My new favorite soup and a new view on cooking

I think I've mentioned here before that I don't enjoy cooking. It's kind of funny because I've also mentioned that I come from a family of creative women who love to sew. As accomplished as those women were/are in sewing they are equally talented in the kitchen. My granny loved to cook and everything she made was delicious.

For as long as I can remember, we've had Sunday lunch at my aunt Mary's house. Every Sunday she prepares a HUGE meal, enough to feed 20 people, no matter that there may only be 5 or 6 at the dinner table. She loves to cook.

Somehow that love of cooking had not been passed on to me, or so I thought. Oh, I may be getting ahead of myself. I don't think I'm ready to call what I'm feeling love, but I have had a different feeling about cooking lately. I've not dreaded it so much. I've come to realize that what I dislike is not the cooking itself, it's the thankless job of cooking. The chore of it all. For years I've been responsible for cooking, cleaning, and putting away. (don't feel too sorry for me, I don't do it every night)  Between the kid's school, work and extracurricular activities schedules and Mitch's crazy work hours I've never had a helper in the kitchen. I don't enjoy eating enough to make it worth all the work involved in meal preparation and the subsequent clean up. I'm happy to eat a peanut butter sandwich or a bowl of soup (from a can), but then there are those other folks who live with me.

Alyssa's school schedule allowing her to be home in the evenings coupled with her being a wonderful help while I was sick resulted in me having a partner in the kitchen. Together we have discussed what we'll have for dinner. We've worked together preparing the meal and also worked together cleaning up.  I think there may have even been a time or two when Casey pitched in a little on his nights off.

I know you're probably thinking, "why didn't I recruit helpers before now?" I guess it goes back to my it's easier to do it myself than listen to the griping mentality. I know I've not done anybody any favors but the kids have really had very few responsibilities around the house. With Alyssa school was the first priority, so she was never given many chores to be responsible for. With Casey, it's more an avoidance of the butting of heads that I know will ensue. Again I know that's not good parenting, not doing him any favors, I'm the first to admit that. Just add that to my list (long list) of parenting mistakes, but that's not what this post is supposed to be about. No, it's supposed to be a positive post about a new view on an old chore.

I'm happy to say that I've enjoyed preparing meals the past couple of weeks. Yes it's likely the time spent with my daughter and not so much the cooking I've enjoyed, whatever it is, I think everyone has benefited. I've been able to pass on a little motherly knowledge to my firstborn, my baby girl, and that makes me very happy, even if it does have to be in the kitchen.

Another thing that makes me happy is this soup. I'm a soup lover, especially a light, brothy soup, so when I saw this post I had to give it a try. A quick google search and I found a recipe. I made a couple of changes, I left out the watercress (didn't have any) and added noodles. I wanted rice noodles but again, didn't have any, so angel hair pasta it was. My new favorite comfort food. I'll be making a lot of this and I imagine when Alyssa has a family of her own, she will too.

Comments

[Patricia]

That soup looks yummy! We've got a good system going here.... Hubby does the weekend cooking, the kids each fix one dinner a week and I do the rest. That usually means I only have to cook twice. I do enjoy cooking, but I'm also enjoying watching the kids in the kitchen....now if I could just teach them to clean up better, LOL!

[Alicia A.]

Good for you! And Alyssa too!

The soup looks deelish.

[Joanna]

I can't wait until my kids are older when their "help" will really be helpful. Today Davey threw a 1/2 full cup of milk into the sink and splashed milk all over the kitchen window.

Your soup looks yummy!

[Emily]

I love soup too! I can't wait to try this recipe! I have always hated the planning of the meals. It just makes me so tired. The love of my life, who hardly ever helps with this task, thinks we need to go on a 21 day cycle. I informed him very quickly, that while I do indeed dread the menu planning, I had no intention of running a cafeteria/mess hall. I know we tend to have the same things... but really, we have managed fine all these years (coming on 18) why mess with MY system???? I also do have help. Because I despise the clean up aspect of it, as soon as my boys could reach the sink, guess what they have to do. That is on a rotating basis... I was willing to take on that fight. We will be having a dish this weekend, that will require everyone in there, helping out. It is fun, we would have it more often if it didn't require 3 cups of heavy cream!!!!

