Savor good food and the company of those you love.

Consider the recent “news” that eating nuts is beneficial – well, if you think about how a tree taps nutrients to grow a crop and pass on its legacy as a potential tree embryo – as that is what a nut is all about – then it is small wonder that eating these delicious kernels of crunch are good for humans.

I'm hungry.

Frosty outside means it is time for savory soups and stews, accompanied by fragrant bread to sop up the very last bit of deliciousness. Feed the fire, fill the woodbox as the weather settles in for a cold stretch ahead. How about a roast chicken (or turkey) with a side of creamy mashed potatoes – make that garlicky mashed potatoes. Butternut and acorn squashes, sweet pumpkin, fresh brussell sprouts. Green beans, butter beans, broccoli. Eggnog, hot chocolate or a mug of good coffee.

Sit back with a slice of pie with a flaky crust, that emits a cloud of warm apple and cinnamon aromas. Maybe a fork full of crunchy sweet pecan pie or a taste of a smooth chocolate cream concoction with a graham cracker crust. Or a hand full of mixed nuts (you pick the variety) because according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine (The National Institutes of Health and the International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation sponsored the research), eating nuts may boost health.

No one is sure why (see above for a personal opinion).

Look for where to find locally-grown food and great things to feed your family with additional listings and updates (holiday/winter markets too) coming up for the acres of cold weather ahead on our Farm Markets/Eats page.

Open year-round for your farmers market fix (indoors) and inspiration: Urban Oak Organic Farm Market in New Britain, Fridays, 2 to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CCC Feeds Farm Store in Manchester at Oakland Street.

Take a walk, ride or jaunt to see something new.

The Windham Textile & History Museum at 411 Main St., Willimantic, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. offers insight into textiles and industrial heritage, frog-related gifts, cards with local landmarks and other nifty items are for sale. The structure once was the headquarters of the American Thread Company. The four green frogs sit atop a bridge nearby. Willy, Manny, Windy and Swifty take their names from Willimantic, Windham (where the legendary “battle of the frogs” actually happened), and for the Algonquin term for the area, “the land of the swift running water.”

Sculptor Leo Jensen of Ivoryton, Connecticut, created the quirky amphibians on thread spools at the Jackson Street bridge to combine elements of local lore, manufacturing history and human creativity. (Talk about local color!)

Once known far and wide as the “Thread City” a community thrummed with activity here to produce spool cotton, hosiery yarn and even the thread used in stitching together baseballs. From the Mill Museum of Connecticut's site: “The factory complex started with buildings of stone, quarried from the river bed, and brick structures built by Irish and Italian masons, respectively. It grew into one of the largest thread complexes in the world. The most famous structure was Mill Number 4, which was the first electrically-lit factory building in the world and thus eliminating the dependency on sunlight. Thomas Edison’s designs were utilized in the construction.”

Exhibits vary, but have included spinning machinery, a manager's office (check out the antique spools), and details about the worker's lives. Nearby is the Prospect Hill Historic District, one of the largest National Register-listed historic districts (more than 900 buildings still standing), a trove of Victorian-era architecture. Also of note is the Willimantic Footbridge, the “only footbridge in the U.S. to connect two state highways, as well as crossing all three major forms of transportation – road, rail, and river.”

For a shoreline drive with a destination in mind, head for the Book Barn in Niantic, which celebrates 25 years of business and books this year. Browse more than 500,000 books in three locations, all within a mile of each other and say hi to the resident cat population who curl up in cozy spots that include high shelves. The main barn holds the history section (downstairs) with local to world titles of interest. If you are looking for something special, ask – the staff are book lovers and readers. Or just wander, browse the stacks and dip into books. No one will bother you and there is courtesy to be found there – quite refreshing in a harried and hurry-up digital era.