It might be February and still cold so how about some soup? C'mon, cold day,warm soup, there's nothing better. Whether it be a chowder, a vegetable soup or even some kind of broth there are very few food items that warm you up like a nice steaming bowl of soup.

You know when you start thinking about the soup that you're going to have and just mention it to the people around you, co-workers, friends, even people in the grocery checkout lane, everyone has some sort of comment to make. Especially when it is ill weather outside.

Now you are all revved up to make your soup and you think that all you have to do is open the can and heat up? NOT! Grab out a heavy bottom pot or your crock pot, look in your old recipe books, find whatever you have in the fridge and cook your little heart out .

Face it, you could do the canned soup thing but will your whole house smell like heaven as it will when you make your own from scratch? Okay I understand that you don't have all day to sit around and make soup and thecrusty bread crusty bread that would go so well as an accompaniment, neither do I. I too have a very busy life with a full household to run so we shall turn back over to the crockpot.

Yes, I said the crockpot. It is the piece of electrical equipment that usually sits in the back of the cupboard in so many households taking up space. Bust it out! Spray with some cooking spray,throw your veggies and meat and broth and spices into it the night before and set it up to go when you leave for the day. It will babysit your soup all day long without a fuss.(unlike some people we all know)

You can always stop at a bakery on your way home and pick up a loaf of some nice bread,wrap in foil and heat in oven while you get the soup and yourself ready for dinner and everyone and everything gets done at the same time.

If you want a little salad on the side go for it. Not that you need to have anything alongside a hot,steaming bowl(or two) of homemade soup.

Now that your taste buds have decided that a bowl of soup is what is for dinner tomorrow even if it is sunny out, time to look at your recipes, find your favorite,get out your crockpot and have yourself a meal and as always don't forget to KISS THE COOK!