Comfort Foods and Stuff

Poached eggs on toast, sour cream and herring, mashed potatoes (for that matter any kind of potatoes), the eggplant relish my grandfather Jack made  called prizmik, egg custard and chicken soup: these are comfort foods that spontaneous jump to the forefront in my times of need. No, there’s no ice cream on the list because these are my comfort foods, my direct lines to the shelter of home and for some reason, ice cream never takes me there.

Self soothers are potent remedies and they don’t even have to be food; Julie Andrews made a good case for whiskers on kittens and woolen mittens. Jean Nate, my mom’s constant After Bath Splash, might cause olfactory gagging in some, but it was my sweet dream medicine. And my little satin “ toucher” pillow our childhood pediatrician assured my mom I wouldn’t even remember by the time I was ten? Forget about warm milk and pills, that is forever the trusty comfort depended on to bring sleep.

As for why our comfort foods comfort and our soothers sooth, no doubt there are neural studies validating how they change brain function, but I say, who gives a hoot! They have healing powers, they work and that’s the truth. Be they eat-able or pet-able, our “Go-to’s” bring warmth and the security of a safe place and we all need that sometimes.

So what are your comfort foods, your go to soothers?