Good Food from the Dark

I have a hard time adjusting to the changing seasons. Especially waking up in the dark, and coming home in the dark. Its just too... dark. I am a person who likes light. So needless to say, Monday mornings can really be a challenge for me. And yet that's why there's coffee. (One year I gave up alcohol AND coffee for Lent, and trust me on this, giving up the coffee was ten times harder!)

Anyhoo, I made it to work, and it turned out to be a super-productive day. But then by the time I left work, the sun was sinking fast. All of my ambitions to make a nice meal just sorta trickled out of me. So I did what I do when I don't know what to make: I stood in front of the open fridge, and looked for whatever seemed easy, comforting, and fast.

Tonight my eyes landed on the leftover soup, with root vegetables, pork, and bacon that I made this weekend. Perfect! Soup is one of those meals that often tastes better after a day of resting and soaking in the flavors (especially since I tend to rush it the first time around, and not let it simmer long enough...)

Ninety seconds in the microwave, and soup was served! Either I was hungrier, or it really did taste better tonight. My guess is that letting it sit, helped to soak up all the bacony goodness. And yes, bacony is a word.

I also have tons of fruit to use, and was feeling a bit nostalgic for those figs in port I made on Saturday. I'm telling you, that sauce was amazing!! Who needs a chocolate fountain, when you can have a port reduction sauce?! But alas, every fig got eaten at my neighbors bonfire. Don't ask, but when I brought it over people were like, "figs at a fire?!" and looking at me like I was a crazy person, but then as the brave ones started to try it and making yummy noises, soon others wanted to try them too.  So there were no figs left, but there was some sauce left.

So for an after dinner treat, I cut up a Hosui Asian pear, and heated it up in what was left of the sauce, adding an extra pinch of cinnamon. When it was just heated through, I poured a little cream over the top.

Oh my. yes. Now that's what I'm talking about! Easy, simple, and delicious. On a Monday night even. I don't care that my hair is messy, and that it's pitch dark outside.Because, inside, I am warm and comforted and content.