So we've been through wind, snow, sleet, rain, hail, more snow, more rain...does this tempestuous weather make you crave any particular kind of food? 

For some people, it's a rich and creamy hot chocolate, coupled with a shortbread cookie and thoughts of being warm.  For others, when the skies turn grey or white, it's time for soup-making.

There's something therapeutic about preparing the stock with chopped up onions and celery as a base, or maybe a ham bone or cut-up chicken. Adding the essence, be it noodles or rice or beans, and then all the extras that flavor it up, can turn a gloomy day into a soothing respite from the weather.  Scour your cupboards and clean them out, in essence, by adding things like diced tomatoes or canned corn to your soup stock.  Best of all, you only need to add some carbs in the form of biscuits, bread or even crackers, to put an old-fashioned, but completely current, meal on the table.  Even better than best of all, soup usually lasts for a few meals, and can be frozen and reheated.  What can be better than soup to complement our Northwest weather? Do you have a favorite soup recipe to share?