Diets can wait; winter requires comfort food

I've decided we have the wrong idea about what to do with ourselves in January.

Typically, January is the month we all resolve to eat like rabbits.

Why?

To atone FOR THE COLLECTIVE FACE PLANT that we, the American people, did in the old holiday food trough, commencing on Oct. 31.

You know how the drill goes. The minute your kids come home from trick-or-treating on Halloween night, you root through their bags, searching for stuff you like (Snickers for me, Milky Ways for my husband, 3 Musketeers for both of us, resulting in a tense possible fight to the death).

After you've finished inhaling the fun-size candy bars, it's just a full-on orgy of eating during the months of November (Hello, Thanksgiving!) and December (Hello, Christmas!) until you come up for air on the morning of Jan. 2, whereupon you suddenly and also violently POP out of your pants, causing you to go "OH WHAT HAVE I WROUGHT?"

So then you take yourself in hand and get all serious about losing weight.

You break out diet books with no-nonsense titles like "EAT THIS NOT THAT," "COOKING YOURSELF THIN," "MASTER YOUR METABOLISM," "THE END OF OVEREATING" and "THE 4 DAY DIET."

You set virtuous little weight-loss goals and draw up virtuous little menus. You dash to the grocery store and load up on fresh veggies because m-m-m-m-m, what can quell the munchies quicker than a broccoli floret?

And all of this feels GREAT until you look outside.

And realize it's winter.

WINTER!

When all you want to do is go fetal in a corner with an afghan draped over your shoulders.

And your feet, too.

If the afghan is long enough.

I ask you. Is January REALLY the month to embark on some new diet adventure?

No matter how necessary?

Or is it, instead, the month to delve into your collection of ward cookbooks and whip up some comfort food for body and soul.

Not too much of it — but enough to make you feel like yes! I can survive the dreary weeks ahead!