Sharing a Hot Meal with Co-Workers on a Cold Day Brings You Closer

We continue to suffer record low temperatures here in the Ozarks. A couple days ago I texted two of my co-workers and asked them how they felt about putting on a crock pot full of chili the next morning so everyone could have a good hot meal for lunch. They agreed that was a good idea, and we all brought a few things to contribute.

We keep a crock pot, frying pan, stock pot, and a few spices at the office, so we already had a good start. We used four pounds of ground beef, a couple kinds of chili beans, cumin, chili powder, chili seasoning, garlic salt, tomato sauce, and some crushed tomatoes with cilantro and lime to make our chili.

One of the guys brought some hot dogs and buns. Someone brought shredded cheese and sour cream. Of course, we had to have corn chips, too. By the time we were finished putting it all together, we had a hearty lunch on what turned out to be the coldest day of the year so far. The high was 8 degrees that day.

Since our office doesn’t close for lunch, we don’t usually take our meal breaks together. In addition, we have a crew that works off-site out in the weather, and they rarely come back to the office for lunch. That’s what made this impromptu gathering special. We all met in our little cooking area, filled our plates and bowls, and had a great time. We stood around and told funny stories, talked about how we used to actually enjoy winter when we were kids, and of course football. The Superbowl is coming up soon, and everyone seems to have an opinion about it.

My co-workers are good people. I couldn’t ask for any better. It doesn’t matter what the topic, they usually have me laughing by the end of the conversation. We even tell each other corny jokes once in a while. For example: What do you call a fake noodle? Ready? An impasta! That one is my personal favorite.

If you must have a day job, having one where your co-workers are like family is the way to go. Sharing a hot meal with them on a frigid day feeds more than just your belly. It feeds your good spirits, too.

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