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I'm just starting this out to see how things go and hopefully I can really make this look good, so this will change soon
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Snowed In Soup The storm came in like a wall, white and unyielding, swallowing the road at the end of the Hawkins’s family driveway until it no longer looked like a road at all, just a smooth, endless field of snow. Wind howled against the house, rattling the windows as if trying to be let in. Inside, the heater hummed bravely against the cold, and the Hawkins family clustered together in layers of sweaters and thick socks, the smell of coffee and cocoa drifting through the living room.
Austin stood by the front window, hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie, watching snow stack itself higher against the porch rail. The Christmas lights still blinked along the eaves, stubborn red and green dots glowing through the gray. It should have felt peaceful, and it mostly did, but there was tension too. Christmas dinner had been planned down to the smallest detail.
From the kitchen came the soft buzz of a phone.
Vera Hawkins frowned at the screen, then let out a slow breath. She set the phone down and looked up at her family. “Well,” she said, clapping her hands together with forced cheer, “That settles it. Walmart canceled the order. Roads are officially closed.”
Jena, Austin's middle sister, groaned from the couch. “You’re kidding.”
Helen, Austin's oldest sister, leaned over the armrest. “So...no Christmas dinner?”
Raina, Austin's youngest sister, curled up on the floor in a blanket, peeking up. “We’re not surviving on cereal, are we?”
Justin Hawkins, Austin’s dad, chuckled from his recliner. “Hey, I grew up on worse. But your mother’s already planning something, I can tell.”
Vera smiled, with that familiar look crossing her face, the one that meant she refused to be beaten by circumstances. “We’ve got a fridge, a freezer, and a house full of stubborn people. We’ll figure it out.”
Austin laughed softly. “That usually means an experiment.”
“Exactly,” Vera said. “Now come on. Kitchen meeting.”
They crowded into the kitchen as the storm roared louder outside. Cabinets opened, drawers slid out, and the refrigerator door stayed wide open as Vera and the girls began pulling items onto the counter.
“Let’s see what we’re working with,” Vera said.
Out came leftover pizza wrapped in foil. Tomatoes. Potatoes with dirt still clinging to them. Broccoli, celery, a half-used bottle of tomato sauce. Bell peppers and onions. Butter. A container of chicken stock from a dinner a few nights earlier. Carrots, rutabagas, and finally, Vera held up two ears of corn like trophies.
Justin leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. “That’s not nothing.”
From the freezer, Austin confirmed, “There’s a roast and a pack of burgers, but they’re frozen solid.”
“Those can wait,” Vera decided. “What we’re making tonight doesn’t need a schedule.”
Jena raised an eyebrow. “So what are we making?”
Vera looked at the spread, then at her kids. “Soup. A real, hearty, ‘we survived the storm’ soup.”
Raina grinned. “Storm soup sounds legendary.”
The kitchen shifted from inventory to action. Helen washed vegetables at the sink while Jena chopped onions, blinking back tears. Raina took on carrots and celery, humming softly. Austin peeled and diced potatoes, the steady rhythm grounding him as the wind screamed outside.
Justin stepped in to help without being asked, cutting the corn from the cob and stacking cutting boards out of the way. “I’ll stay out of trouble,” he said lightly.
Butter melted in a large pot, filling the air with warmth. Onions went in first, sizzling loudly, followed by bell peppers. Austin stirred as the vegetables softened, releasing a rich, comforting smell.
“Okay,” Austin said, glancing at the foil-wrapped pizza, “we’re really doing this?”
Vera laughed. “It’s already bread, sauce, and cheese. We’ll let it become something new.”
They added celery, carrots, rutabaga, and potatoes, stirring until everything glistened. Tomatoes followed, then the chicken stock, steam blooming upward as the pot came to life. Vera poured in the last of the tomato sauce, scraping the bottle clean.
“Seasoning?” Helen asked.
“Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a couple of soy bullion cubes.” Vera said. “And confidence.”
Austin sprinkled carefully, tasting as they went. The soup simmered, thickening, the sound steady and soothing. When the pizza was finally chopped and dropped in, everyone paused.
Jena shook her head. “This feels wrong.”
Justin grinned. “So did indoor plumbing once.”
Corn kernels went in next, bright and cheerful, followed by broccoli at the end. The pot looked full, colorful, and unexpectedly promising.
When Vera declared it ready, she ladled the soup into bowls and passed them around the table. Outside, the storm raged on, but inside, the house felt warm and alive.
Austin took the first bite. The soup was rich and filling, tomato-based with deep savory notes from the stock. The vegetables were tender, the potatoes hearty. The pizza had melted into the broth, adding body and comfort in a way no one could have predicted.
“This is actually amazing,” Austin said.
Raina nodded enthusiastically. “Storm soup for every holiday.”
Jena laughed. “Best canceled order ever.”
Justin raised his bowl slightly. “To being stuck together.”
After dinner, Vera wrote the recipe down on a scrap of paper, smiling as she titled it.
Hawkin's Family throw together Soup (Christmas Edition)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
1 rutabaga, peeled and diced
3-4 potatoes, diced
2-3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 bottle tomato sauce
4-5 cups chicken stock
2-3 slices leftover pizza, chopped
Kernels from 2 corn on the cob
1 cup broccoli florets
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
Soy bullion cubes (Optional)
Instructions:
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.
Add onion and bell peppers; cook until softened.
Stir in celery, carrots, rutabaga, and potatoes.
Add tomatoes, chicken stock, and tomato sauce; simmer.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add pizza and corn; cook 15-20 minutes.
Add broccoli for the final 5 minutes.
Serve hot with family and a winter storm outside.
Word Count: 995
Written for: "The Writer's Cramp 24th Birthday" 
Prompt: Write a story or poem about being stuck inside with loved ones by extreme weather, and creating a new soup recipe with whatever ingredients they can pull together from the kitchen. Include the experience of making the soup, AND the recipe they come up with (and if it's any good)! |
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