Oyster Stew/perfect day...29º

Oyster Stew (borrowed from the internet.)

I haven't always been a fan of oyster stew...Way back in time my Mom, on a cold blustery evening, would open two small cans of oysters (the only way they were available to us in the 1950's) and make oyster stew for my Dad...The smell coming from the can made my nose wrinkle up in distaste...She quickly dumped the oysters and liquid into a sauce pan added, cream, milk, salt/pepper and heated it to just below a boil...This was now poured into a flat soup bowl, a dollop of butter floated on the top, tiny oyster crackers on the side...Dad ate it with gusto, a welcome change to our diet of beef, pork and lamb.

Smattering of snow.

Mom ate a small bowl of the stew and the rest of our family had a different kind of soup (maybe chicken noodle) that tasted better than usual because we also were treated to oyster crackers on the side...The oyster stew smelled better after it was heated and Mom would offer me a taste from her bowl... "Della, you don't have to eat an oyster, just taste the broth." Over time I developed a liking for oyster stew, so when I married into the Allen Family and they always had oyster stew for Christmas Eve supper, I didn't wrinkle up my nose but dove right in...It has become a tradition at our house on Christmas Eve although to please all palates we serve oyster stew and/or clam chowder, sans oyster crackers...Toasted, crunchy sourdough bread is usually served.

Might be the only sun we see today.

I don't limit oyster stew to Christmas, and on our recent trip to Costco I spied the large jar of oysters and added them to our cart....Oyster stew yesterday and fried oysters for dinner today...It snowed just a skiff last night perfect weather for oysters....Hugs To All...OWAV:)