I’m looking at little snow flurries out my window right now. This winter weather makes me want to eat something very hearty.

I’m thinking Prime Rib (with rosemary and garlic) or a Heat & Serve meal like chili.

I’m feeling lazy and lethargic . . . so chili it is!

What makes you feel warm and cozy during these winter months? Share your ideas with me!

Last Friday evening, two days before we had planned a rockin’ steak dinner at home, we were invited to dinner with my husband’s boss and his wife. We were happy to accept; and where did we end up, you may ask?

A steakhouse.

It started the wheels in my mind spinning, comparing the restaurant steak experience to the at-home steak experience.

So here’s my Top 10 List for Why I’d Rather Eat My Steak at Home:

10. No Teriyaki sauce at the restaurant. (My fave.)

9.   Most chefs don’t like to hear “Barely any pink, please.”

8.   Really nice places don’t have bacon bits for my baked potato. 🙁

7.   I can’t bring my favorite chair from my dining room table to the restaurant. It’s really cushy.

6.   You have to tip the waiter. (My husband just asks for a kiss.)

5.   At home, we listen to awesome playlists from our iPods that we pump through the house during our meal. (Most restaurants don’t play old Bobby Brown songs, Merle Haggard and Def Leppard.)

4.   I can’t wear my really stretchy pants to a restaurant.

3.   At a restaurant, I don’t have the luxury of knowing my kids are asleep in their rooms upstairs while I leisurely enjoy my steak.

2.   It’s more expensive at a restaurant and you can get the same quality steaks (even USDA prime) delivered to you from KC Steaks. (Plus, see #6.)

1.   No reservations.

Typically we think of the grill when cooking steak. But I can remember growing up watching my mom broil them in the oven and even pan frying them on the stovetop.

Well, I had a conversation the other evening about smoking steaks in a smoker. Wow! I am intrigued by the idea of infusing a rich, smoky taste into a ribeye or T-bone. What kind of wood would I use? Maybe mesquite or hickory?

I have been promised explicit instructions on how to smoke steaks in your smoker. And when I get them, I will post them here.

I, of course, will try it myself and I’ll let you know the verdict. It sounds tempting and different.

Let me know your thoughts. Do you have any unique ideas on how to jazz up your steaks?