Shannon S. McKee

musings and moments

When Quarantine Brings You Back to Table Life

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One of the things that has given me pause for thanksgiving during this season of the COVID-19 quarantine is a return to family meals.

We used to observe regular family meals here in the McKee household. For most of the elementary years, it was an assumed staple of our homelife. I cooked homemade meals most nights. On the nights that didn’t happen, we had leftovers. Occasionally we ate out or ordered pizza. At some point in there, Rick instituted a weekly ritual called Chef Rick Night. At first it was Mac N Cheese but eventually he started trying his hand at new, made-from-scratch recipes and now he has a rotation that the kids love. But, the main point is that in all of these scenarios, we sat down to eat. Together. Most nights of the week.

I grew up with a strong table life and my mom was quite confident in the kitchen. She passed that value (and its accompanying skills) on to me and it’s just something that has always been part of my homemaking. I really like to create an experience of joy and warmth at the table, often adding extra touches or lighting a candle or playing soft music in the background. This was our norm for a lot of years. (Please don’t let that put you under the pile if that’s NOT your thing. That’s not what this about. You probably have another thing that you do well that I don’t. It’s just that this is my thing.)

It was like that in our home for a lot of years. UNTIL… the kids hit the tween and teen years. Their evenings started to fill up with activity. Which coincided with a period of time in my own heart and life that was not a time of thriving. (I’ll just leave that there.) Needless to say, I stopped really fighting for table life and family meals. I didn’t invite people over as much and I wasn’t being very intentional to bring the McKee Four to the table at the same time. Family meals were happening once or twice a week a week. Maybe?

I could blame that on their schedules. Or our schedules. I could blame it on the drain of the teenage years and the accompanying tension that was sometimes at our table. I could blame it on the demands of launching a new, rapidly growing church. I could blame it on the changes to my home-work balance and schedule. I could blame it on just being sort of bored with the daily grind of cooking.

All of those are legit realities. It was really a mix of all of them. But, the bottom line is that I stopped fighting for that time. I stopped making it a priority and pushing us toward it. Both inwardly as a family and outwardly by inviting others to come into that space with us. It just sort of fell by the wayside, part of the carnage of our modern, busy lifestyle.

In recent months, some of that desire has been rekindled. We’ve been having people over for soup and bread on Sunday nights. I have been returning to planning and creating in the kitchen. I’ve been more motivated to care for my little family in that way. Most importantly, I’ve been reminded that it’s good – not just for our bodies but for our souls as well.

But even with my rekindled desire, there was still the pesky issue of our schedules. How do you stop that train once it is barreling down the tracks? Answer: a pandemic.

Hopefully that’s not what it will always take to get things turned around!! But, sometimes we need a do-over and it takes something big to get us there. I have to admit that we’ve been at the table together a lot more during this difficult season. And for that, I’m thankful.

Joanne Thompson’s book, Table Life, speaks much of what is in my heart regarding this return to the table. Things I have long held to be true. Sadly, I just haven’t practiced them as much in recent years. This season has reminded how much I do really love the Table Life aspect of community and nourishment.

In her chapter, Called to Table Life, Joanne says it this way:

Once upon many meals, Jesus – the strong man on a mission to redeem the world – took time to eat dinner. Imagine the satisfied grin on his suntanned face as he ate crispy fried fish and plump pomegranate seeds. Christ lived table life not on a television stage, but in Judean homes. Jesus needed  food, but his lifestyle also demonstrated a passionate preference for the table as an expression of the kingdom. His practice of eating meals with others in their homes was an answer to the prayer he taught his disciples, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Over meals, he connected with family, strangers, skeptics, and friends. Across the table, hearts made for relationship came alive.

My heart leaps at that line: across the table, hearts made for relationship came alive! We’ve been experiencing a bit of that in this crazy first half of 2020. And as I look to count gratitude in the midst of this challenging “Shelter In Place” season, that is one of things I’ve added to my list.

What about you? How has God used this time to rekindle one of your passions or personal disciplines?

This & That: Cream Cheese Potato Soup Recipe

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Welcome to a new addition to the blog: This & That. It will usually publish on Tuesdays, though not exclusively. It was born out of a conversation where I realized that it’s nice to share ideas and swap recipes with other women. The tried and true is always so helpful and encouraging! Sometimes it will be recipes or hospitality tips. Sometimes it will be a favorite product or idea that is really helpful in some area of life. Sometimes you’ll hear from me, sometimes from friends of mine. Pretty much you can expect, well… a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Now, on to today’s installment: my cream cheese potato soup recipe.

If you know me at all, you know that Fall is my jam. It’s my favorite season for many reasons but one of them is certainly that it’s soup season. What is it about soup? For me, it speaks warmth and care. It’s a quick and easy comfort food, especially when it’s chilly outside. A bowl of thick soup warms us inside and out. When I make soup, I feel like I’m loving my family in a very tangible way. It’s also extremely versatile. On the weekend, I can dress it up on a beautiful table with a steaming loaf of bread. Or, on one of our busier weeknights, I can put a lid on it and leave it for my busy family members to grab as they come and go.

It’s also a great crowd pleaser without breaking the bank. You can stretch it to feed more people. You can add a sandwich or bread or a small salad to quickly make it a complete meal. Or it can stand on its own. Soup can also be made ahead of time and easily reheated if need-be. I often make my soups in the crockpot before I leave in the morning. But, on the days I’m home in the afternoon, I like to have some recipes that come together easily during the hour or two before dinner. This potato soup recipe is just that. I searched high and low for a potato soup that was easy to make with lots of yummy flavor. (For example, any recipes that talked about double baking the potatoes first were immediately cast aside. Ain’t nobody got time for dat.) I found the bones for this one on the food dot com website and tweaked it to fit my family. It is a McKee family favorite – especially when paired with homemade Beer Bread.

 

Cream Cheese Potato Soup

This is a family favorite for potato soup. It's a copycat of the Panera's potato soup. I usually double the recipe for our family of four and serve it with Beer Bread. I like having it in my repertoire because it DOESN'T require a crockpot or instant pot - just a large stock pot and the good old stove top! 
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 4 cups potatoes washed and cubed
  • 1/4 cup onion minced
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
  • 1 pckg cream cheese (8 oz) cut into chunks
  • chopped green onions for garnish
  • crumbled bacon for garnish
  • shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

Instructions
 

  • In large stock pot, saute onion in butter until translucent. 
  • Add in potatoes (I prefer to leave the skins on but you can choose to peel before you cube them if you want), spices, and broth. Stir well. Boil on medium heat until potatoes are tender (approx 30 minutes). 
  • Smash a few of the potatoes to release their starch for thickening.
  • Reduce to low heat and simmer. 
  • Add cream cheese. Heat through, stirring frequently, until cheese melts.
  • When ready to serve, garnish with crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions.