Cozy Winter Comfort Foods to Warm Your Heart

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A real cold snap swept through this week, sending temperatures into the 40s — a rare treat for us Southerners! While that may seem mild elsewhere, it’s just enough to make us reach for a blanket and start dreaming of comfort food. As the chill settles in, our kitchens become havens, filled with the scent of simmering soups, slow-cooked stews, and freshly baked bread. 🍞🍲

Comfort food has a beautiful way of wrapping us in nostalgia — a gentle reminder of love served one meal at a time. For me, it’s the hearty soups and slow-simmered stews that bring back the memory of my mom’s kitchen on chilly winter nights, the air filled with the aroma of something comforting on the stove. A steaming bowl of soup can transport you to those moments of being cared for as a child, while a hearty pasta dish might recall family dinners filled with laughter and stories shared around the table. Even a simple mug of hot chocolate has the power to stir up memories of cozy evenings by the fire, watching the world grow still outside. ☕🕯️

Winter warmers are more than just meals — they’re stories told through flavor. They carry love, tradition, and the unspoken language of comfort. Taking time to cook or share these foods is a gentle act of mindfulness — a way to slow down and nourish not just our bodies, but our spirits too.

So this Thursday, pause and savor something warm. Cook a dish that makes you feel at home. Share it with someone you love — or simply enjoy the peaceful moment it brings. Because sometimes, the simplest pleasures are the ones that sustain us most. 💛

👉 What’s your favorite winter comfort food that never fails to warm your heart?

Thanks for reading — here’s to cozy kitchens and comfort in every bite!

Share the Happy❤️

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Santa’s Workshop OMG it’s Christmas already !?!#

Most of you may recognize this little guy from my journal. He looks like he’s not quite ready for the holidays, sounds like me this year, lol.

I brought him to life on a 6×6 inch square canvas. He’s painted with acrylic paints and sealed with a matte finish. I added a little glitter for that Christmas magic and is is available for purchase in my Etsy Shop.

What do you think? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Have a super weekend!

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Santa’s Workshop Love Mini Painting

I really love painting these canvases. This is a fun and whimsical pink Christmas tree painted in acrylics. I added glitter for a little Christmas magic. This is a 4 inch square canvas that’s 3/4″ inches thick and is available in my Etsy Shop.

What do you think? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy 💖

Santa’s Workshop Believe Mini Painting

I was finally able to finish my whimsical mini Christmas ornament painting. It’s a 5 inch square canvas that’s 3/4″ inches thick and painted with acrylic paints.

It will be up for sale in my Etsy Shop shortly.

What do you think? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy 💖

Santa’s Workshop Let it Snow Mini Panel

I’m having fun creating these cute mini paintings. This is a whimsical snowman painted with acrylic paints on a 4 x 6 inch panel. I added 2 eyelets in the top corners to hang with ribbon. He would look nice on a tree or just hung on a wall as holiday decoration.

It will be up for sale in my Etsy Shop soon.

What do you think? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy 💖

Santa’s Workshop Joy Mini Painting

This is a new mini whimsical painting I made for Christimas. It’s a 5 inch square canvas that’s 3/4″ inches thick and it’s painted with acrylic paints. It’s a little big to be an ornament but is great for some holiday cheer.

It will be up for sale in my Etsy Shop shortly.

What do you think? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy 💖

Santa’s Workshop Mini Painting

I took an online course from Jodi Ohl, Holiday Ornaments and was inspired with some fun ideas. This is a cute little whimsical painting that I made. It’s a 4 inch square canvas but it’s 3/4 inches thick so I’m not sure that I want to make this into an ornament. Although it still could be, but I think I’ll keep it as a mini painting.

It will be up for sale in my Etsy Shop later this week.

What do you think? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy 💖

Thoughtful Thursday Veggie Soup Recipe

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With the frigid cold months approaching, it’s always nice to sit down with a warm bowl of soup. I always go into soup mode during the fall and winter seasons. It’s pretty warm down here in the south, but thankfully the temps do cool off enough to enjoy delicious soups.

