Momma Said

By Teri Cayton
The Parsons Advocate

I am writing this before “Snowmageddon” hits and I hope all of us make it out unscathed. This will be like the days when I was a kid. It was nothing to get 12 to 14 inches of snow overnight. One this we did that is not done today was not miss school. We went every day without fail. Momma Said, “Things were uphill both ways in those days.”

Listening to people today is like this is the end of the world. Well, let me tell you, we can live through this it has been done before. I am sure there are people alive today that has not seen weather like this. If people just use their brains and not go off the deep end, it is just going to be another day.

This is what we looked forward to, sledding all day, building snow fort and having snowball fights, we even made igloos when we got enough snow. We had to work as well, shoveling a path to the wood shed, shoveling out the car, yes, we didn’t have a 4×4 it was just a rear wheel drive and cleaning out the driveway. Then just as we got all the snow out of the driveway, the snow plow would come along and fill it all in again. Momma Said, “Good times had by all.”

We learned to drive in this kind of weather and it could get a little sketchy but if you were taught the right way, it was a piece of cake. Today, kids can’t drive in the best of weather, but I think they need to be taught about this in Driver’s Ed. The only problem with that is if it snows enough to learn, they close all the schools so there goes that theory.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1⁄2 onion, chopped

• 1⁄4 cup melted butter

• 1⁄4 cup flour

• 2 cups milk

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 1 1⁄2 cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets

• 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots

• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

• 2 1⁄2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Using a skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and sauté the onions until translucent. This may take up to 5 minutes. Set aside, off the heat, when ready.

• In a large saucepan, whisk together 1/4 cup of melted butter with the flour, cooking over medium-low heat.

• Cook until the flour is no longer grainy, stirring continuously – add 1-3 tablespoons of milk to keep the flour from burning. This may take 3-4 minutes.

• Slowly pour the rest of the milk, whisking continuously, into the flour and butter mix.

• Stir the chicken stock into the saucepan and bring to a simmer.

• Cook for about 20 minutes, until the mix has thickened.

• Add the broccoli, carrots, sautéed onion, and celery to the thickened soup and simmer until the vegetables are fork-tender. This may take up to 20 minutes.

• Stir in the shredded cheese, mixing until the cheese has melted.

• Salt and pepper to taste.