A cure for anything that ails you
All in a steaming bowl of soup
Hello friend,
I spent the past week with my five cousins, our laughter echoed across the rolling hills of cedar and mesquite trees in central Texas. Six women, one house, good food, and non-stop talking.
We left with a bucket full of memories and bags of homemade noodles my cousin purchased from Patek’s Grocery in Shiner, Texas. Let me know if you’ve been to Patek’s—we could be related.
Putting away those noodles, my mind began to wander over the years. Growing up, I believed our family had a magic cure for anything that ailed you.
The secret ingredients include a whole chicken, homemade egg noodles, and fresh parsley. A cold coming on? Stricken with melancholy or the blahs? We have the answer.
Chicken noodle soup to the rescue.
I remember the warm breeze blowing through the bedroom windows of a wood-frame farmhouse. The scene sits in my memory like a welcome friend.
Grandma rolled out the mound of flour, eggs, and water. With the precision of a Samurai warrior, her knife flew across the rolled-out dough making thin slices. The flour sack towel stretched across the bed with rows of noodles drying, soaking in the country air.
Homemade noodles don’t compare to the stiff replicas in cellophane bags in the supermarket. They are a fair facsimile, but no substitute for the real thing.
That snippet from a time long gone reminds me how simple mundane events and a family recipe shapes our lives. To this day, Grandma’s chicken noodle soup eases the sniffles, brightens the hearts of our family, and continues a tradition of belonging and hope.
Just a bowl of soup?
No, a life well-loved.
A few poetic mind-meanderings on melancholy.
Ours is not the only family where food is a family heirloom.
A musical tribute to food: Savoy Truffle, Banana Pancakes, and Raspberry Jam.
“Whenever something went wrong when I was young—if I had a pimple or if my hair broke—my mom would say, 'Sister mine, I'm going to make you some soup.' And I really thought the soup would make my pimple go away or my hair stronger.”
—Maya Angelou
If you would like to read more from me, visit my website. I’ll be there waiting for you.
With gratitude,
Kathryn
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Love the simple and elegant images, Kathryn!
Food as a family heirloom - I love this idea!