Soups are especially tasty when you’re feeling under the weather. There’s a certain magic to eating a warm bowl of soup. No matter how bad you feel, you always feel better after eating a bowl.

There are many types of soups. Some are served cool or flat out cold while others are served warm or very hot. The consistency also varies depending on what’s in your soup. Personally, I like a soup full of flavor and hearty enough to satisfy my appetite.

You can buy lots of soups in your grocery store. But that’s all processed food loaded with salt and a lot of other ingredients you can’t pronounce. Not to mention ingredients that shouldn’t be in your food in the first place. Making soup is fairly easy and most definitely worth the effort.

The internet is loaded with tons of recipes. I find vegan soups taste just as good or sometimes even better than non-vegan. Forks-Over-Knives has a ton of delicious soup recipes on their website. Whether you’re vegan or not, these recipes serve as good place to start with and then just add a few of your own ingredients.

One of my favorite soups is made in my Vitamix Blender which has a program setting for hot soup. If you don’t have a setting for hot soup on your blender you can still make this soup using your blender and then warm it on the stove for a few minutes.

Creamy Veggie Soup Recipe

  • 1 Carrot, roughly chopped
  • 1 Stalk Celery, roughly chopped
  • 4-5 Large Pieces of Fresh Broccoli, roughly chopped
  • 1 Tomato, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 Zucchini, roughly chopped
  • 1 Clove of Garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 Cup Raw Almonds
  • 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
  • 1 Tbsp Organic Red Miso
  • 1/8 tsp Organic Cayenne Pepper (optional)
  • 1 Cup Water

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. If your blender doesn’t have the soup feature, then warm the soup in a small pot on the stove for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a bowl.

Extras

  • 1/2 Hass Avocado, sliced
  • Fresh Organic Cilantro, chopped
  • 1 Slice of Ezekiel Bread

Top your soup with sliced avocado and cilantro. Serve with a slice of bread and enjoy!

Try creating your own variations with this soup, like adding some cooked black beans outside of the blender for texture. There’s lots of options, be creative and add what you love to eat.

Thanks for stopping by!!

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“In every moment of our existence, we are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinity of choices.” ~Deepak Chopra

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Thoughtful Thursday

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Holiday Indulging

The holiday season is a very special time of year for celebration and good cheer with those you love. But they also can be tough for many reasons and this year goes without saying. I’m always looking for the silver lining in the cloud and I’ve found that for me, all this craziness has meant more time with my family. So tomorrow night we’re doing a little bit of baking, something we haven’t done for the last several years.

I’m not sure how you do with indulging in holiday treats but I know at this stage in my life, the weight goes on quickly and fairly easily but is hard to get off. Sometime it seems like I just look at the sweets and the weight goes on, lol. But seriously, the holidays only come once a year and this year, I’ve decided it’s okay to indulge a little. Now, I’m not going gung ho and eating an entire batch of cookies but I’m definitely going to savor each bite enjoy a few.

The more you avoid something you really want, the more likely you are to binge eat. So having a few sweet treats is acceptable and should be enjoyed guilt free! But then just make sure you get back on track to eating healthy again and exercising if possible.

To compensate for my indulgences, I’m planning on running an extra mile here and there but nothing crazy. So my words of wisdom to you are enjoy this special time of year with loved ones and really cherish these special moments together, and “ENJOY” your holidays treats because I’m sure they’re well deserved!

Thanks for stopping by. Share the Happy!

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Share the Love Watercolor Snowman

This little snowman warms your heart with lots of love. Painted with professional watercolors on Cartiera Magnani 140lb Cold Pressed Watercolor paper, measures 5″ x 7.” I added extra shading with colored pencils and fine detailing with a Sakura Micron pen.

Available for purchase on ebay: Share the Love Snowman

Thanks for stopping by!

Share the Happy!