This Week's Menu 9/26

Monday:  Crispy Onion Fried Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, corn on the cob

Tuesday:  Vegetable Beef Stew, fresh corn polenta, grilled cheese

Wednesday:  Roast, carrot souffle, noodles, rolls

Thursday:  Brisket, mashed potatoes, greens beans, rolls

Friday:  Burgers on the grill, mac and cheese, french fries

Saturday:  out

Sunday:  Chili, grilled cheese

That Last Entry

I have no idea why that last entry for the Best Ever Tomato Soup looks strange.  I do hope you try the recipe though because it really is the best tomato soup I've ever had.  Really, honestly and truly.

The Best Tomato Soup

You know I've been on a kick lately, trying to find the best homemade tomato soup.

I think I've done it.

Really and truly, this is devine!

It was super easy and quick to prepare too!

I took some pics (cause you know me, tryin to be like P-dub), and will post the recipe at the end.

Start out with butter and onion.

Add some flour.

Chicken broth.

Can of this (make sure you get the italian kind).

Little smidge of that.

Chopped fresh parsley.

Sugar.

Salt.

Black pepper.

Bay leaf.

.

Let is simmer and bubble for a bit.

Remove bay leaf and use an imulsion blender like this one, or transfer to a regular blender to get the soup nice and smooth.

Serve with garlic bagel chips.

I used Stacy's brand.

This soup was amazing.

And virtually fat-free (if that concerns you).

It was nice and thick.

The best part?

My boys loved it!

Tomato Soup with Herbed Croutons (I used Stacy's garlic bagel chips)

1/2 chopped onion

3T. butter, melted

3T, flour

1 c. Chicken Broth

1 (28-ounce) can Italian-style tomatoes, undrained

3T. Tomato Paste

1T. Fresh parsley, chopped

1T. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 bay leaf

Saute onion in butter in dutch oven or big pot over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until tender.  Reduce heat to low; add flour, stirring until smooth.  Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Gradually add broth; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. 

Add tomatoes and next 7 ingredients; stir well.  Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.  Discard bay leaf.

Process half of tomato mixture in a blender until smooth (or use an emulsion blender).  Repeat with rest of mixture and return all to dutch oven. 

Serve with herbed croutons.

Blueberry Muffins

A few weeks ago I shared that I'd gotten Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook.

I actually checked it out from the library and just photocopied some of the recipes I wanted to try.

One of them was the recipe for her mother's homemade blueberry muffins.

They were super easy, used fresh blueberries (which I hade from a blueberry picking trip this summer) and totally yummy.

#5 was the first to give them a try and while she demolished them as she ate, she kept saying, "Good, Momma."

She's a gobble monster with those precious teeth!

YUMMY!

Blythe's Blueberry MuffinsGwyneth Paltrow, My Father's Daughter

Makes 12

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs (preferably organic)
1/2 cup whole milk
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

Whisk butter, eggs and milk together in a bowl. Combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in another bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients; fold in blueberries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups and sprinkle remaining 1 teaspoon sugar. Bake until muffins are golden brown and a knife comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

9/6 - 9/11 Menu

Monday - We ate leftovers
Tuesday - Vegetable Soup
Wednesday - Kohler Enchiladas (kids will eat chicken strips)  **Note:  on the Kohler Enchiladas please sub the evap. milk for cream of mush soup.  It really is best that way.
Thursday - Lemon Chicken
Friday - Burgers, Fries and Mac-n-cheese
Saturday - OUT
Sunday - Homemade Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese *I'm trying a new recipe here and will post all about it next week!

I'm going to publish our week's menu this weekend, I promise!  With football in the evenings and rush rush rush of school, homework and practices, it's been a bit nutty round these parts but I'm going to get a menu planned.