Comfort

Yesterday was the coldest day of the winter. Today was 10C colder than that. This morning it was -36C and a windchill dropping temperatures to -43C(which, for my american readers, is the same in fahrenheit). I had one thing on my mind, make warm food. First, soup for lunch. There was no question as to what kind of soup. Potato corn chowder was an obvious choice. I got to work making it. At 12:30pm I had to walk up to the school to pick up Kymberly from Pre-K. The two short blocks was all that I could bear in this kind of weather, even though I was all bundled up in complete winter gear. I was at the school just long enough to recover and then back down the hill for home. I had it planned out perfectly. I had water in the electric kettle already warmed up and ready to pour into the mugs for hot chocolate. The soup was done and simmering on the stove. I popped in a couple of slices of fresh homemade bread to make some toast. Kymberly sipped on her hot chocolate while I dished up the soup and waited for the toast to be done. Then I sat down at the table, dipped my toast into my potato corn chowder and took that first bite. HEAVEN. Suddenly I was sitting at the table in the kitchen of my childhood. Strangely in this vision I was sitting at the end of the table that my dad usually sits, instead of at the opposite end where I always sat. There sat my mother in her usually spot to my right. There are others sitting at the table, but I don't know for sure who they are; I can only assume they are an assortment of my brothers. All I see is my mom and I(in my teenage or young adult years) having a conversation over a bowl of her homemade potato corn chowder soup and fresh baked bread toasted to perfection. It is a good memory and I wished that I could hear what we were talking about. It must have been meaningful for this particular moment to be burned into my memory. I have eaten my mothers chowder on dozens of occasions, and yet, every time I make it and eat it, this is the memory that floods my mind and brings such peace and comfort. Talk about comfort foods, this one is my ultimate favorite.