by Debora Morris

Created on: March 01, 2010   Last Updated: March 05, 2010

Mom loved to cook for her family and friends.  When I was in high school I could smell her homemade bread and cinnamon rolls baking before I even reached our front door.  Her pies, especially her banana and coconut cream pies, were often requested by members of her church for church functions. When you visited Mom's at Thanksgiving and Christmas, you knew you wouldn't leave the house empty-handed, Mom would always have a tin of cookies, nut rolls, or a whole pie for you to take home!

When Mom passed-on five years ago I inherited her "cookbook," a steno book filled with her recipes. However, I found out quickly that inheriting the cookbook did not make me the awesome cook and baker that Mom was!  And, one of my favorite dishes, homemade vegetable soup,  was in her cookbook!

Mom would make homemade soup and bread at the end of January as a birthday treat for my daughter, Amy and me.  Mom made enough soup and bread to give to the whole family: Aunt Dee, Cousin Sheila and her husband, Mike, my brother David, all three of my daughters as well as Leonard and me.  Even after giving each of us large Tupperware bowls of soup there would still be enough left over for Mom and Dad  to share with friends that might stop by.  Mom always made at least ten loaves of homemade bread, not the frozen bread dough homemade bread, or the bread machine homemade bread, but homemade that she mixed, kneaded, shaped and baked from scratch!

After Mom's funeral I found a bowl of soup frozen in the freezer.  I defrosted the soup and heated it up for dinner one winter evening, noting what the ingredients were.  For the past four years after Christmas I have tried in vain to make what is now known as "Grandma's Soup," but according to my family, my version is just not the same.  "Too tomato-ee" my husband announces, buttering a slice of homemade bread (courtesy of Rhodes Frozen Bread Dough), "There's something missing, mom, it's not as good as Grandma's," my daughter tells me bluntly.

I discuss my trials of making the soup with my cousin Sheila.  "Tomato juice, beef, and vegetables," she tells me.  

Did that.

I call Auntie Carol.  "Do you have a recipe for the soup written down anywhere?  Did Grandma Bennett write it her cookbook?"

"No.  She had the ingredients memorized.  So do I."

I'm not above begging.

"Auntie Carol, PLEASE send me an e-mail with your recipe for Soup!"

Earlier this week I received an e-mail from Auntie Carol with a list of ingredients and instructions on how she makes the soup. Yesterday, following her instructions exactly, I made "Grandma's Soup."

"Too tomato-ee," my husband said, smiling, as he helped himself to a third bowl of soup to go with his third slice of bread.

Recipe for Grandma's Vegetable Soup 

1. Handful of dry lima beans and cut-up hunks of beef.  Cook in water for about an hour to hour and a half.

2. Next add salt and pepper, 3/4 package of baby carrots and a half a head of cabbage cut up fine.  Cook for 1/2 hour.

3. Add 4 cut-up potatoes, cook for another 1/2 hour.  Add 1/4 cup rice or alphabet noodles and a can of tomato juice.  Add any other vegetables you desire - corn, peas, green beans, zucchini, etc.

4. Let simmer for as long as you like (all day is best). Add more water as needed.

(Recipe courtesy of Auntie Carol Brenzy)

 Note: If you are not a beef eater, add chicken instead of the beef.

Learn more about this author, Debora Morris.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.