Sunday, September 1, 2013

* NOSTALGIC SUNDAY *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday


Cinnamon Sugar = Comfort Food

When I was a little girl, my mother would fix cinnamon sugar toast for me. I seem to remember the only time she did that was when I stayed home, sick, from school. It doesn't exactly sound like a bland snack, does it? I know I didn't get it when I was really ill, like with a fever or upset stomach. No, it was only for that stuffy-runny-nose-and-cough kind of sickness. I associated that crunchy toast, its taste and aroma with being home, covered with a blanket, and feeling the warmth of my mother's love.

That toast, along with her for-no-particular-reason homemade cinnamon rolls throughout the year, signified comfort food. 

I can assure you that after all these years, every cinnamon sugar recipe grabs my attention and any whiff of its magical aroma carries me back to those wondrous days. 

(It doesn't surprise me one bit that I crave cinnamon sugar much more than any kind of chocolate! Show me a huge chunk of chocolate cake, or candy, or fudge, etc. and then a big ol' Cinnabon, and I'll choose that Cinnabon every time!)

I'm getting hungry for an afternoon snack....think I'll look in the pantry and see if I have any cinnamon swirl bagels left! I'm feeling much better than I did on Friday, but I think I still need a bit more comfort food, don't you?!

P.S. While doing....ahem...research for this blog post, I stumbled upon a great recipe on a great site! http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2013/01/cinnamon-roll-sugar-cookies.html  You know I'll be making these, right??


How about you? What are some of your Comfort Foods?  

Addendum Tuesday, Sept 3rd: I realize I should've specified I was only referring to sweets when I wrote this. My "main dish" kind of Comfort Food is a tie. Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots - OR - Meatloaf with any kind of potatoes! Mmm...

"Food is a lot of people's therapy. When we say comfort food, we really mean that. It's releasing dopamine and serotonin in your brain that makes you feel good." -- Brett Hoebel

46 comments:

  1. Cinnamon toast is a favorite of mine too, especially on winter mornings with hot chocolate.

    A favorite comfort food my mom made was raisin and rice pudding. Yum.

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    1. Hi Donna! Thanks for stopping and sharing your favorite comfort food!

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  2. When it comes to comfort food I lean towards mushroom soup.

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    1. Hi Delores! Hmmm, mushroom soup definitely does not come to my mind!....But whatever works, right?!

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  3. My mom used to make something called Egg in a Cup...soft boiled egg in a coffee cup and side of toast. Ah, that egg doesn't entice me like your cinnamon sugar does!

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    1. Oh Claudia!! I always loved soft boiled egg as a child! And yes, that makes me think of my mom, too. I don't think I've ever tried to make them. Always afraid I'd cook them too long or not long enough!!

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  4. My mom popped open a can of biscuits, cut out circles, and fried them up to dust with cinnamon sugar. Mmm...cinnamon donut holes.

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    1. Hey Val! My mom made homemade donuts once in a while when I was really young. It was a specialty after Mass on some Sundays. And yes, donuts PLUS donut holes!

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  5. Mmmm cinnamon toast. And almost everything with vanilla in it. Enough vanilla so that the scent wafts around and lingers in corners...

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    1. Mmmmm.....yes!! I made homemade french toast the other day and both cinnamon and vanilla were in the mix!

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  6. I'm embarrassed to admit ... I don't think I've ever eaten a cinnamon roll! Must put that on my bucket list!
    Your momma sounds a lot like mine -- I've no recollection of the aches and pains; instead, her putting crisp, clean sheets (top and bottom!) on the couch and setting up a nearby vaporizer. But the best was her "get-well milkshake" -- which I think only contained vanilla extract and cinnamon. Thanks for the sweet prompt, Becky!

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    1. Hi Myra! OMG! Don't be embarrassed, but I AM surprised!! Watch out, though, you might get addicted to them! LOL
      Ahhhh, your mom was very sweet and loving, too!

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  7. They did a study, and discovered men are turned on by cinnamon and vanilla more than women's cologne. I love cinnamon buns too.

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    1. Hey Linda! I hadn't heard of that study, but I believe it. "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach!"

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    2. Well, actually I should've said, "through his nose!?"...and then the yummy food smell took over! LOL

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  8. Food, or the scent of, do transport us! I remember cinnamon toast being a special treat. I haven't had it in years but have a yearning now! Ginger ale reminds me of being sick, and saltines, Guess that was our menu when recovering from a tummy ache! Great post!

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    1. Oh Podso!! I almost mentioned that kind of remedy, too. When we had stomach problems, we were always given "flat" 7-Up or Pepsi to drink. I think a bottle of it was kept in the fridge just for that reason!

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  9. Ironically, I'm making cinnamon craisin bread even as I type this. It's rising and soon I will pop it in the oven. I can hardly wait for the smell s it bakes!

