Cooked Goose

I am not a good cook.
Not even average.
I have no natural flare.
Recipes do not work for me either.
I can follow one to a tee and have complete failure.
Whatever it takes, I just don't have "it".
My Mamaw had "it".
My Mom has "it".
Both of my sisters have "it"...
"It" evidently skipped me.

I've been sort of melancholy and craving the past.
Homemade vegetable soup with cornbread were what my Mom liked to fix on cool autumn days.
I can taste it whenever I think about it.
(Yes, it's that good!)

Whilst perusing the heat-and-eat section of the supermarket, I spotted frozen mixed vegetables with a recipe for "Savory Vegetable Soup" on the back of the package. It didn't look like it would be that challenging.

SNORT.

I snatched up the few required ingredients and trotted happily back home to my cozy (cough...cough...) kitchen... Enthused about pulling out the stock pot for the first time in ages. Well, maybe not ages. A few weeks ago, I tried out a new recipe for chili. I'm the only one that ate 2 bowlfuls. Cap'n Chaos and Sweetums each had 1. The rest sat in the fridge. Untouched. For a whole week. But... I digress...

I added all the yum-yum goodiness to the pot, and, in no time, the whole house was filled with the aroma of autumn. There was actual humming and tummy rubbing going on...

The anticipation was delicious! :o)

About midway through the souping process, Cap'n Chaos called. One of the sisterwomen was coming over. They decided we were going out to eat. Okay... Soup will keep overnight... It would possibly even be better the next day.

Cap'n Chaos tastes the soup.

"There's no beef in it. It would be better with beef." - Chaos

"That would make it vegetable beef soup." - Mayhem

"Grunt." - Chaos

"I want veggie soup. Not veggie-beef soup." - Mayhem

"It needs to cook longer." - Chaos

"I know." - Mayhem

The texture of the frozen veggies is not mushy.

I don't like mushy veggies.

I hear all about how good the vegetable soup is that one of his co-workers makes. Um... Good for her.

I hear all about how good the vegetable soup is that Capn' Chaos's niece makes. She learned from my mother-in-law.

I see where this is going.

SIGH.

Next day...

Veggie soup happily bubbling on stove...

Cornbread golden brown. MMM...

Sweetums likes the soup.

Mayhem likes the soup.

Chaos?

"There's no beef."  It's still veggie soup. Hello.

"You used canned cabbage." The horror!

"It has too much black pepper." ARGH.

It's been almost a week.

The soup is sitting in the fridge.

Untouched.

RAWR.