Are they French Fries or Cancer-Blocking Sprouts?

I've never watched this show but these sprouts were AMAZING at dinner tonight! So easy and so yummy! 
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe : Ina Garten : Recipes : Food Network

My First Aurora

My boys brought back a special friend from the Salt Fork State Park gift shop this afternoon - my very first Raggedy from the new manufacturer, Aurora. I had stayed behind to replace the thermostat (twelve hours after dealing with plumbing issues) and consider this cute, little fellow the perfect "payment" for my handyman skills.

Raggedy Kindness

In the midst of some chaotic times in our household last month, a wonderful care package arrived in the mail. A fellow Lutheran pastor's wife/homeschooler/Looper/blogger sent me two Raggedys and a picture book. I've added them to my collection and will always have an extra smile when I see them. I hope some day to meet my benefactor in person. Until then, I enjoy her blog and hope you will check it out: http://daybydayathomeaway.blogspot.com/?m=1

Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

Oh my, have our tastes ever changed in the past eleven months! Mark LOVES Tomato Basil soup from the restaurant Noodles and Company. For better or worse, the closest location is in The Big City – almost an hour away. So, I decided to tackle a homemade version. I gave myself the challenge to make it vegan since we simply do not have many carnivorous items in our pantry these days. My beloved America’s Test Kitchen came through with a simple and easily-modified recipe. The first batch was so delicious I ended up making and freezing three more batches with tomatoes from a kind parishioner. Since there is no dairy in the recipe, I know it will freeze well and we will have a taste of summer for many months.

Serves Six

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 pinch hot red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes in juice*
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 large slices good-quality white sandwich bread, crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces*
• 2 cups chicken broth (or Not-Chick’n bouillon cubes and water)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
2. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes/cayenne pepper, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Using a potato masher, mash until no pieces bigger than 2 inches remain.
4. Stir in sugar and bread; bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf and discard.
5. Transfer half of soup to a blender, add 1tablespoon olive oil and process until soup is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and repeat with remaining soup and oil. (Or carefully use an immersion blender in the pot.)
6. Rinse out Dutch oven and return soup to pot. Stir in broth. Return soup to a boil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

*Cook’s Notes: I use 3.5 to 4 pounds of peeled, fresh tomatoes per batch. I also substitute our family’s favorite homemade white bread (King Arthur Flour’s Walter Sands’ White Bread) for the store-bought bread. I save the crusts for dunking into the soup.

They Taste Even Better!

Coming Soon to a Funeral Luncheon Near You!

Mini Picnic Rolls: King Arthur Flour

Sooooooo tasty!

Move Over Bacon!

Today I made King Arthur Flour's "Our Favorite Chip Cookies" (http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/our-favorite-chip-cookies-recipe) with a slight twist: I made them completely vegan! What a treat to know the cookies have NOTHING in them that can raise my husband's cholesterol or cause all sorts of nasties to my body and mind. I used an equal amount of Earth Balance as a substitute for the butter. This was my first attempt at using The Vegg, the Vegan Egg. (www.thevegg.com) Many thanks to @VeganHeartland on Twitter for alerting me to this modern miracle. What an amazing product! As many other bloggers have noted, it even SMELLS like an egg. I used the same mini food processor I had minced the oats in. I think it took me just as much time to make The Vegg as it would have taken me to crack "real" eggs into a measuring cup. I am looking forward to using them again soon. My family gave the cookies rave reviews at lunch. My hubby described them as "Chocolate chip cookies with a satisfying crackle." My son, who has watched too much Mystery Science Theater 3000 said, "Amazing - Rolling Stone."
P.S. I got The Vegg from Amazon. With Prime, it arrived less than 24 hours after I placed my order!