    I have too many comfort foods. It's a problem LOL.

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    1. Oh, Julie! We had our ESP going on, didn't we?? We need to have Smell-o-Rama blogs!! :)

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  10. We are drooling at the thought. Have a marvellous Monday.
    Best wishes Molly

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    1. Hi Molly! Thanks!! And I would share some with you, too!

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  11. Hey Becky! It was fun to see you at SW today and I'm so glad you're feeling better.

    Comfort food for me comes on cold winter days in the form of soups, chili, or stew. I put on my comfy soft sweatshirt and stretchy pants while the dish du jour warms me up and makes me feel cozy, snug, and safe. Ahhhhh.

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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    1. Hi Pat! Great seeing you at the meeting, too. And wow...your description makes me want to curl up and do exactly that! :)

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  12. Well, I love chocolate! My husband loves cinnamon sugar and puts in on toast sometimes. A great way to use cinnamon sugar is to spread butter on a piece of toast, add thinly sliced apples,and then top with cinnamon sugar and then plop into your mouth. Yummy!

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    1. Hi Janet! Your recipe sounds yummy! Do you put it in the micro to warm up the apples, too?

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  13. I don't know if I have a fall-back favorite comfort food. My mom was an excellent cook, so I found comfort in everything she made. But those sick days, when it was just her and me—and I really wasn't too sick, but pretended so I could stay home from school—we'd make chocolate chip cookies together. From scratch; they didn't have the premade, just cut a slice and bake.

    The whole experience was comforting.

    But I also like brownies. :)

    M.L. Swift, Writer

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    1. Hey Mike! What sweet memories! Your "pretend" sick days are exactly what I was talking about! My mom never forced me to go to school. Heee hee!

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  14. Your mother sounds like a wonderful woman.

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    1. Hi Beth! Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you're feeling better every day. I'll stop by your blog as soon as I can. And yes, when I was really young, my mom was wonderful.

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  15. Hope you get all the comfort you need. You deserve it. I have a huge repertoire of comfort foods. Unfortunately, I eat too many of them.
    Hope you're enjoying the holiday today.

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    1. Hi Myrna! Thank you, my dear! I also have plenty of "comfort" foods and indulge too often!! :)

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  16. Oh Becky. I used to love cinnamon toast, too. Haven't had any in years.

    Comfort food. Hmmmmm. Guess two of my favorites (trigger foods? ha ha) are ice-cream and potato chips.

    Have a good day this Labor Day. Rainy here but I'm happy to be blessedly HOME! Susan

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    1. Hi Susan! Well, have you fixed yourself any cinnamon toast since you commented??!! Hope so!
      Ice cream and tater chips are good...but not my comfort foods! I was happy to be home all Labor Day, too.

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  17. Cinnamon is so warm and comforting, especially now that the season is getting cooler. I love it on hot oatmeal for breakfast :)

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  18. Love anything with cinnamon sugar, that's for sure! My ultimate comfort foods are mac and cheese or mashed potatoes. Yup, I guess I go for the carbo-load minus the marathon running! LOL.

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    1. Hi Karen! So good to see you here again! Ooooh, and glad to know you like cinnamon sugar, too. And....mac & cheese....and mashed potatoes??!! Oh yeah!! Love 'em both!

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  19. Rice pudding with lots of cinnamon on it! I don't make it often, and when I do, I think "this seems like old-person food...so I guess I'll be happy when I'm old!"

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  20. Hey Becky, sorry to hear you weren't feeling well -- so glad you're doing better now. My mom always made me macaroni and tomatoes when I got sick, and it's still my comfort food today. In fact, anything with macaroni does it for me. But yes, those cinnamon rolls also do the trick!

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  21. Glad to hear you're better now!

    I don't know about calling a specific food comfort food... but when not feeling well and spending the day in bed or something, all food feels like comfort food if I can have any of my favorites ;) And mint tea. Gotta have mint tea when sick! (So maybe I have a comfort drink?)

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  22. Cinnamon toast was something my mom made for us as a special treat too! I love it to this day.

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  23. The food that takes me most back to childhood is tomato soup and grilled cheese...with plenty of Saltines.

    I'm not a big sweets eater, so my comfort food is probably pretzels and sour cream dip or potato chips and dip. Give me the salt and the fat!

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  24. Forgot to say that I love that quote in your header, the one from Suzannah Windsor Freeman. I can apply that to blogging. Blogging is something I do because I love it. I need to stop getting caught up in the "numbers" aspect of followers and commenters. I need to stop comparing myself to other bloggers and just enjoy the process of writing a post.

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  25. My mom made cinnamon toast, too. With tons of butter.

    Yum, yum, yum.

    =)

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  26. Right now it seems to be homemade mac and cheese. I also love my Dad's pan fried oysters, yum!!!

    Kathy M.

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