[Crystal T]

Looks so yummy!

[LLA]

What a lovely post... you're not alone, the cleaning up part of it all is nobody's favorite. But the nourishing aspect of it, the communal-ness - that's the part that rocks. So glad that you and Alyssa and even Casey are discovering this together.

And I'm totally bookmarking your recipe link - it looks delicious. Now I"m craving Asian soups...

(and for the record, I think watercress is overrated. Anything that's good with watercress in it is every bit as good (maybe more so?) without it...)

[lindiepindie]

My mom sewed a TON when I was little, but it wasn't until I was an adult that I really wanted to do it. I'm glad that something good has come out of your being sick. I look forward to making more elaborate meals (besides roast and hamburger stroganoff) when the boys are better able to pour and use a knife. The soup looks yummy. Soup is good on cold days like we've been having.

[laeroport]

Soup is good. I made some Chicken Tortilla soup in the crock pot on Sunday that was sooooo easy. And it made the house smell good all day. Let me know if you want the recipe. ;) And yea, for having a helper. For me the worst part of cooking is the figuring out WHAT to cook.

[Sandy]

Autum, I was just thinking I need to make soup today, because it's a SNOW DAY in So. Oregon! First one in about 4? years? The kids are crazily playing outside. I love your soup idea, and how creative you are to make it "work" for you (whatever ingredients you have, without running to the store). I get all sentimental reading about your daughter. And she is blessed to have a Mother like you. Even tho we are not seamstresses in our home, you'll have to check out my recent post and see the picture at the bottom, of the apron that Abby (10 yrs old) made with her new (garage sale) sewing machine for Christmas!

[Cathleen]

MMmmmmm.....good!!!

[amandajean]

thanks for the recipe link...I think I will be trying your variation of it soon. I am on a soup kick this week. 2 different kinds so far this week...looks like this one will be #3!

[Kelli]

Yum! Looks so good. My mom says she's done cooking. She did it for 20 years and she's officially "retired."

[kathryn]

I don't particularly like the "chore" of cooking either, especially in the winter. There's no cooking on the grill, fresh veggies, salads--it's so much easier to cook in the summer. Then again, there is nothing more comforting than a hot bowl of soup on a cold night. And yours looks yummy! Thanks for providing the link to the recipe, too. It may end up being our dinner tonight. :)

[Bettsi]

Autum, I could have written this post myself! Everything from the not-recruiting-the-help to the soup love! So glad you and Alyssa are enjoying this time together. I'm going to print up the recipe-thank you!

[Kate]

I'm a fan of baking. I love to bake. And while I also love to eat baked goods, that is not the source of my love - I will bake much more when there are other people to eat it. i think this is because, unlike cooking, baking is not expected. You don't have to have it on the table at a certain time or face the glares and complaints. You can do it whenever, and it's not demanded. When you do do it, it is commented on and (hopefully) appreciated. Unless you have a huge family, it usually lasts a day or so to remind you of how domestically gifted you are, rather than being inhaled in five minutes without thanks.

That said, you can't bake a soup...

[amandajean]

I finally tried this soup for dinner tonight and it was so fantastic! thank you for sharing the link to the recipe...I love trying new things and I love it when they exceed my expectations even more! it is definitely a keeper.

[amandajean]

I finally tried this soup for dinner tonight and it was so fantastic! thank you for sharing the link to the recipe...I love trying new things and I love it when they exceed my expectations even more! it is definitely a keeper.

[amandajean]

I finally tried this soup for dinner tonight and it was so fantastic! thank you for sharing the link to the recipe...I love trying new things and I love it when they exceed my expectations even more! it is definitely a keeper.