Tag Archives: yum

Oct18

The Best Tomato Soup You’ll Ever Have

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The Best Tomato Soup You’ll Ever Have

So my mom does a lot of cooking and baking, and she stumbled upon this recipe on http://www.kingarthurflour.com that’s too good not to share with the world. This tomato soup will change your life! It’s SO easy to make and completely delicious.

  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 1 28 oz can tomato puree
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon thyme
  • black pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 can vegetable broth
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 to 3 tablespoons sugar, to taste (we only use one tablespoon!)
  • 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large saucepan, heat the butter and vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened and golden. Add the tomatoes, basil, thyme, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for ten minutes

In a small bowl, combine the flour and broth, whisking until smooth and add this mixture to the soup, stirring constantly. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If you’ve used diced tomatoes, puree the soup in a blender or food processor, or use a hang blender. If you’ve used tomato puree, there’s no need to blend; the onion bits will give the soup a bit of body. Return the soup to the stove, and set it on a burner over low to medium heat. Stir in the baking soda (the soup will foam up briefly – don’t worry – but be sure it’s in a big enough pot) the sugar, the milk, and the salt. Heat, stirring to a bare simmer.

The nutrition information is listed right here, along with photos of the recipe: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/creamy-tomato-soup-recipe

All credit to this goes to the fantastic chefs and bakers at King Arthur Flour. Make sure you check out their blog Baking Banter, which you can find on their website.

If you make this recipe, leave me a comment and let me know how you like it! I’m about to go have a bowl now! -Sarah

Oct10

Blue Door Cafe

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Blue Door Cafe

If you’re ever in the Akron, Ohio area, I cant recommend going to the Blue Door Cafe enough. It’s located in Cuyahoga Falls, which is lucky for me because it’s right down the street from my house! The Blue Door is probably one of the best hole in the wall food establishments I’ve ever dined at. Their menu changes frequently, and a lot of their options accommodate to dietary considerations such as vegetarian (which is great for me!), vegan, gluten free, and dairy free. Whenever I go for brunch or lunch with my best friend Kate, I always order the exact same thing – their grilled cheese sandwich! It’s hands down the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had. The changes they made to the sandwich for their fall menu was delicious – it included thick pieces of cheddar cheese and diced apples in the middle to add the perfect amount of seasonal flare. The meal also includes a bowl of their tomato soup which was especially tasty when I went yesterday. There were hints of what tasted like red wine for a unique touch. You also get the option to pick between fresh fruit, greens, or home baked potato chips to accompany your meal. I always pick the fresh fruit. The medley of pineapple, strawberries, blue and black berries, and grapes was just gorgeous yesterday. The colors were vibrant and they tasted as sweet as sugar. The Blue Door Cafe also boasts a lovely bakery where the pastries and breads used in each meal are made daily. You can also purchase their bakery items there as well. My grilled cheese sandwich was made with thick slices of freshly baked Challah bread. Delicious! Kate usually opts for the Tartine when we go to the Blue Door. I’ve gotten it once before and it’s great! The Tartine is a dark chocolate filled croissant with three dipping sauces on your plate – blackbery jam, melted white chocolate, and melted milk chocolate. This treat also comes with fresh fruit. Yum!! The croissant is to die for – it’s the perfect balance of crisp and soft with a sweet butter glaze to top it all off. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

Not only is the food at the Blue Door Cafe incredible, but the service there is fantastic too. The servers and chefs are so great at what they do. One of the managers, Wes, is just the sweetest guy in the whole world. He usually takes care of me and Kate – we’re his favorites! Especially me. Yesterday when he brought me my coffee, he also returned with a flower he made out of parchment paper.

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So. Sweet. My heart absolutely melted! Swoon!

If you’d like to learn more about the Blue Door Cafe, here is their website: http://bluedoorcafebakery.com/ . Make sure you check it out!

What’s your favorite hole in the wall establishment to eat at? What do you like to order there? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Friday! -Sarah