Is January actually the longest month? Even though it shares its 31-day span with seven other months, it somehow always feels vastly longer. Days are short and cold and the holiday glow of December fades fast. But this year I’ve taken a new (to me) approach to this perhaps least beloved of months by leaning in to winter. I’ve been staying in, allowing myself to just be cozy and still, and cooking a lot. There have been soups and stews, potpies and roast chickens, and cobblers and one-bowl cakes. It feels surprisingly relaxing to make something with my hands after working at a computer all day, and cooking has the added benefit of warming me up as I stand next to the stove.
It seems like you’ve all been feeling much the same. Our most popular recipes this month are arguments for staying in and spending more time in our warm kitchens. Little tweaks on breakfast classics, like our easy oven egg bites, scrambled eggs with cream cheese, and fluffy yogurt pancakes were among the most searched for recipes on the site. Comforting and understated soups, like Scottish cullen skink and creamy potato leek soup, were burbling away in soup pots across the country. Maybe we’re all getting a little better at this whole January thing. At least, I like to think so.