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The Aroma of Yum

September 17, 2016 by Kristin Jarvis Adams 7 Comments

“What’s for dinner?” my son Andrew asks me every morning.

What’s for dinner? I haven’t figured out how I’ll get out of bed. Barely conscious, I stumble from bed to shower, tugging at the faucet while waiting for the water to run warm.

“I like it when the house smells good,” he adds, lingering in the doorway. He exits the room, stealth-like, and leaves me to my shower—a coconut and jasmine waterfall—a sweet smelling body wash that allows me to pretend I’m on a tropical island and not in the middle of a grey Seattle day.

I consider Andrew’s request, knowing he craves the smell of something delicious simmering on the stove. There’s no doubt that our sense of smell is powerful. It can trigger physical responses in our bodies that impact our mood and affect our behavior. Smells can evoke long-forgotten memories and can even sharpen our other senses. To me, the earthy scent of a vine-ripened tomato smells like sunshine, reminding me of the vegetable garden next to my family’s country home. I was only four-years-old, but I vividly remember my grandfather in a pair of blue coveralls, picking soft red tomatoes, summer squash, carrots, and delicate basil and placing them into an old cardboard box for the soup my grandmother would make.

After my shower, I follow the aroma of coffee downstairs. My husband is scrambling a skillet of eggs on the gas stove, my daughter is scraping jam onto a piece of toast and a bowl of wedged oranges sits on the kitchen counter—the taste and smell of home. In the corner, Andrew sits surrounded by a pile of cookbooks, scanning each page in search of what he would like to eat for dinner.

“This is it! Mommy Minestrone,” he exclaims, pointing to a crinkled page in a notebook of favorite recipes I’ve collected for nearly twenty years.

“Mmmm. Yes,” his sister says between bites of toast. “It tastes like home.”

“It smells like yum,” Andrew adds.

Minestrone soup. A slam-dunk family favorite since my kids were old enough to eat with a spoon. Even though they are young adults now, they still ask for it by their made-up name. So, if you would like a divine taste of sunshine on a chilly autumn day, I have the perfect yum for you:

 

Mommy Minestrone

5 slices of thick cut bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 zucchini, chopped

4 cups chicken stock

2 (14oz) cans diced tomatoes (or fresh if you have them!)

1 (14oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)

2 Tbs. fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)

3/4 cup pasta such as farfalle or penne

Red pepper flakes, add to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Into a heavy pot, add bacon and sauté until crisp. Add the next 5 ingredients and cook until vegetables soften, about 5 min. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on low for 25 minutes. Add pasta, simmer 7-10 minutes more. Breathe deeply, enjoy a glass of wine and smell the sunshine. Yum!

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Kristin Jarvis Adams
Kristin Jarvis Adams

Kristin Jarvis Adams is a public speaker and advocate for children with special needs, helping to bridge the gap between the outside world and the inner world of autism. Her speaking engagements have included: Seattle Festival of Trees Gala, a benefit for Seattle Children’s Hospital and The Seattle Children’s Autism Clinic. Learn More>>

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Filed Under: Letters from the Coop Tagged With: Health & Wellness, Recipes

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Comments

  1. Kristin Jarvis AdamsKristin Jarvis Adams says

    September 17, 2016 at 3:35 pm

    To all you Seattle people…today is the perfect day for Minestrone Soup! Buy some crusty bread and your favorite cheese, add a glass of wine, and cozy in for a warm autumn evening.

    Reply
    • Irene Monson says

      November 21, 2016 at 7:19 pm

      Kristin – I have made this twice now and absolutely love it. It is going to become my go to recipe for family soup night. Thank you,

      Reply
  2. Mom says

    September 17, 2016 at 4:30 pm

    Happy autumn days – love it!

    Reply
  3. Anne says

    September 17, 2016 at 6:15 pm

    Just copied the recipe! Must be great if Andrew says it smells like “yum.”

    Reply
  4. Irene says

    September 18, 2016 at 1:06 am

    Going to make a pot after Church tomorrow. Yum, thanks for the nudge to eat something healthy. Will think of you and your family as I enjoy it.

    Reply
  5. Lindsey says

    January 1, 2017 at 1:45 pm

    I am buying ingredients today to make this soup! Sounds healthy and delicious!

    Reply
    • Kristin Jarvis AdamsKristin Jarvis Adams says

      January 1, 2017 at 2:12 pm

      I love to use Trader Joe’s uncured, thick cut Applewood Smoked Bacon. It makes it slightly smoky and oh so delicious!!

      Reply

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Kristin Adams spent her childhood in a small town east of Seattle. She could be found building forts in the evergreen forest behind her house, zooming down the street on her banana-seat bike, or searching for treasures in the back of antique cars in her family’s auto wrecking yard.  Learn More >>

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