Hi again, friends. I took a four-month sabbatical from blogging and I'm finally back. I figured I've put in my time and deserved that break. Kidding. There have been many, many things going on and I just couldn't find the time to "write" it all down anymore. One of the biggest changes was Wyatt's autism diagnosis in September. I think one of my last posts was about our struggle in deciding whether to seek an evaluation or not. But I'm glad we did. He immediately began behavioral therapy and an earlier start could mean earlier progress. And we are already seeing lots of it. We love that P-word around here. Progress. Progress. Progress. It's like a synonym for the word "joy" in our household.
Anyway, I'm sure I will get into more that later. For now, I couldn't think of a better segue back into the blogosphere than with a food post. Duh. Me and food are like BFFs. We go way back. And, plus, I got a cool new kitchen gadget that I was excited to use. It's been really chilly lately and I thought I'd share one of my favorite cold weather meals. Homemade, creamy, chunky tomato soup and grilled cheese. Mmm hmmmm.
I'm going to put the recipe at the end because I hate my view of delicious food photos being interrupted by words. Who cares if those words are telling me how to make said delicious food. I just want to see photos. I'm a visual learner. And also a visual eater.
Chop chop chop.
The smell is incredible. Onion, garlic, carrots, celery and basil all stirring in harmony to become a glorious pot of soup. Add a can of tomatoes, chicken stock, and half and half and they may now all live together in peace. In my belly.
This is the new kitchen gadget that I acquired this Christmas - an immersion blender. I've never owned one, nor have I ever used one. *gasp* I know. But, I am now hooked. It definitely beats pouring the soup into a food processor and processing three cups at a time. The cleanup is much less, too, so that's an even bigger plus.
I did learn two things from this novel-to-me cooking method:
1) Do not lift the blender from the soup while it is running or sh*t will hit the fan. Literally.
2) I need an apron. I can't believe I don't have one of those, either. It's a season of firsts, my friends.
Just in case you aren't down with the get down on how to make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich, please allow me to educate you on this very important life skill.
Simple ingredients: bread, two slices of cheese, a slice of ham, and butter. Please, don't forget the butter. No one wants to eat a profaned grilled cheese sandwich. Not even kidding.
Spread the butter on the outsides of the sandwich and stick it in your Foreman grill.
And no, I do not put harmonicas in my grilled cheese. It gives a metallic aftertaste that I'm not fond of. Though, with four little ones on winter break running around the house all day, you never know what you'll find in your meals around here.
The finished product. Pure bliss.
I like to put hot sauce in my tomato soup, preferably the Hot & Spicy variety from Lauren & Jorge's wedding over two years ago. Hot sauce doesn't go bad, right? Oh well....
Creamy, Chunky Tomato Soup
Saute the following for about 10 minutes:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp dried basil
Add the following and simmer until veggies are very tender, about 15 minutes:
28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, Italian-style has good flavor
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup half and half
salt and pepper to taste
When veggies are very soft, blend with immersion blender until smooth, but still a little chunky.0
Enjoy!
