soup party 2016!

Hooray!
For this year's Soup Party, I was just one of the "tasters" of other folks' creations!
As you may recall, I was one of the four chef-testants last year.
No stress on me!
Between courses, we did something a little different this time around.
Sure, we had the Soup Trivia game (which I lost badly).
But we also did something life-affirming. Dawn would start us with a question and then we each answered, being careful to not repeat what another had said.
Very interesting and enlightening!
The first question concerned new year's resolutions.
Of the eleven of us there on Saturday night, I was one of the last three to get to reply. That meant that the usual types of resolutions concerning diet modification, exercise modification, and the like had already been voiced.
No concern to me! I don't resolve to follow such doomed courses, as you well know.
My resolution for 2016: to attend the Georgia Elvis Festival.
That was certainly a change of pace for the group! It led to a bit of discussion about the upcoming event, too. Very nice! Maybe some of the women will join me there.
(smile)
Then we ate soup!
That was followed by another question, asking about things that make us happy.
This time, Dawn started the round of answers with me.
I think she was interested in what direction my teacher-brain might lead the group.
She didn't have to wait long!
I went for an answer none of them would have chosen - film festivals - then shared with them the FOUR this month!
Which four, you ask?
Well, besides the two in the letter to my youngest brother, there is also the Jewish Film Festival and the Gray's Reef Ocean Film Festival. What incredible riches!
Everyone was amazed!
And I think Dawn was very pleased at my response.
Good.
She is special to me and she recently lost a dear friend to cancer. In his honor, she decided to go ahead with the Soup Party, knowing he would have wanted it that way.
Here's hoping her grief will soon be replaced with bright memories.

As for the soups proffered this time around, my favorite was a recipe from a mother-in-law. Dolores' Hodgepodge tasted so familiar to me, but I couldn't place it until someone asked, "Does this have Worcestershire Sauce in it?"
Click!
That was how I knew it!
Mama used to make it, but she called it Hungarian Goulash. She also served it over rice.
Hey, you have to make meals stretch when you have four kids!
I'll make that sometime soon.
Maybe I'll even invite some folks over to help me eat it.
But not tonight.
Tonight, I'm heating the can of Greek chicken and lemon soup that I received at the party.
And I'll be finishing off the last of the olive bread that Dawn gave me.
Tomorrow, I'll dine on the black bean soup, adding some diced tomatoes and serving it over rice.
Thanks, Dawn, for the free and easy meals!
Later, y'all!