Story Soup

I have a new rule. If I'm up in the night..let's say anywhere between 4-7am and am not falling back to sleep within 20 minutes, I figure I must have slept enough and my body needs to be awake. Not awake enough for yoga or crazy shit like that but..something..? Mindless fridge opening reveals cherries in a bowl (yes!) and a couple of stacks of leftover roast beef dinner in clear containers (important). More mindless removal of all the leftovers, some veggies in the crisper (still crisp!) and I feel my purpose come back to me. Soup!

I connect my phone to a speaker and choose a podcast, put an apron over the yoga uniform (it's about intention, people) and get to cutting. Tiny onion because John (my boyfriend and soup lover) prefers minced. Not too much garlic and plenty of pepper. I find myself taking good care to add ingredients cut with care and added slowly as soup is best made with love. As I cut peppers, I remember my son Cody and his pepper chopping lessons he gave me the last time he lived with me. I find leftover bacon from Burger's Smoke House and remember the first time my son, Scott bit into this divinity during a visit. John still talks about Scott's face and the satisfaction/no way!! look my chef kid displayed as he chewed heaven.

Scott and Cody have both been important chefs (I think they call them executive) in separate and together restaurants. My unexpected kitchen flow became a story soup of memories with these boys as they were both born on this day. Three years separate their birth. I like to acknowledge each one separately but the common thread of making food and teaching me to love my people with food makes this an unavoidable connection.

I'll save the Scott and quiche story for another day. Same with the story of coconut ice cream at Cody's Thai fusion restaurant.

I am so lucky to be the mom of each of these boys. And hold some of my favorite stories. Cheers. And soup!