Thanksgiving Countdown: I am thankful for . . . macaroni and cheese

It's a bitterly cold day here in New York. As temps drop and layers of clothing increase, thoughts turn to the warmth and comfort of macaroni and cheese.

Yes, I am thankful for whoever dreamed up tossing cheese over elbow macaroni and baking it to a fine lump of gooey scrumptiousness with a crispy top. I am thankful for the that first bite - and subsequent bites - when the cheesy warmth slides into my belly and radiates out to my extremities.

I'm thankful that the ingredients for mac n' cheese are pretty cheap. I'm thankful that it's easy to make. And I'm thankful that it doesn't take all day to cook. (I'm talking homemade mac n' cheese not Kraft in a box, though, I like Kraft mac just fine. Seriously.)

I know that diet gurus tell us not to base everything on food, but, you know what? Sometimes food nourishes more than the stomach, especially on a cold day or when eaten with friends and family. There are deep-seated emotional reasons why warm, homemade food gives us comfort. There are probably even some scientific reasons for it. But I do not care. I do care that something steamy and cheesy on a cold day makes everything all right in the world for that space in time. Remember, you cannot say anything ugly or start a war with your mouth stuffed full of macaroni and cheese.

Peace. And mac n' cheese. Mmmmm.