So it's cold and damp. There's a northeaster blowing, and the wind chill puts us in single digits.Just winter, but it seems like I forget every year just how cold cold can be.

Hence, the need for something soothing and warm. Nothing comes close to warming you up inside, food-wise, like a big steamy bowl of soup. Soup is easy to make at home, and it is endlessly adaptable to whatever taste you're craving, from aromatic Thai curry, infused with coconut juice, to that reliable deli-trend, broccoli-cheddar. 

But I've been fighting off legions of cold bugs, and the soup that has sustained me so far has been that old chestnut, chicken noodle. Even when I don't want to move one inch away from a comforter and the couch, it's easy to open a large can of chicken broth, chop some celery, carrots and onions, and simmer away.  Buy some boneless chicken breasts, and use your kitchen shears to snip pieces of chicken, and toss them in the broth mix. They will cook and flavor the soup in an authentic way. When the chicken is cooked through (maybe 20 minutes, (but test with your thermometer or flake apart with a fork to see that it's done), the veggies will be, too. Crank up the heat to high, and when it boils, add egg noodles, or any kind of pasta you want. After the pasta is cooked, season it to your taste. I know we need to limit our salt intake, but when you're feeling sick, a little extra salt tastes especially nourishing. When the soup cools, you might discover quite a bit of the broth has vanished in its work of cooking the noodles. No worries: just add more liquid. The hearty, healthy flavor comes through. You can live off this soup for at least a few days, and it requests only minimum effort for maximum results. (Inexpensive to make, too!)

• USA Today, the national newspaper, recently mentioned The Markets in an article on electric cars.  It noted:

            "In Bellingham, Wash., a charging station was opened at The Market at Fairhaven in January 2010....the first grocery store in the country to install one...people can pull in, plug in and during a shopping trip they can get enough juice to go another 10 miles."

• More kudos for The Markets!  We received a national merchandising award for one of our signature promotions, "Bayou Bash."   The award, one of a dozen given by the National Grocers Association, recognized Bayou Bash in its Best Special Event ad category.  Bayou Bash was held during the traditional Mardi Gras celebration last February at The Market stores in Fairhaven, Birch Bay and Anacortes.  It included hot sauce tasting, a live jazz band, special Cajun foods, contests to win your weight in meat, and much more.  The Markets also received an honorable mention in the charitable cause event cagegory for its "Fundraising for Olivia."  This one-day event in May raised over $10,000 from the proceeds of The Market at Fairhaven's new MarketQ BBQ.  This is the second year in a row that The Markets have won a national merchandising award for our creative ads and promos.