ENJOY A MEAL WITH SOMEONE THAT MAKES YOU SMILE.

I know I say this often. It’s usually at the bottom of my regular posts, but this week my post has more of an intimate message.

I had the pleasure of spending 4 days with my 89 year old Mother a few weeks ago. We enjoyed several days together making plans for her summer garden, buying kitchen cabinet organizers, shopping at thrift stores, getting new glasses and going out for meals. She loves good food and particularly good soup. On our first night together, we went to a restaurant called Mr. Dumpling that was oddly inserted between hundreds of apartments and a modern hotel-styled retirement center with fountains greeting you at the door. As lovely as the surroundings were, it didn’t seem like a location for a restaurant. I wasn’t confident that this restaurant recommendation was going to stand up to our food snobbery, but it did. We were greeted and quickly seated at a table for two with a view of all the bustle of a busy establishment. Our menus were delivered by an enthusiastic young person along with two glasses of water. It smelled good and the service was outstanding. So immediately we were happy. We perused the menu, made our selections and with the snap of a finger, we were served a plate of perfectly seasoned, fresh dumplings and an outstanding Chinese beef noodle soup – with handmade noodles. Sitting there delicately dipping our noodles into the broth, my Mom watched a little boy working really hard to get a long noodle into his mouth. It stirred an image from the past and we both got a good chuckle from a memory of how my eldest son, at the age of 3 or 4, used to slurp noodles and make a satisfied “ahhhhh” sound at the end of each long strand. The noise was not only enjoyed by us, but people sitting around our table got a kick out of how ceremonial he was about his noodles. My Mom’s big smile as she thought of that was better than the soup we were enjoying.

“Thin patties with extra onions please”  is something my family will get a kick out of. It refers to how my Mom requested her burgers. I rarely eat one, but on our second night together we decided on grabbing a simple, easy meal and burgers sounded good to her. These were grass-fed beef burgers on brioche buns, so a scale above the substandard fast food from the evil golden arches. We ordered two along with an order of fries to share and headed home. We plopped in front of the t.v. to watch a movie (another favorite pastime of my Mother). There wasn’t much on, but she did kind of light up when we ran across Mrs. Doubtfire. We looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders said “sure.” It’s been literally decades since I watched this, but it was just as funny as it was in 1993 and provided lots of good giggles. I enjoyed watching my Mom laugh at Robin’s masked shenanigans and feminine faux accents. A simple meal, with simple entertainment made for one of my new fondest memories of me Mum.

In addition to these two evening meals, we enjoyed pho with my whole family and sushi with my son Sam. Every meal was memorable and of course, made us all smile.

My Mother passed away on April 3rd with family around her. She went peacefully after a couple of weeks of enduring a hospital bed in the middle of her living room. It’s where she wanted to be when it was time for her to pass. I don’t think she was quite ready to go. My Mom is like me in that she always has a to-do list and a special plan ahead. We didn’t get to plant her seeds and bulbs or organize her kitchen cabinets or pick-up her new glasses, as we had put on our calendars. But we did share moments that I won’t forget. Everyone had special moments with her. These two weeks won’t replace the lifetime of memories I have with my Mother, but I will hold them in my heart. I am so grateful I was here and so grateful we could give her what she wanted for the end of her rich, full life. 

So, please have a meal with someone who makes you smile and etch that time in your memory so you have something to fall back on when you need a little sunshine.

EAT SOUP!  SIP BROTH!!

GROW FOOD!!

If you’re able, please do what you can for someone in need. Thank you.

Soups & Entrées

Sipping Broths

Our sipping broths are simmered for 36-48 hours with organic vegetables and aromatics. Studies show that the benefits of slow cooking bones are extensive and proven to offer a gamut of benefits that contribute to gut repair, boosting immune function, arthritis, osteoporosis, digestion, reducing high cholesterol, eliminating acid reflux, detoxification, reduction of inflammation, strengthening nails and hair, improving skin appearance and so much more. And while most people report a great boost in energy that could easily replace your daily java, additional benefits lie in the glycine extracted. Glycine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, which means the broths can greatly help with relaxation and actually help improve sleep.