When you're snowed in with nowhere to go, you might as well stay busy in the kitchen. From cozy beef stew to boozy apple cider, these recipes will warm you up -- especially after you finish shoveling that driveway.
In this cold weather classic, otherwise known as Beef Bourguignon, the meat is slowly braised in a wine-based broth, becoming meltingly tender and enveloped in a rich, deeply flavored sauce. GET THE RECIPE
Want to make the house smell wonderful? Bake this banana bread infused with warm chai spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and allspice. GET THE RECIPE
This cozy cocktail combines apple cider with hot buttered rum. Invite the neighbors over and simmer a big pot on the stove for everyone to help themselves. GET THE RECIPE
Baked oatmeal is a comforting Amish breakfast casserole with a consistency similar to bread pudding. There are endless variations -- the recipe is easily adapted with whatever fruits and nuts you have on hand -- but this version filled with tart apples and plump raisins with a crunchy walnut topping is my favorite. GET THE RECIPE
Warm double chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven might just be the ultimate snow day treat. Feel free to play with the recipe: dot the cookies with white chocolate chips for visual appeal, swap out the pecans for walnuts, or add dried cherries if you're a fruit and chocolate person. GET THE RECIPE
This meatloaf is like one big giant meatball, only it has a lot more flavor and is a lot less work. Leftovers are even better the next day, sliced and topped with melted cheese in a warm sandwich. GET THE RECIPE
Is there anything more comforting than Chicken & Matzo Ball Soup? Making it is of a "potschke," as my mother would say, but it's not hard -- you pretty much throw everything into a pot and forget it. And the matzo balls are made from a mix. GET THE RECIPE
This is my favorite brisket recipe, and it's surprisingly simple to make. There's no wine, stock or bottled sauces added; instead, the brisket is cooked on top of a massive heap of onions, which slowly caramelize and release their juices, making a flavorful French onion soup-like braising liquid all their own. GET THE RECIPE
Homemade applesauce is richly flavored, tart and sweet -- almost like apple pie filling -- and a world apart from store-bought. Serve it warm out of the oven for instant comfort. GET THE RECIPE
How about a boozy treat to warm you up? My grandmother was known near and far for this butter- and rum-soaked pound cake -- it was the hit of every family gathering, and no one ever passed through her kitchen without sneaking a thin slice. GET THE RECIPE