February 2, 2021

Lemon Chicken (or Chickpea) Orzo Soup

It’s February 2^nd. Groundhog Day. My Mom is a weather hound, so Punxatawney Phil was a name you could throw around my house at any point without much reaction. My 1^st year away at school when I rushed to the news on groundhog day to see old Phil’s report, my roommate almost fell over. She had never even heard of groundhog day, and explaining it to her did not help my case for sanity. Plus we were in Florida, so winter predictions weren’t of great importance. I began to realize all new differences between growing up where it was mostly warm, to growing up in, well, Cleveland! By the time February hits, we are more than ready to turn to a tunnel dwelling marmot to give us some hope!

I can appreciate any of nature’s beauty, but I have to admit, I’ve never been a big fan of snow. I’ll bundle up with the best and get out there one way or another, snow hikes, a couple runs down the sledding hill, a wagon wheel out of foot prints etc. And I’ll have fun doing it too. But there’s always a weak spot where the snow finds its way in, and boy does that ruin the fun of a snowball fight for me.

The one thing that tops off the rush of a snowbound adventure perfectly, and makes up for what feels like must be frostbite (but never is)? SOUP! It’s the best feeling to come in from the cold, take off your 30 outer layers, toss them in the dryer and turn on the gas to warm up the soup. That’s a feeling & a memory for me from childhood that I love to recreate every year in my own home. Out of breath, rosy cheeks, settling into the couch with a blanket. Picking out a movie and waiting for the soup to warm us. That’s what makes winter worth it. Moments like these. Here’s a recipe for a soup that will defrost your frostbite, fill you up, and has a vegetarian option that I love too. Plus it doesn’t take too long, so get it to a simmer before you go out to build Olaf, then come in & enjoy!!