Tomato Soup (updated)

I started coming down with a yucky head cold and decided to make my own soup remedy.. homemade tomato soup. I've been on a bit of a soup-making kick recently for two reasons: easy leftovers to take to work and quickly digested so I can pound out workouts without getting sick to my stomach. When I get sick, I try to avoid taking in much dairy, if any at all. I also don't like to have a lot of salt in my recipes so chicken soup was out. I searched for a solid tomato soup recipe akin to a yummy tomato basil pasta sauce and found this great one. I adjusted a few things too to liven it up a bit.

(note: i have updated this recipe because i forgot a few things!)

Sick Day Tomato Soup
(or any day for that matter)


2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (I use pacific brand organic free range low sodium)
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1 tablespoon organic tomato paste
2 pounds tomatoes, cut into wedges remove seeds of half the tomatoes
(i use a mix of plum tomatos and on the vine.)
1 garlic clove finely chopped
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
salt to personal taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I eyeball this to my taste)
thinly sliced fresh basil for topping
(if you want creamy soup stir in 1/2 cup of sour cream at the end)

You will need a blender or food processor

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Place half of tomato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining tomato mixture. Stir in salt and pepper. Top with fresh sliced basil. (shredded Parmesan is good too)

Scars

Everyone has scars. Some are physical, some are emotional. Physical scars don't really hurt once they heal, or even while they heal. They may just be a reminder of a good story, or a clumsy moment. No biggie. But emotional scars... they are a different breed. They are the scars on our hearts. The ones that hurt and throb while they heal. We never forget the cause of them. We never forget the punch on the gut and sharp pain in our chest as they tore a hole in our heart.

Even after that horrible lonely healing process is over, and the scar is left, things still happen and memories come to mind that press on the part of the scar that never healed right, and a tinge of pain kicks in. These scars change us forever. They affect all our future relationships, because no matter how much we face the past, fear of a repeat injury lingers.

I have this very deep wound in my heart, and I definitely have a few scars nearby it. That wound is healing at an excruciatingly slow pace, and yes I am at fault for some of that slowness. Apparently I'm a masichist and enjoy reopening the healing wound, over and over and over again. I kept trying to just stick a band aid on it. But the band aid is too small. And the only person who can stitch it closed, doesn't know how to.

I'm not playing with band aids anymore. They aren't working. I chose to close the door, well SLAM that door shut and put 5 locks on it. This saying finally hit me "Never make someone a priority, who only makes you their option." Admitting to myself that this was the true situation is horrible, demeaning, and lonely.

BUT I KNOW MY WORTH AND I AM TOP NOTCH!

So for now, I am healing like a burn victim. Slow and painful, and the scars will be a horrible reminder. But eventually I will be whole again. And my heart will be so full I won't notice the scar anymore, because it was left by someone who no longer matters. That was their mistake.

To every one of you who has held me, hugged me, prayed and loved me.... I love you so much. Thank you for every moment.

10 Things

10 things I love, hate, or have observed recently...

one:
Even though I am foregoing gifts this year, I am obsessed with Christmas. I decorated my entire home the day before thanksgiving and have been blasting Christmas music nonstop recently. And while I'm touching on Christmas music... two things... Celine Dion (I will only listen to her Christmas cd, none of her others) and Alvin and the chipmunks. Celine's Christmas CD is beautiful and moving. Alvin and the chipmunks reminds me of the childhood fun of Christmas and frankly makes me laugh hysterically. Christmas has changed so much for my family now with how much it has changed. My sister and I have had a hard time coping with this the last 2 years. But it is still my favorite time of year, and I cannot wait to celebrate it with my own family I will someday have.

two:
Appropriate wedding attire does NOT include: jeans, hawaiian shirts (unless you're at a destination wedding and that does not include Arizona), or a skin tight super short dress that should only be worn at a nightclub... in Vegas. I have observed all these at recent Arizona weddings.

three:
I am afraid of sponges.

four:
The whole "don't wear white after labor day" can't really apply in Arizona. Its eighty degrees all the way into November! Cream or off white is appropriate until Thanksgiving I say!

