Wow! what an inspiration all of you were yesterday. If anyone has a few extra moments, please take the time to read the comments about snow and peace. I'm inspired and you've given me so much to think about. Food for thought as they say. Speaking of food, today's post is all about soup.
Soup has to be one of the best food creations ever; able to span across the seasons from the light and thirst quenching gazpacho served in the summer to a hearty variety such as mushroom barley in the winter. For me, it's the ultimate comfort food... truly nourishing.
One of my favorites is a simple chicken noodle soup. Even when my kids were little and super picky eaters, this was always a winner. I'm providing my "recipe" but realize this is a "throw it together, make it bigger or smaller based on what you have" recipe. Perhaps it's more of a guide than a recipe and now that I think about it that's a perfect analogy for peace. There is no one path to peace as if there's a prescription to get there; just a map with many possibilities. Nonetheless here you go:
Peaceful chicken soup (because when everyone at the table is happy there's a wee bit of peace even it it's for a moment)
- 2 boxes (32 oz each) chicken broth
- meat from a rotisserie chicken, shredded into bite size pieces
- 2 carrots; peeled, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
- 1 celery stalk; sliced about 1/2 inch thick
- 1 can garbanzo (aka chickpeas) beans, drained
- 1 cup pasta, alphabets if you can find them otherwise I use mini bow ties.
In a separate pot, boil some water and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain water and set aside.
Bring broth to a gentle boil. Add carrots and celery and cook until on the softer side of firm (you don't want them ready yet). Add the garbanzo beans and chicken, heat until warm. Add the pasta. Stir and serve. Sometimes I top with a little bit of shredded Parmesan cheese.
Day 5. Peace tip.
Our journey with peace wouldn't be complete if we didn't take a moment to reflect on gratitude. So, let's create an "Alphabet Soup of Gratitude." Pull out a piece of paper, journal (aka peace log), or note card and write each letter of the alphabet along the long edge of the paper. Now write down a word (or a phrase) for something or someone that you are grateful for that begins with each letter. For example, A for apples (because I am crazy about Honeycrisp apples and can't believe how one simple food can be soooo good). I started my list last spring and return back to it often to add another item. Interestingly, I have one letter that is much longer than any of the others. Which letter has the most words for you!
Enjoy the process!
And let me say how grateful I am to be stitching this path of peace with all of you!
May your day be filled with many opportunities to choose peace.
~Christina