I was delighted to be in charge of the first annual (and probably last annual) Ash Wednesday Soup and Sandwich Supper at church last night, held before worship. The thought was to streamline the evening for parents with small children and anyone on the way home after work to be able to just show up at church, have a nice supper, worship, and then go home. Seems smooth enough to me! I made a kettle of my famous chili, changing it up by using some dark turkey meat Joanne had bought and wanted me to use. Not my first choice, obviously, but it did the trick. The chili and its assembly was flawless and the house smelled wonderful while it cooked. It is the Bloody Mary mix that makes it so delicious, I believe, as well as the can of beer I pour in. Talk about mixing drinks!!!
*
My next kettle of soup was a recipe provided by dear friend, Judy R. in MN, for beer cheese soup. Again with the beer! It was really quite easy to make except for the fact that I saw fit to burn some of the veggies instead of sauteing (is there a thin line I was not aware of????) but managed to pick all the black pieces from the pan, transferring to another pot, and soaking the black-bottomed kettle in hopes it would come clean. It did, after I dissolved a cube of dishwasher soap in the pan as it soaked, something I learned from my friend, Jean Nichols. (To my family: I need a new soup kettle for CHRISTmas. My Teflon one is losing its finish.) Can you believe I am asking for kitchen tools???
*
After I got the overcooked veggies taken care of and the balance of the ingredients mixed in, the soup took on substance, and as Judy informed, it was more thin than I would have liked. I added more flour to thicken and was surprised the recipe did not mention dumplings, which formed upon the adding of flour. No worries, I squished the dumplings with my spoon and moved on. I added a package of shredded cheddar cheese which enhanced the cheesy flavor. Justin came over as planned to help me transport the kettles plus the other food items to church. He carefully packed both containers with towels to protect them from sloshing around as we drove to church, but I still have a wonderful aroma of cheese soup on my floormat in the backseat. Oh well.....
*
He helped me get the stuff inside, set up some tables and chairs, etc. while I put the soups on the stove and plugged in the cheese soup kettle. I was only away for about 10-15 minutes, putting out the plates, napkins, bowls, etc. When I stepped back into the kitchen, I discoverd the kitchen counter between the two stoves was layered in cheese soup!!!! Oh, my goodness! It had boiled over and made quite the mess. My good soup! As quickly as I could, I grabbed a cotton towel to help stop the run, mopped the floor and front of the cabinets, and used paper towels to start corraling the mess into a neat pile. Sandy D. came in and saw my dilemna, pitching right in with paper towels to wipe the mess. She grabbed the wastebasket and we simply swept the entire pile of towels into the trash, using my bare hand to push the rest along into the can. Whew! I know that someday when the stoves are pulled out for some reason, there will be soup dripped down the sides of the stoves and cabinet!
*
As mentioned before, only a handful of folks came to enjoy our feast, which included my two soups, plus clam chowder and chicken 'n dumplins' brought other folks. Two other families brought sandwiches and cookies for less than two dozen people including four children to consume. It frosted me when I found out that some people who could have dined at church for free, with "family", opted to have Mexican fast food instead. Here comes my Pharisee-side again! This means I have leftover soup, somehow or another, after all the sloshing and boiling over, in my fridge, to live and die another day!
*
Jim and Janet sat with me, as I wanted to be in the main aisle in case people came in, so I could invite them to join us. We had the best laughs! Janet was telling how some friends of theirs from MI are coming down on some kind of break from the school where they all taught, and all will be staying in a hotel in Daytona, using their vacation package. When Janet got the confirmation from the resort where their time share is located, the message started: Hello, bikers. What? Here it turns out this group of Lutheran school teachers and their spouses will be staying in Daytona during the most vulgar of all times---Bike Week!!!! Oh, how we laughed at this picture. Jim, of course, as laid-back as he is, was saying how much fun that would be, but Janet warned the guys not to take any binoculars along. I asked what they would use to keep their eyeballs in their heads then? Fists, perhaps?? That is in keeping with recently read Scripture passage from Tuesday night's Bible study about the right eye and plucking it out if it offends you........
*
Being a good friend, I offered to lend Janet my leather chaps and halter top, and she believed me. Poor Jim couldn't eat another morsel after that! Fortunately they are only staying there a couple nights before heading to Orlando for more fun. Janet said the one lady is someone with whom she attended DMLC so they go back many many years.
*
Janet gave me the President's binder for the Ladies' Group meeting on Monday as they will still be traveling. Twila should be good to go for heading the meeting again so I will have to make sure she gets the book and such again. No rest for her, she has already missed one meeting this year!
*
Well, tonight is yet another Building Committee Meeting. Like someone told me the other day, "and this was the "easy" project!", as we go into nearly six years from conception to this point. It is getting to be "old" but we must press on toward the goal, no good for us to get weary now. The temperatures are warming up nicely, with the high reaching 72 today so far, and hopes of 80 by the weekend. Sorry, you folks in the upper midwest who are awaiting yet another snow/sleet/wind storm. I pray Linda and Tommy have safe travels to Madison to see their grands! Am anxious to hear about the visit!!!
