Hot soup for a Hygge evening

     There's been a lot of social medial discussion about Hygge this winter. Hygge is a Danish term (pronounced hoo-gah) and a Scandinavian practice to create a cozy atmosphere during the long winter. The Scandinavian origin is to "cherish oneself, to keep or make one's self snug". It is about enjoying simple pleasures of friends, family and graciousness. The Danes are said to be the happiest people in the world, so they must be on to something. 

    Although our winters aren't usually terribly long like theirs, and our temps this year have bounced from 6 degrees to 60 degrees, I thought this sounded like a good idea. What's not to like about soft music, candles, warm decor, popcorn, hot and hardy foods, and warm drinks? 

     So for a recent UMW gathering, that is what we planned. To focus on a conscious appreciation of just being present and to simply enjoy being together. I promised no business meeting, just asked women of our church to come and enjoy an evening together. We dimmed the lights in a classroom, brought in softer seating and an electric flame heater (to mimic an old fashioned warm stove), and the office secretary brought her beautiful vases of Valentine flowers. We enjoyed visiting, a short devotional, and some chair yoga. Warm soups and tasty desserts (as well as some leftover Valentine's Day candy) were the meal. 

I made this Southwest Potato-Corn Chowder as well as the
Toasted Cardamon Nordic Crown bread from NFOB.

SOUTHWEST POTATO-CORN CHOWDER

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 ½ pounds red potatoes (about 5), peeled, cubed

1 small onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 can (10¾ oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

3 cups milk

8 oz pasteurized process cheese food (like Velveeta)

1 package (10 oz) frozen corn, thawed

¼ tsp. pepper

Directions:

Cook bacon in a large saucepan until crisp, stirring frequently. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings in pan. Drain bacon on paper towels.

Add potatoes, onions and celery to drippings; cook and stir 2 minutes.

Stir in soup and milk; bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients; cook 5 minutes or until process cheese food is completely melted and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Note: I increased the amounts slightly for our gathering, more potatoes and milk. You can thin with additional milk or chicken broth if the chowder gets too thick. You could also add some chopped chicken along with the cheese food, corn and pepper. 

This soup stays warm well in the slow cooker

We enjoyed eating as well as visiting!