Chocolate is a vegetable, right?

Now that the weather is growing colder, all I want to do is eat. And I'm not talking salads and veggie plates. I'm a cold person by nature and when it's cold outside all I want to do is wrap myself in a blanket, stay indoors, drink real hot chocolate and eat warm cookies.

Part of this is natural instinct. To survive colder temperatures, we need a layer of fat to protect us, and we need heartier foods that will allow us to stay warm and strong. However, since I don't have the luxury of two completely separate wardrobes- one that's size 6 for summer and size 10 for winter - I've been seeking out foods that pack a punch without packing on the pounds.

What's in my cupboard these days? Beans, beans, the magical fruit. Lots of lentils. Brown rice and multigrain crackers. I'm going for dinosaur kale and broccoli, as opposed to fresh lettuces and sprouts. Lots of yams and sweet potatoes. I'm still cooking fish but I'm adding a heavier sauce like black bean or incorporating spice or ginger to up the heat. I'm heating up all my foods before I eat them. Still crazy about my marinated tofu but I'm not eating it as a finger food; it's in stir fries. I've been baking tons of muffins lately incorporating winter vegetables. I've made carrot and zucchini and a new sweet potato one with nutmeg and molasses.

And another good thing about cool days is I'm more inclined to drink more tea. Chai tea, green tea, ginger tea, any kind of tea plus licorice. The occasional hot chocolate. If every second day can be considered occasional. Here's my hot chocolate recipe, made Spanish-style:

- Heat 1/2 cup water and add 1 oz unsweetened chocolate (cocoa mass)
- Stir until chocolate dissolves
- Whisk in 1/2 c milk (or soy/almond milk)
- Heat until liquid starts to boil, whisking all the while
- Pour into a cup and add 1 tsp honey

Now that's rich! That will curb my cookie cravings for a good while.