______________________________________________________________
Did you know that Soup is the #1 choice for Comfort Foods? Well it is, and I can't think of anything better than a nice hot bowl of soup or stew to make a person feel comforted when their feeling down.
There's just something about having a nice hot steaming bowl under your nose, with a nice wedge of homemade cornbread or baked bread and all your worries go away for the moment. It's true,
"Soup is not just for eating."
Soup is actually a process that actually makes us feel better and comforted know matter what the problem is that we are having. We immediately wrap our hands around the warm bowl until we feel our finger tips start to tingle. We lean over the bowl, close our eyes and intentionally let the hot steam surround our face. It touches our senses deep inside and we feel comfort all the way to our bones and we feel secure.
Why do we do this? We do this because we find comfort in it.
SOUP IS HEALING
There are many things that a person will cling to for comfort. We cling to a favorite room, maybe a nice cozy sit by a blazing fireplace or a favorite stuffed animal. Sometimes events in our life surprise us with unexpected endings, sometimes even depressing endings. Many people will not want to eat at all when they are worried about something, but if you offer them a nice bowl of soup, 9 out of 10 times they will accept it and eat it. Soup even gives us a nice warm feeling inside when we watch someone eating it too. It's a good idea to always have some soup available for those unexpected rainy days, because the truth is; soup is healing, inside and out.
SOUP FOR SICKNESS
Have you ever noticed when a loved one is sick, the first thing they ask for is soup? When we are sick we always want a nice hot bowl of soup. Soup feels real nice to a sore throat. Its smoothness and soft veggies slide down the throat without scratching and with very little effort. When a person is sick they really don't feel much like any kind of meal that takes a lot of effort just to eat it. Sometimes just having to hold a fork and a knife is too much effort for a sick person, not to mention having to use the knife to cut up anything before the person can actually eat it. When sick and feeling bad, this alone can take more energy than a person may have and a sick person will slide the plate away just because it simply tired them out. They may actually still be hungry but to tired to take the effort to eat. This is another reason why soup is a great meal to give a sick person. It can be eaten quickly with little effort at all and they feel comforted.
COLD SOUP TO COOL US DOWN
Interesting enough, we often forget that there are many recipes for nutritious cold soups as well. Cold soup is not as popular as the traditional hot soup of course, but it is ever-bit-as-good. We eat hot soup to warm us up and we eat cold soup to cool us down. On a nice hot summer day, try a nice cool bowl of "Served Cold Soup". The cold thickness of the soup feels great going down just like homemade ice cream feels going down on a hot summer day. Cold soup will cool you right down and make you feel fulfilled. If you have never tried it-- Try It!
SOUP ANY TIME
Now we know that there is nothing more enjoyable or adaptable than soups. It doesn't matter if it’s plain soup, a stew, a gruel or chili. It can be prepared hot or cold; eaten before, after, or between meals; served as a meal starter with almost anything; and made as healthily or unhealthy as you want it to be.
QUICK & EASY
Soups are quick, easy and practically no fail. You don't have to be an expert cook to make a great bowl of soup and make those comforting memories for your family. Soup also freeze easily too. You can make up a big pot and freeze part of it for a rainy day.
SOUP MAKES MEMORIES
Food in general has always had a way of sticking in our minds and staying there. How many times have you walked in a room and you smelt a familiar smell that sent fond memories of your grandmothers cooking rushing to your taste buds? We all have those memories and we would be lost without them. That’s why it’s so important for us to make fond memories of meals around a dinner table that our children can carry with them to their adult life. Soup has long been a meal that holds a special memory for most people.
Families tend to always have their favorite meals that they grew up with and often times they continue those favorite meals by passing them on down through the generations. All families have their own special soup recipe that they serve their loved ones all the time too. When you serve a special dish continuously, it is only natural that it becomes a special treat and will also become a special memory for your family members. It‘s always good to make memories for the family because as time goes by and life change, those memories will stick with them forever, and often times will be all they have to hold on to. Yes, even that simple bowl of soup.
Soup means more to us than we think. It serves more purposes than just the act of eating it. It provides nourishment yes, but it also supplies us with a since of security, warmth, comfort and the feeling that all will heal. It also gives us memories to last a lifetime. The next times you make soup remember…..
“Soup is not just for eating.”
Author: Pamela Price Svoboda
webmaster and owner of Gone-ta-pott.com
___________________________________________________
HOT DOG SOUP
(kids pick)
3 hot dogs, cut into 1/2" slices
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Pkg dry vegetable soup mix of choice
DIRECTIONS: Lightly sauté the hot dogs in the butter using a deep skillet or heavy sauce pan. Add the soup mix & water per package directions. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, partially covered & cook until soup is done.
SERVINGS: 4 TIME: 35 minutes
SERVING TIPS: Great in a thermos for kids lunch, serve with crackers.
___________________________________________________