The object #22 Soup Tureen

Yesterday I had STASH, our small art quilt group at my house. We meet in the morning and then either we go out somewhere to lunch or the hostess serves lunch. Yesterday I cooked and we had soup, salad and bread. I served my yummy beer cheese soup in my soup tureen. The tureen was a wedding gift from my aunt and uncle. Our anniversary is next week and I have been thinking about gifts we got for our wedding. It has been 40 years (I KNOW! 40? Really?) so these items are now 40 years old and, honestly, there aren't too many of those 40 year old wedding gifts that we still have and use. The only trace of the many sets of olive green and harvest gold towels that we got are a few rags out in the garage. The three fondue pots went to Goodwill long ago, though now that fondue is kind of back, I almost wish I had saved the nicest one. It was red enamel, with a wooden knob.  I still have my stoneware dishes and stainless flatware and a few other things, but most of the wedding gifts are used up—gone.

And then there is the soup tureen. The morning of the wedding my Uncle Bill came by the house with the big white box. I could tell he was kind of proud of what he had chosen for us and wanted us to open it right away. Out came the soup tureen and when I took the lid off there was a giant sized can of Campbell's tomato soup inside. "Hmmm," I thought. "A soup tureen." I kind of liked it. It wasn't on our gift registry. Something like that hadn't even occurred to me. Most of what we needed and wanted were basic, practical items. One could live quite comfortably without a soup tureen it seemed.

Now, 40 years later that soup tureen represents hundreds of meals I have served my family and friends. We love good, hearty soups and stews. It has held chile verde, and beef Stroganoff and clam chowder and and homemade noodles and minestrone and potato soup and even Campbell's tomato. Often we dish up our soup from the pot on the stove, but when things are a little special, I pull out the tureen and there is something I love about seeing it passed around the table and the feel of its extra generous ladle, dishing up something warm and delicious. When we were first married and began inviting our parents or friends over for meals, as poor as we truly were, I always felt I could make a meal feel like a party by using some of the nice dishes and serving pieces our families had given with such love. I silently thank my Uncle Bill every time I use the soup tureen and every time I shop for a gift for someone's wedding I think of the soup tureen and hope I can choose something that perfect.