Soup's On!

I was flipping through one of my favorite cookbooks, FamilyFun Cookbook, and searching for something new to try when I discovered that January is considered National Soup Month.  What?  They have a month to celebrate everything!  However, I consider soup something worth celebration.  On a cold winters day, especially a snowy one, there is nothing better than the smell of a pot of soup cooking and then warming up while eating a bowl.  Pure comfort. 

To celebrate National Soup Month we are bringing you a week of soup recipes.  Looking for even more recipes?  Type soup into the handy search feature there to the right.  Go ahead, give it a try.  You'll find we've already provided you with tons of tasty options!  There is sure to be a recipe to fit everyone's taste buds.  Before I part I want to provide you with some tips and fun facts courtesy of my FamilyFun Cookbook.

Tips:
Make extras and freeze!  Soup keeps up to three months in the freezer.  The morning you plan to eat the soup, put it in the fridge and by the end of the day it will be thawed enough to warm on the stove top or in the microwave. 

Always serve bread with soup.  This makes the soup becomes a well-balanced and substantial meal. 

Invite people over for soup!  You don't need to cook an elaborate meal for guests.  By serving soup you will only dirty one pot and your guests will feel welcome and satisfied.

Get your kids involved!  They can help wash, chop and dice veggies to throw in the pot.

Use coffee cups for no-slurp, no-mess soup eating.  Pour your soup into the mug and skip the spoon.

Fun Facts:
The first bowl of soup was made of hippopotamus bones, and was served in 6,000 B.C.

Early spoons were thin, concave pieces of wood to dip into foods that were too thick to drink.

Americans slurp up more than 10 billion bowls of soup each year.  That's about 38 bowls per person.

What are some of your favorite soups?