five:
I may be 6 feet tall but I will wear heels and you better get over it.

six:
My love of baked goods and pizza will always bulldoze my attempts at being gluten free. I can never do it 100%. I don't mind brown rice bread for sandwiches and grilled cheese, but gluten free cake and cookies just don't work for me! Yes I've had gluten free pizza dough, but if you haven't had the wood fired pizza at Liberty Market, you are missing out.

seven:
Miranda Lambert's music and lyrics are so empowering. Especially with dealing with a broken heart and spirit, she will pump you up to push through the hard days. Plus she can definitely belt out a tune with a twang that makes it so much fun to sing along too.

eight:
One of my biggest pet peeves... people who are too lazy to put away their grocery or shopping carts in the proper place. That would not be a curb, the parking spot next to you, or the sidewalk. CART RETURN my friends is where they go. Now, when dealing with Costco, I will put some blame on them. At least for the Costco by my house that is. They did a horrible job a designing that parking lot and did not put a cart return in every aisle, and there it is a pain. However at the grocery store or Target, on multiple occasions someone is parked one measly space away from the cart return, and they travel the exact same distance to put it up on the curb in front of their car. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! How lazy (or dumb) are you? I actually have a picture of this from a few weeks ago. I pulled into a spot next to the cart return and there it was... in front of my space NEXT TO the cart return was a shopping cart on the curb. in this instance the person had to go FARTHER to put the cart on the curb than they would have gone to put it in the correct place.

nine:
I am beginning to love living in Arizona, especially Gilbert. Yeah I know, east coast city girl, but I am finding so much that I love here. And funny that when I go up towards places like Scottsdale that most would I assume I would enjoy more, I find more reasons why I like to stay in the east valley. Let's also be honest... I'm not rushing back to 300% higher cost of living in DC. But can we please build a Metro here? Not the dinky and badly planned light rail.

ten:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13

365 days.

This day holds so much importance to me. The last year has held my highest of highs and some serious lows. But on day 365, I am really, truely smiling. I smile not because of another person, because of myself and knowing who I am and what I believe. God has my life planned and I have found true peace in that.

my heart and eyes are open.

I am happy.

Mmm... Pancakes!

So I realize many of you reading this haven't known me since childhood; but if you're a Patch, Howells, or an Owens... you know of two very big family "food traditions" that came out of my childhood home" Dad's Pancakes and Mom's Christmas Fudge.

No let me get one thing out of the way, the fudge recipe is never going public :) hahah sorry but Dad, Cassie and I have a pact to guard that recipe.

Pancakes were a weekend breakfast that always made our whole family smile. Our family has been through many ups and downs but this has always brought us together. If you have kids, be prepared to be asked to make these all the time!

Daddy-O's Pancakes
(this recipe makes enough for 4 people)



1 1/2 cup of flour
1 tsp salt
3 T Honey
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
4 T (half stick) butter, melted
1 1/2 cup of milk

Melted butter and REAL maple syrup for topping
(if you use anything but real maple syrup not only will you butcher the cakes, I'll lose respect for you :) )

Do NOT use a standing mixer for this, only electric hand beaters.



Preheat griddle on medium
Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in large bowl
Grab a medium and small bowls. Put milk in the medium bowl.
Separate eggs- egg whites in small bowl and yolks in medium bowl with milk.
Mix together milk and egg yolks, then add melted butter.
Blend milk mixture into flour mixture.
Add honey and blend.
Beat egg whites until stiff, then fold lightly into batter (do not stir!)

Unfortunately, there are no pictures of the pancakes, we ate them all!

This inspired me to change my Christmas tradition

Watch this and take it in...

Advent Conspiracy 2011 at Mission Community Church from MISSION on Vimeo.

Are those cranberries?

Nope, not cranberries on top of my yogurt. Those are pomegranate arils. I've been looking for a new way to sweeten my Greek yogurt, and this is a yummy one. Little bursts of pomegranate juice... Delish! I add a little honey oat granola for some crunch too. Maybe time to make some of my own granola?

Keep a close watch... The pancake recipe will be posted today! And yes it's my dad's recipe from my childhood.