Barefoot Memories of a Hillbilly - Tater Soup to End the Day

Tater Soup to End the Day

Pap and Mom are working to fix and improve the old baccer stripping house out near the barn. Each day we've gotten off the bus this week, Mom has hollered from the baccer house to change clothes and git to work. The Brothers have been getting in early from school to help out. They're thinking to finish the roof today and work on the inside on Saturday; then we will finally have it done. After changing clothes we set about getting our work done. The Baby Sisters have things to do and I'm gonna do the days dishes before starting some supper. With Mom milking in the morning and then working at the baccer shed everyday, they snack for lunch or share soup, and head back to the job, which leaves us to do the breakfast and dinner dishes. There's not too awful many, at least not like there will be after supper.

Even though I'm only 11, I can still handle the big iron skillets and know how to cook simple meals for our crowd, though I'm getting dishpan hands pretty much, since I work in the kitchen at Tyner school doing dishes to pay for my lunch. It's a program where people who need help can work to pay for their lunch. So at 11 o'clock, when the others gather for study hall, some of us head for the cafeteria to help clean tables, empty trays, wash trays and pots and pans. I'm not sure my hands would know how to act out of water these days. Even though my hands are sore, they're nothing like Mom's. She's allergic to the cows, and milking causes her hands to blister and break open. She has to wear gloves to milk, and then with working near baccer, those blisters get even worse. Her hands look awfully painful.

After peeling enough taters to feed a multitude, and stirring up enough bread to cover the same multitude, I figure tater soup would do the trick. I'm not a fan of tater soup, but it is filling and easy to do. Oldest Sister taught me how to sautéed diced bacon and onions to add to the soup to make it richer and of course I’ll add plenty of pepper. When Mom comes in she will slightly mash the diced taters and add some whole milk to the pot to enrich it even more. It may not look like much, but with lots of crusty bread and onion on the side too, and cold glasses of milk it will do the job.

I can hear the bunch crossing the yard, meaning they must have finished their work for the day, which means we can all rest a bit easier. Saturday, after Mom and Pap gets back from grocery shopping the finishing of the inside will begin. Guess I'd better get the table set and milk poured, cause there's gonna be a bunch of people around this table very soon.

I wear shoes now, but sometimes I have barefoot memories.