A Chow Life | Foodie recipes and stories from a Seattle kitchen

Archive for the ‘soup’ Category

Mixed Mushroom Soup | Healing Powers

I apologize for the radio silence. That certainly was not my intention.  Truth be told, I missed you like mad, but was knocked out by a horrible cold.  Sick as a dog. And while I am aware most people claim to be regular healthy folk, it’s pretty true for me. It is not often I find myself sick.

However, I rallied as best I could. We had guests in town who were staying with us. I made them meals and washed my hands a lot. A lot. We also had the bright idea of re-tiling the bathroom floor during this time period. It looks lovely now, but pregnancy and a nonworking bathroom are not a fabulous combination. I’m certain you are aware of this already, but we learned this valuable lesson the hard way. I’m just thankful for the nearby Home Depot Store and my gym membership. Three cheers for public bathrooms and convenient places to shower.

When the dust cleared and the house guests were gone, I was still under the weather. I found that all I wanted was a steamy bowl of healing soup.  And, yes, I do believe soup has healing powers. Or, I suppose just a bit of…

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Delicata Squash Soup | Pregnancy Carbohydrate Scare

I just ate a chunk of cheese for a snack. It was delicious and I have to thank my friend E for the suggestion of packing my purse with tiny hunks of cheese before I leave the house.  This may not sound revolutionary to you or anyone else reading this, but it is a bit of an adjustment for me.  With every hunk of cheese, carrot stick, or almond I ingest, I am reminded of a recent medical slap in the face.

I can still feel the sting, in fact. It seems the pregnancy diet is not as liberating as I once imagined. Those muffins, fresh bread, and pasta feeds that invigorated me during times of hormonal distress are, apparently, no friend to the gestating.

When I tipped the scales last week at a weight few should ever witness, my midwife informed me that I no longer process carbohydrates like an ordinary person.  Every bit of bread I put into my body stays there. The danger, of course, is that my baby will be a big girl. Given the daunting nature of a natural birth, this is not what I wanted to hear. Fortunately, my baby girl is currently estimated to be…

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Carrot Soup | Carrot Top

My mother knew I was a redhead the moment she laid eyes on me. The doctor didn’t believe it, but she knew. She tells me the eyebrows gave me away. I was bald, but for those tell-tale red brows.

She was delighted. I was her fifth child and her only red-headed girl. She was finally able to cut my brother C’s red locks, which she had allowed to grow long and wavy causing people to regularly question his gender identity.

I am sure he was relieved.

I didn’t share her warm feelings about my predicament, however. I grew into a chubby child with tons of freckles and uncontrollable frizzy hair. I needed braces and, at one point, a head gear. It was painful. I was the victim of many harsh comments by other children. Children, so innocent in some ways, can truly be mean.

I wanted to be someone else. I wanted to be thin with blond hair like Marcia Brady, but I was more like the awkward Jan. In fact, I took a cue from Jan and tried rubbing lemon juice on my face to erase my freckles. It didn’t work, but that didn’t stop me from further experimentation. I stopped eating carrots…

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Tomato and Bread Soup with Basil

Don’t let the red hair and freckles fool you. I like the sun. Well, to be clear, I like warmth. That usually comes with the sunshine and I’m usually underneath a large umbrella smothered in major SPF sunscreen.

Does the fact that direct sunlight cannot touch my stark white complexion bother me?

Not one bit.

I love the beach. After all, I did grow up in California.

Speaking of which, we are headed there for the holidays. I couldn’t be happier. I hear it’s raining, but I am not concerned in the least. It’s freezing here! If you live here, you know what I mean. The ice scraper is now a daily tool. One has to jump up and down instead of standing still while outside (making it difficult to use the key in the lock). And, of course, socks are an absolute necessity at bedtime. This is not good for a newlywed. Why didn’t we get married earlier in the year?

I’m doing my best to keep the warmth flowing from the kitchen. That means lots of fresh breads and soups. This soup,…

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