Is it soup yet?

Why, yes it is! As promised~drum roll please! The following photos are actually my first official food photos that I actually set up with bounced lighting & following tips from the book...
 Plate To Pixel at Amazon | Amazon.com

Because there's fresh thyme in the soup, I made fresh croutons by slicing fresh French bread, brushing with olive oil & added a sprinkle of fresh thyme. Bake in hot oven 350*-400*. Keep an eye on it, turn over until the bread looks like this...

...get the picture? :-)

Tada! Yup...it's soup!!

As a side note, the recipe calls for 2 TBSP dry sherry to deglaze. White Zinfandel works just as well-but 2 TBSP? Hah! I actually pour in enough to cover the bottom of the pot...THEN deglaze!

I'm a happy cook...a little for the soup...a little for the chef!

And the cheese? Well it's freshly shredded Gruyere...and A LOT of it-Enough to cover your ramekin..and then some! Swiss works too...a combination of the two would be divine!

I throw a dash of red pepper on top of the cheese before I broil...Paprika  works too.

For the broth, I use the brand BETTER THAN BOUILLON

For me it's the most flavorful without being overly salty...salt can kill a dish.

If you make this I'd love to hear from you. Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions. Now...

...Pour a glass of your favorite wine, slice up some extra bread to soak up the soup and enjoy your evening!

Happy Snapping

xo

Kelly

French Onion Soup

Melt:

2 T. unsalted butter

2 T. olive oil

Add; Stir in:

8 cups red onions, sliced(4-5)

1 tsp brown sugar

1-2 tsp minced garlic

Stir in:

1 T. all-purpose flour

Deglaze with; Add:

2 T. dry sherry

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1 t. Worcestershire

1 t. fresh thyme

1/2 t. paprika

1/2 t. sea salt

1/2 t. black pepper

Stir in; simmer

3 Cups chicken broth

3 Cups beef broth

Melt butter w/olive oil over medium heat in a stock pot.

Add the onions & stir to to coat (add more olive oil if you need to)

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in sugar & garlic; continue cooking for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in flour: cook 2 minutes. (don't burn the flour)

Deglaze w/sherry, scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pot. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire, & seasonings. Stir in broth & bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Transfer soup to ramekins. Float cooled croutons on top of soup, fitting into ramekins. Cover croutons with cheese. Broil 4-6 inches from flame until cheese is bubbly. Enjoy!

My Apologies...

...I had every intention of posting photos & the recipe for my Onion Soup today, but children come 1st, & Austin needs my laptop to do a rocketry presentation for his Civil Air Patrol meeting. So I apologize, & it WILL go up tomorrow...
I'm thankful I had an easy edit for this!




Happy Snapping!
xo
Kelly

TT~Phoebe eDition

Happiest of Tuesdays!
 Linking up with Kim Klassen cafe - home & continuing the theme of being thankful in November.
 Here in So Cal, we have tons of evergreens and dapples of leaves turning color but not nearly the splendid foliage changes that you all get on the East Coast. So while we do have trees losing their leaves & as flowers fall into slumber for the winter, I'm thankful for those little splashes of color that brighten up my front yard.
And be sure to come visit tomorrow...
I'll have photos and the recipe for that delicious Onion Soup from here~
 A good night for soup...! (shameless plug!)
Happy Snapping!
xo
Kelly

Lost to the J...

Continuing with giving thanks in November...
Even though I lost my shirt & was stuck with the letter J in Scrabble, I'm thankful I was raised playing boardgames with my family & have passed the game playing gene on to my kids! And now that it's dark so early, several times through the week, Frankie & I will sit and play Scrabble. Nerdy? Perhaps to some...Spending precious time together...Priceless! There's always next time babe!!!

A good night for soup...

One of the reasons I love fall so much is because now I can make and eat soup! Kind of hard to think about eating soup when it's 100* out! But not today~Today is the perfect soup day-cold, dark, and rainy. On the menu tonight is French Onion Soup. And it tastes SO much better in these old fashioned ramekins...

They even come with lids...

Had me a blast at Trader Joe's today...

These wines came HIGHLY recommended!!!

Can't forget the French bread!!! The Gruyere is shredded & waiting...

Yeah....it's a good night for soup!

There's a fun story that goes with the ramekins...

AND the soup is fabulous~fabulous & easy!

I'll post both in the next few days!

Happy Snapping!

xo

Kelly

11-11-11

The day wouldn't be complete without a shout out to all the vets who have served our country.
I have two VERY special Vets myself...

That's my dad on the left and my honey of a husband on the right. My dad proudly served 20 years in the Navy & we were lucky he never served on a carrier or was gone for months at a time. We were fortunate to live in some amazing countries. I've lived in Europe, The Philippines, Japan, and a couple of stateside tours thrown  into the mix. We've had our share of doing without but you know what? It made our family very appreciative of what we did have.
Frankie also proudly served 20+ years~1st as a helicopter pilot in the Army then flew F-4's in the U.S.A.F for 8 yrs then continued flying those beautiful birds to finish his 20 in the CA National Guard. Sadly those boys got their toys taken away in a conversion and were made to fly Tankers...that was a sad day but it was flying none the less. (Oh & can I just add how hot he looks in a flightsuit???!!)
Both my Dad and Frankie served with honor, pride and dignity and I  am very proud to be the daughter and wife of such exemplary men. Thank you. And thank you to all our vets. You deserve so much more than what our country has to offer at the moment. You are not forgotten.
Peace, Love & Gratitude,
Kelly

November is a time...

...to be grateful.
November is the month to count our blessings-but I have to tell you, I really do that 365 days of the year. From the moment I get up, till I kiss my boys goodnight.

As winter quickly settles in...

...and the last of the summer leaves have yet to fall...

...and the sights and sounds of summer have quietly slipped away...

...the newness of Spring...

...is but a dream away.

I am grateful every day for the ability to share...
...with you.
Happy Snapping
xo
Kelly