• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Good Grief Cook
  • Home
  • ABOUT
  • Privacy Policy 2025
  • Recipe Index
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Grief Lessons
  • ABOUT
  • Subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Grief Lessons
  • ABOUT
  • Subscribe
ร—
Home ยป Recipes ยป Grief Lessons

How You Respond Matters: Grief Tip

Published: Feb 8, 2023 ยท Modified: Jan 27, 2025 by Lisa Keys ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท 3 Comments

16 shares
Jump to Recipe

Last Updated on January 27, 2025 by Lisa Keys

Steve Leder poem.

If you have never lost a child, consider yourself lucky. While you can imagine it, you certainly don't want to. You just can't know how it really feels and I hope you never do. So, this, what to say grief tip, is for you. Listen carefully. It is a gift for both you and the griever. I hope you will receive it well. Just know that how you respond matters.

Have you ever been to a party or a meeting where you donโ€™t really know people. You see a friendly face and greet them with the usual getting to know you questions. At some point the subject of children may come up. Do you have any? Get ready as you are about to be caught off guard. "I have two children, but one has passed away"....

What you say matters. How you respond matters. Do you have the ability to show up? Ten to one you feel awkward, uncomfortable and want to change the subject. That's normal. Your knee-jerk reaction is to blurt out an "I'm sorry" which is typical. However, if you really want to show some courage, compassion, empathy...you might instead say, "I'm sorry to hear you lost a child, but if you feel like talking, I'd like to hear more about your children."

A griever can be surprised to find that the ones who show up for them are not the ones they expected. All too often it is a stranger rather than the one they absolutely thought would be there for them.

So, I surprised myself by creating an award winning oyster soup. This recipe for Creamy Oyster Potato Leek Soup won first place at the National Oyster Festival held in St. Mary's, MD. Even more of a surprise it won Best Presentation, too.

Creamy oyster potato leek soup.
Creamy oyster potato leek soup.

Creamy Oyster Potato and Leek Soup

Lisa Keys
Award winning recipe and so easy to make.
5 from 1 vote
Prevent your screen from going dark
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course soups and stews
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 258 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 leeks, thinly sliced including an inch of the green
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled, diced
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ยผ teaspoon white pepper
  • โ…› teaspoon nutmeg
  • ยฝ cup half and half
  • 18 freshly shucked oysters plus their liquor
  • 4 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
  • Snipped fresh chives

Instructions
 

  • Melt butter in a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add leeks and onion. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.
  • Add potatoes, broth, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
  • Puree in a blender or food processor. Using a fine sieve, strain soup back into pot.
  • Add half and half and oyster liquor; bring to a simmer. Taste and correct seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.
  • Add oysters to hot soup and cook for just 1 minute. Scoop out oysters and place 3 in each serving bowl.
  • Ladle in hot soup. Sprinkle with bacon and chives.ย 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 258kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 9gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 683mgPotassium: 765mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1.186IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 83mgIron: 3mg
Keyword first course, main dish, oyster stew, potato leek soup
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
What you say matters and how you present it. I won the best presentation trophy.

More Grief Lessons

  • Levain oatmeal raisin cookies.
    Levain Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Miso Glazed Walnuts
  • Lattice lemon meringue pie.
    Easy Lemon Meringue Pie and Dreams
  • Spinning out of control spiral graphic.
    Spinning Out of Control
  • Lemon ginger cookies.
    When Lemon Ginger Cookies Spiral

Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 1 vote

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating





  1. Merry Ryser Graham

    February 09, 2023 at 11:43 am

    What a gorgeous presentation. And Congrats on first place. I am going to share your recipe with my daughter ~ they love oysters.

    Reply
    • Lisa

      February 09, 2023 at 2:48 pm

      Thanks. The photo here is the one from home. Sadly, I did not get a photo of my dish at the contest. It featured a soup terrine that belonged to my mom, silver ladle and spoons from my mother in-law and a gold tray borrowed from my daughter. (it takes a village). Just a classic look of a classic style soup.I love that trophy more than the prize money.

      Reply
  2. Lisa Keys

    December 06, 2023 at 7:42 am

    5 stars
    This is a classic potato leek soup with fresh oysters. If you are not an oyster fan feel free to go without or add another shellfish to the dish. Allergic to seafood? Add mushrooms.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Me and my son.

Hi, I'm Lisa! Welcome to Good Grief Cook.

I am serving up award winning recipes and lessons in grief.

More about me here.

Popular

  • Kataifi wrapped pesto shrimp.
    Shrimp Appetizers with Pesto and Kataifi
  • Easy Showstopper Pesto Appetizers.
    Star Bread Pesto Appetizer
  • Blueberry bread pudding.
    The Best Blueberry Bread Pudding at the Bench
  • Dipping a sandwich with chips on the side.
    French Dip Sandwich Recipe

Footer

back to top

  • Home
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Copyright 2025 Good Grief Cook

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.