"When outside is so cold and the wind it does blow,
Seek out the warmth in a world of snow.
Make a big pot of soup and enjoy some cocoa,
Share with your neighbors and nourish your soul."
Mason found his Yule Elf card on the woodstove beside a wooden spoon. "We get to make soup! Can I help make the soup?" he asked. I answered that of course he could help, it was his mission after all. A few times during the day when I was in the kitchen he would call out "Don't start the soup without me!", or "Remember to wait for me to start the soup!" The boy really wanted to make some soup.
That afternoon we got to work on our soup. We decided on a simple, classic potato soup, with potatoes, carrots and onions from the garden (now in the root cellar). Mason did the peeling and slicing (except for the onions and garlic, which I did) added everything to the pot, stirred, pureed and ladled it into jars to share. It was very important for him to be a part of every step since making soup was his mission... the wonders of empowerment...something I can forget from time to time. Thanks, Yule Elf, for the reminder.
Once he had the soup in jars he and Aaron delivered it to the neighbors while I set the table for our own dinner. He loved his soup. Loved it!
I did not do the best job of taking photos this day, but I did get a couple of him prepping veggies...
He loved making his soup, and sharing something he made with our neighbors made it even more special for him.
Here's to spreading a little warmth in the world this winter season.
Visit our Magical Advent post to learn more about what we're doing this year.