Monthly Musings
The more I thought about what I wanted to write this month, the more anxious I started to feel. Everything I thought of ended up feeling kind of…blah. Nothing felt interesting or captivating or exciting enough. I figured if I'm not invested in writing it, then why would anyone else be invested in reading it? I felt this self-imposed pressure to share something grand and full and “good”. And of course, it’s one of those funny things, where the more I thought about it, all of my moments of “good” are exactly that — moments. So this month I’m going to share with you the moments that have brought me joy and feel grand and full all on their own. xxEmmy
I happend to look at our baby monitor right when my son woke up. He looked around, went to get a drink of water, and then went over and climbed into his sister’s bed and promptly fell back asleep. Seeing their little friendship blossom has been an absolute highlight of motherhood.
I made myself a birthday cake that both tasted great and also looked almost exactly how I had envisioned it. I’m rarely proud of how my baked goods turn out, so feeling pride about something I made on my special day made it even more special.
Getting to (virtually) see one of my best pals falling in love. She’s definitely going to kill me for saying that, but it brings me indescribable joy to hear her gush and see someone care for her in the ways this man does. Getting to see the people I love get loved is 🥹.
Getting to see my lawyer dad “in action” when my husband needed legal advice. I never got to see my dad in court, but I know that he is an incredible lawyer. Hearing him ask questions and provide council, I felt like an 8 year-old again brimming with pride wanting to tell everyone who would listen that that was MY dad.
Going out to dinner with my husband and getting to connect just the two of us. We’ve always loved going out to dinner, but haven’t had as much of a chance to since having kids. It felt almost indulgent being able to give one another our undivided attention without someone smashing peas into the table or asking for more water.
Getting to share a book series with a best pal and cracking up at my phone when she texts me her commentary. I eagerly await each of her next updates and save memes I think she might laugh at. I am so grateful for her and our friendship.
My mom just being my mom. Weird rash on my thigh? Call my mom. Need kid advice? Call my mom. Question about a recipe? Call my mom. Need help turning off the water to one of my toilets? Call my mom. Bored? Call my mom. I love that I love my mom. I feel so lucky to be her daughter.
Getting to watch my husband and daughter set up a series of race tracks and race all 48 of our HotWheels cars in a multi-day tournament for them to figure out who the fastest car was. At one point while I was watching them, I realized this was the life I’d always dreamed of.
Good Soup! Getting to write this newsletter. Hopping on a call with Sie and getting to talk and laugh and cry and share our dreams for Good Soup. Getting texts about the latest soup drop and feeling so proud from afar.
Share the Good - Soup of the Month
The soup recipe this month comes from my own mama! My life has been full of delicious food and so much of it has come from my mom. We are both at home and happy in the kitchen, and I think we share the desire to nourish people. I love getting to share meals and recipes with my mom, and I love that I get to share her with all of you!
Springtime Minestrone
Here is the perfect recipe for those days when you’re leaning into spring but still want SOUP — quick and light, yet absolutely satisfying. If you can’t find baby lima beans, edamame (shelled soybeans) fit the bill nicely. Further options for swapping in would be vegetable broth for the chicken broth, cannellini for the butter beans, or arugula pesto for the basil pesto. Have fun with it!
Ingredients
8 oz. spaghetti
8 oz. asparagus
4 oz. baby lima beans
4 oz. baby peas
4 cups vegan chicken or veggie broth
14 oz. can butter beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbs. basil pesto, plus more for drizzling
½ tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add salt. Break the spaghetti into short lengths and add to pot. Cook until just done. Drain and rinse with cold water, then set aside.
Cut the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and place in a large pot, along with the lima beans and peas. Pour over the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, beans, pesto, and salt. Grind over fresh black pepper to taste. Warm through, then ladle into bowls and top each with a drizzle of pesto.
Hot Stuff
Sharing the top 5 things that are always on my shopping list or end up in my shopping cart!
What’s In My Cart?
Strawberries or blueberries - my kids eat an insane amount of fruit and I love that for them. I wish someone told me about the “berry budget” before having kids but c’est la vie.
Pretzels - I have been on such a pretzel kick recently! I love a little salty snack. I feel like pretzels can stand alone to be enjoyed plain, but are also the perfect vehicle for a dip.
Vegan chicken bouillon cubes - These little cubes go way beyond just stock at our house. They are salty and add the perfect little bit of flavor to sooo many dishes. I love to make my favorite quick “Alfredo” sauce with them.
Broccoli - this is maybe too boring to be on here but I eat broccoli at least once a day. And it’s definitely not for my health because my favorite thing to do is dip broccoli in mayo (mayo hate will not be tolerated!!! tyvm). I really just love broccoli.
A little treat - okay this one is less specific but I always pick up a little sweet something. Lately I’ve been loving the Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Cocomels and the TCHO Toffee Time chocolate bars. YUM.
Soup’s On!
If you’re local to Winston Salem our next soup drop is coming up. Turn on your Instagram notifications to be alerted sign-ups are open or send us a DM to claim a bowl!
If you have a monthly musing or a soup recipe you’d like to share, please email us at hellogoodsoup@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you!
You can find us on Instagram @itsgoodsoup or coming soon to TikTok @hello_goodsoup.