The Fun Stuff

Now that I'm home I get to do the things that I enjoy which are crafts and cooking. For dinner tonight I made fresh tomato soup with tomatoes grown right in our backyard. It's a great light dinner in this hot weather and it's healthy too.

I'm also making a large crocheted rug for our living room. It is so pretty and I can make a 60" diameter rug for under $30.00. I think that's a pretty good deal especially when I get to pick the perfect colors to match our living room decor. Crochet rugs are fast and easy to make with worsted weight yarn and a large crochet hook. Many patterns are available such as: Stylish Rugs For Every Room - Crochet Patterns

I've been crocheting for about 35 years. I make miniature crocheted animals also known as amigurami (See all Stuffed Animals Craft Books). These can be tedious, but I plan to share my own patterns and pictures  here later and perhaps a crochet tutorial too. If anyone has questions about crochet, rug making or amigurami, please feel free to post your questions. I'm always happy to help if I can.

Oh and here is my soup recipe if you want to make some of your own:

Fresh Tomato Soup

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, sliced and cut cross-wise to make pieces about 1/2 inch long
6 large vine-ripe tomatoes or 10-12 smaller tomatoes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil, thinly sliced
6 cups chicken broth
3 cups whole milk
3 T. butter
4 T. flour
1-6 oz. can tomato paste
dried basil
Italian seasoning

Saute' onions in olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat for about 10 minutes, add garlic, chopped tomatoes and bay leaves, stir and let simmer for about 10 more minutes. Add chicken broth, cover and let cook at a hard simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter, add flour and cook over heat for about a minute. Remove from heat and gradually stir in milk, cook over medium low heat for about 5 minutes to begin thickening. Set aside.

When tomatoes are finished cooking, break them up with an immersion blender, and add the milk, tomato paste, dried basil, and a pinch of Italian seasoning. Let cook over low heat until thickened, taste to adjust seasonings and serve.

Well, time to go. Koali is screaming for his dinner, literally. He is sitting in the chair next to me, mouth wide and as close to my face as he can get emitting obnoxious mewling noises. Okay, not so obnoxious as extremely adorable. See you soon!