food memories

I love soup!

Creamy soups, chunky soups, vegetable soups, noodle soups, I like all kinds of soups, except mushroom soup!

Soup is a comfort food for me. The best soup I have EVER eaten was in Wisconsin at Adria Canon's home. She amazed me with her abilities to spin her Angora rabbit's fur into a soft yarn to make socks and such. Her dedication to home schooling as well as her home making skills also inspired me to be a more loving and thoughtful mother.

Visiting her one wintry day, there was a most delicious aroma coming from a huge pot on her stove top. She so kindly offered me a bowl. It was a simple, savory recipe with fresh rosemary, chicken broth, chicken, onion, celery, carrots and potatoes. There may have been other ingredients, but those are the ones that remain in my memory some ten years later. She also offered me a slice of her home made bread which, together with the soup, was very satisfying.

That soup had a very calming effect on me and has left me with a lasting impression of Adria's gentle kindness and generosity. The simple act of offering me that generous bowl of soup and piece of fresh bread made me feel so welcome in her home. It gave me a feeling of renewal. It warmed me from the inside out and gave me a feeling of well being.

I have tried many times to recreate that soup and recreate that feeling of satisfaction that comes with eating something wholesome and healthy. Each time I attempt to make that soup, I think of Adria's kindness to me as a young mother and wife to a grad-student. That was a crazy time of my life in so many ways and it was a bowl of soup that brought such needed comfort from the harsh elements on that cold winter's day.