Sunset, soup, simple rhythms
The other day I pulled a chicken out of the oven for the first time since early June.
"Monday chicken!" exclaimed my son, happily. "It's been a long time!"
Our Monday chicken gets stripped after dinner, and the bones/skin/joints/organs go into a pot with water and a few plugs of apple cider vinegar to simmer over night.
Monday chicken, Tuesday soup.
It's a rhythm that marks the passage of weeks, the turning of the seasons.
It calms us with a subtle embrace of simple, routine nourishment.
In "the olden days" a well-off family would enjoy a Sunday roast of some kind, and essentially eat leftovers for the rest of the week (documented in oral history, old movies, cookbooks, novels... check out Beverly Cleary's children's books).
What's up with today's expectations of different flavors and cuisines at every meal?
On Tuesday soup night we also had soccer practice, right at dinner time.
I prefer to eat early so our stomachs can empty before bed (for better digestion, deeper sleep, and to reduce inappropriate bacterial growth in the small intestine).
So I ladeled two servings of soup into a two-bowl tiffin container, grabbed some spoons, the dog, my son and the bag of soccer balls and off we went to soccer practice.
After practice, my son goofed around with friends before settling in for dinner, and I was in no rush to leave because we had our dinner, still hot, and a lovely view of the sunset behind the mountains across the play field.
We took our dog out to play and then drove home: tired, calm and glowing from that sunset, bellies warmed by that soup.
I cleaned up the kitchen (easy).
My son packed his lunch (lettuce, chicken nuggets, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, saurekraut, sunflower seeds, and made his coconut cream dessert - with vanilla, stevia glycerite, and a pinch of salt).
We had plenty of time to talk and read before bed.
This is precious connection time as he gets older and more independent.
After hectic (and fun!) months without much routine, it felt good - like coming home.
What simple dinners support your rhythms?