soup swap '09

if there is a better way to 1)entertain a group of friends; 2) share your love of good food; and 3) stock your freezer before heading out of town for a week, i don't even want to know about it! because after three years of swapping soup, i am fairly convinced that knox gardner and the original soup swappers have created brilliance!

Third Thursday happened to land on the night before i left town for a week in New Orleans. now, your average hostess might be a little daunted by the prospect of having more than a dozen guests over when she should be doing laundry and packing. but, not a Soup Swap hostess!! i'm telling you, once you've made and frozen your own soup contribution, Soup Swap basically takes care of itself!

gathering for the Telling of the Soup. (see those two adorable little soup afficianados dressed in pink? hard to believe they weren't even around when we started swapping soup three years ago!)

the Telling is an awesome opportunity to share your love of soup, your inspiration for this years contribution, and the nutritional and/or caloric content of your soup. (is it any surprise that the soup that was described as "SO not good for you" was the first to be snatched up?)

of course, you know everyone only comes to Swap because of the awesome prizes!! (just kidding, of course.) this year, the Silver Ladle was offered up to the first soup chosen from the table. (by the way, i found the inspiration for the Silver Ladle, and TONS of other great ideas, on the National Soup Swap site.) there were soup bowls for the first soup gone, and, of course a little something for the last soup to be picked. there's no shame in last people! especially when you see what we had to choose from this year:

Save the Squirrels" Brunswick Stew (oh, how we appreciate the fact that no squirrels were harmed in this *adaptation* of a traditional recipe...)
Any Day Chili
Potato Leek
Southwestern Soup
Santa Fe Soup
Beer Cheese Bacon Soup
Spicy Tomato
Potato Spinach Tomato Soup
Sausage & Peppers Soup
Buffalo Chicken Soup
Ma's Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Pepper Pot

(links to many of these recipes found here.)

you bet that's my soup, all decked out in football regalia! do you think i was being too pushy by offering Superbowl cocktail napkins to the person who grabbed my soup first? hah! there is nothing quite like the thrill of hearing a plastic football whistle blown when someone scores a quart of Buffalo Chicken Soup!

it was hotly contested this year that i might, or might not, have told a new swapper that we brought pints of soup, instead of quarts. did she stay home with her soup and sulk? no way! she supplemented! a half dozen, still-warm(!) chocolate chip cookies to go with an awesome soup? i think my friend crystal has stumbled upon a winning recipe!

you should always take a picture of the full bounty of soup swap. there really is nothing so pleasing on a cold winter's night. six of these delicious quarts (well, five quarts and one pint) ended up in my freezer that night. my only regret about swapping the night before heading out of town for a week, was that the tasting would have to wait!