By Margaux Laskey, The New York Times
If you’re the holiday cruise director in your life (i.e., the one who does the bulk of the planning, shopping and cooking), I hope you’re still in your pajamas as you read this, sipping something warm and delightful IN A QUIET HOUSE (emphasis my own, and very much intended). It’s a beautiful thing you did, making magic, and I hope you got more than a robe.
Anyway, I’m tired. So I present to you five cheap, one-pot soups and stews because, at this point in December, 1. We’re broke, 2. We’re exhausted, and 3. We’re cold. Most of these double and triple like a dream, so you can make a double batch and freeze one as an investment in your future happiness come February when the weather’s dreary, you (or the kids) are down with the flu, and you haven’t had time to make it to the store.