twentynine:eleven: Where have you been all my life?

Galatians 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

I have never been a fan of tomato soup. Despite the fact that I am a fan of all things tomato (just not raw tomatoes themselves...or tomato juice...) the idea of plain tomato soup in theory seemed unappealing. Well, I watched my husband pine for canned tomato soup during the holidays (somehow he had already eaten lunch each time his sister heated up some of this coveted soup for her own meal and resorted to just watching her sip the steaming red liquid. That makes him sound creepy when in actuality it wasn't. Moving on.) After observing his strong desire for tomato soup I decided to take pity on this man and cook him up some homemade tomato soup. I also decided that I too would partake in a bowl. And that bowl has changed my entire perspective on tomato soup. Why did no one tell me what I was missing all these years??? This soup is creamy heaven, in part due to the little touch of heavy whipping cream. It also has just the right hint of heat thanks to a pinch of red pepper flakes. I paired it with a twist on a grilled cheese and did toasted cheesy french bread to sop up some of that deliciousness. Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Soup

From: Simply Suppers by Jennifer Chandler

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 (28-oz.) cans whole tomatoes with juice

2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

4 cups chicken stock\

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper

1. In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, warm the oil until hot. Add the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the whole tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon or fork. Add the oregano, thyme, and sugar, and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken stock and stir to combine. Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes.

3. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Whisk in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper to taste.

**If you don't have an immersion blender (that would be me...I need a few more years in the kitchen before I would feel worthy of an immersion blender), puree the soup in a regular blender!

Bon Appetit! Serves 4 to 6.

Here's a look at some little Christmas items I made for my students, teachers, and room mom this season. Each one was very cost-effective and pretty simple to make!