Soup 101

I learned to make soup in my Italian mother-in-law's kitchen in Queens. She and I didn't always communicate easily, what with her being conservative and old school and one of those attend-church-everyday Catholics, and me being from California with all that sunshine and sin, and my occasional jaunts to the beach on Sundays. But we finally learned to enjoy each other's company and appreciate our differences. We did have one thing in common, besides a special place in our hearts for Mr. Gadget, and that was we both loved to sew. She liked nothing more than to come visit us in Connecticut and have me drive her to the local discount fabric store where, in the early days, we could find fabric for $1/yard. When she passed away a few years ago, I inherited her button collection.

But back to the soup. She made great soup. One day I asked her for her lentil soup recipe. She gave me a very puzzled look and didn't say anything for a few minutes. Then she began to hem and haw. I had expected her to just write it down on a piece of scratch paper and that would be that. But that didn't happen.....because...she didn't have a recipe. She'd been making soup for so long, it was all in her head. I finally realized I'd just have to stand beside her in the kitchen and take notes. Now, thanks to her allowing me to snoop, I can make pretty good soup myself. But I'd be hard-pressed to write down my recipe. And even though it's tasty, it still falls a little short of hers. She'll always be the Soup Queen.

So today I made one last visit to my good friend Joann's, where I purchased a couple of yards of this. I'm warning you though.....put on some eye protection before you look!

You may remember this fabric from the apron I made Tech Guy for Christmas.

When he opened the package he was so excited about this real man fabric that he mentioned he might like even more stuff made out of it. Luckily, Joann still had plenty on the bolt.. I plan to make a couch pillow and maybe some placemats. And I'll just keep making stuff till I run out of fabric. There might be enough for a tissue box cover and maybe even that extra toilet paper roll. I'll call the whole collection a belated birthday medley. Check back later, and be sure to bring some sunglasses. Oh, and try to control the revving.....