLE - Does this count as two, maybe it should, schnitzel can stand alone, but the spaetzle is so much better when served with schnitzel.  My mom makes the best schnitzel and spaetzle!  For years it was the only thing I requested for my birthday dinners.  Pretty sure it was one of the first meals I requested she make after I had my oldest son and could eat meat again.
8. BBQ MEATBALLS - My mom has the best recipe, I'm pretty sure my grandmother made them too. They are soooo good.  
9. CHICKEN A LA KING - Again my mom makes the best chicken a la king around.  She puts it on top of the Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells so it's like a mini pot pie.  Loved it as a kid and love it even more as an adult.
10. TOFFIFAY - Probably one of the best candies from my childhood.  I loved popping those little treats out of their tray.
11. CHICKEN FLAVOR RAMEN NOODLE SOUP - I know this will probably disgust some people, but this to me is the best when I have a cold.  Nothing makes me feel as good as a bowl of Ramen when I have a cold.
12. FUDGE - My mom's recipes for chocolate and peanut butter fudge are to die for.  I attempted them this Christmas and while the peanut butter (the more difficult of the two) turned out great the chocolate was an epic failure.  
13. HOMEMADE ICE CREAM - I remember making and eating homemade vanilla ice cream nearly every summer with my family.  It was an all day process, but was so worth the wait.  Not sure if my parents agree, it was probably never worth the mess it made.
14. HOMEMADE HOT FUDGE SAUCE - My mom must be a food genius, all her recipes are my favorites.  This fudge sauce stands alone.  As a kid, vanilla ice cream was not my favorite, but I could eat a whole bowl of hot fudge sauce and my parents often let me get away with it.
15. PICKLES - Dill pickles are wonderful.  I always keep a couple jars around, if I'm ever having a tough day I reach for a pickle spear.  It must be in the DNA, my oldest son does the same thing.  We both even drink the pickle juice, a little trick I picked up from my great uncle Matt.
16. BEEF BARLEY SOUP - Only if it's made by my dad though.  He doesn't have a recipe for it, and he never makes it the same way twice, but it tastes amazing every single time.
17. ERNIE'S SALSA - A long kept secret recipe in my family, although I know that Ernie shared it with a few other families, we love it and make it for others, but never ever share the recipe.  I have found a close second at our local HyVee stores, but it still isn't Ernie's.
18. QUICHE - Any kind is good, if it's made with bacon it's better but the best is my mom's jalapeno cheese quiche with no crust.  Love this stuff.  We had to make a bunch of it up when I was pregnant, froze it and then I could just take some out when I was craving it.  
19. BACON - Do I really need to explain this one.  It must be crisp though, nothing is worse than under cooked baon.
20. LEMON CHICKEN - My mother-in-law makes the best lemon chicken around, lightly fried with a lemon sauce that is killer.
21. STELLA'S HAMBURGER - If you have ever had one, you know why.  If you haven't you must try one sometime in your life.
22. NORMANDY STYLE ONION SOUP - Sadly I am no longer able to get this as my favorite restaurant was sold and the chef moved away, but I still crave it and will always consider it a comfort food.  It was the best and if I had the means I would offer him any amount of money he wanted for the recipe, it's that good.  Also the man could steam vegetables like no one else.  He made me fall in love with vegetables again, only when they are cooked right though.
23. BAKED POTATOES - It's hard to screw up a baked potato, but they are easily improved upon and my parents have perfected the baked potato.  I can eat them with nothing on them, and they are best with just a bit of butter and sour cream, not too much though.  Their secret involves grilling and sea salt.
24. HOLLYDROPS - My favorite cookie and have finally perfected the art of making them.  I believe they were a family recipe, not sure how far back they go.  The recipe must be followed exactly, it can often be made wrong, but when it is made right it is perfection.
25. ICE COLD MILK - Really it is the simplest comfort food for me.  Nothing can raise my spirits like a glass of ice cold milk, 2% only though.

Well enough for now.  I have succeeded in making myself more hungry than when i began, but at least I'm not craving anything in particular anymore.