French Bistro Tomato Cream Soup

My memories of France, the Loire Valley in particular, encompass lazy weekends, warm sunshine, trying out  my very poor French on the locals and wondering if opening  a bottle of wine at 10 am was acceptable (it was!) There’s nothing more enjoyable than eating lunch outside while watching the world go by. And this creamy tomato soup, served with warm crusty bread always makes me feel like I am back at my favorite bistro in France.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! ~ Wendy

French Bistro Tomato Cream Soup

4 Servings

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup diced onion 

1-28oz can of diced tomatoes

1 cup of good quality chicken stock

1 cup of half and half

*optional 1 tbsp of fresh chopped basil leaves for a creamy tomato basil soup

Melt butter in a 3 quart heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 2 minutes, until tender. Add tomatoes, chicken stock, half and half, and also the fresh basil if using. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Using an immersion/stick blender, blend soup until smooth. Serve with crusty bread

Going for Groceries

Early Sunday morning, and it's a freezing, frosty cold day! I thought you

may like to see some of the pictures I took on the way to the grocery store.

 

Everything is covered in thick white frost

I stopped to say hello!
 

The long and (not) so winding road!

 

And after being out in the cold, I am now sitting down with a cuppa and a biscuit (and for all my American friends - that would be a cookie.) So make a cuppa, come and join me!

 

Wendy

"Nesting" Springtime Centerpiece

Hello friends! 

Yesterday morning, it had just hit me that Winter is ending and  I NEEDED wanted a large and dramatic Springtime centerpiece for my dining room table, but at a "this is an unplanned and compulsive buy" price.

I was pushing a shopping cart around my local craft store with my sweet friend Wendy in tow, roaming aisles, waiting for inspiration to bite. Five ideas later, it finally did! We came across a 14 inch super twiggy wreath, very inexpensive, and a birds nest came to mind. A LARGE birds nest. Go big or go home, right? 

Give it a try! ~ April

These are my supplies, cost around $10, items available at any craft store:

2. 1. 
      
            

• 1 - Natural wreath, the really "twiggy" variety, 14 inches $2.99

•  1 - 6 inch greenStyrofoam Disc (located in the floral department) $1.95 *the 6 inch fit the center of my wreath perfectly, but I recommend holding up the wreath at the craft store and eyeballing the center of it against the foam.  You will want a tight fit, you can easily cut the foam,  shaving the sides with an exacto knife.

• 1 - pkg of preserved sheet moss, approximately 3 oz's $3.20

• 1 - pkg of plastic blue Robins eggs (or any that you prefer) $1.50 *these eggs were small, about an inch tall a piece, 12 total eggs, but you can use larger eggs or decopauged eggs, less eggs or more, etc 

• White school craft glue which I already had around the house

Instructions:

Step one:

Simply take your styrofoam disk and press it firmly into the center of the wreath. No glue needed for this step, as the foam should fit tightly into the center. You can cut the foams diameter to fit, if it is too snug. I pressed the foam to where the disk sunk down a bit in the center of the wreath, from the top, giving it a bowl/nest  shape, and elevating the bottom. 

Step Two:

Lay your moss out on your workspace, breaking it into smaller clumps.  Pour craft glue onto a disposable plate. Dabbing the bottom of each piece of moss into glue, fill in the surface of the foam. I did a thin layer in the center, and more towards where the disk met the wreath, for a natural nest shape. Do not try to be perfectly even, nature is lumpy and bumpy. Let this dry completely (a few hours). 

Step Three:

In the center of your new large nest add your decorative eggs, and anything else that you might like to display. I did not use any glue for this part because I wanted to be able to change things up over the years. My 7 year old daughter decided a momma bird needed to be in the nest, so she grabbed the one off of my kitchen window (a big gold one). Not sure I love LOVE it but my daughter's enthusiasm was precious so it stays for now.

Tip: If you are concerned with a bit of shedding from all of the natural components (nature can be  a tad messy) BEFORE step two, you can hot glue a circle of dark brown felt to the bottom of your nest, first cutting the felt to fit the diameter of the wreath.  Hot glue on the outer edge of the felt, a nice even ring, and press (glue side down) all around the wreaths edge covering the wreath bottom and foam disk. Flip the wreath over and continue to step two. Choose a felt color that is close to the color of your wreath

HAPPY SPRING!

April

Blue and white and palest lemon.........

Shabby decor encompasses many colors and designs, but for me, there is just one that says "This is shabby chic, this is comfort, this is where I want to sit."

Imagine the palest lemon painted walls, white wainscoting with a dado rail, stripped pine floorboards and pristine white net curtains billowing softly in the breeze from the open window. The sofa and chairs in blue and white, are soft and plump, with feather filled cushions that invite you to come in and sit down. Soft rugs sit beneath the seat to cushion your feet while a small table and a lamp encourage you to curl up with a book and read.

Pine shelves and cupboards display old dishes and china, many pieces collected over the years. Various patterns of blue and white china dominate. The English love affair with blue and white china began in the 18th century with the introduction of Willow Pattern china. Based on elements of the pattern, various stories were invented to promote the sale of the china.

The most famous of which tells the story of a wealthy Mandarin who had a beautiful daughter. She fell in love with a poor man, and wanted to marry him. This angered her father who banished the young man from his house and kept his daughter inside while awaiting the arrival of a powerful duke she was due to marry. However, on the night before the wedding, the young man came to 'rescue' the Mandarin's daughter and they escaped to an island where they lived happily for many years. One day, the duke found them and had them killed, but the gods, moved by their plight immortalized them as doves, eternally flying together in the sky.
 

Flow Blue, is another incredibly popular china, that also became available in the late 18th century. Many of the patterns were based on Chinese designs and the name Flow Blue came from the way the pattern was transferred onto the porcelain. Decorative patterns were applied with a paper stencil to white glazed 'blanks'. The stencils burned away in the kiln during firing, leaving behind a vivid cobalt blue color, which is the most sought after shade.

Delft blue tiles were also very popular and common in Victorian kitchens, providing a gentle hand-painted finish that contrasted so beautifully with the copper pans and skillets that hung from racks on the ceiling and glowed softly in the light from the range.

Victoria ware china, it's delicate blue and white patterns appeared on tea tables in drawing rooms through the country, serving breakfast and afternoon tea. Trays would be laid out with a teapot of black tea filled with hot water. Alongside this was a hot water jug, so that you may warm the tea and refill the pot. A sugar bowl and milk jug was also supplied along with tiny tea spoons. Madeira, Fruit or Seed cake graced the table in addition to light as air sponge Madeline's and all manner of sandwiches which were served during afternoon tea.

So come and sit down with us for a while, have a cuppa!

Wendy
 

 

Afternoon Tea

"Come along inside.............

We'll see if tea and buns can

make the world a better place.."*

 

Before I moved to live in America I was living in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, a town situated on the coast along the North Sea. It was a beautiful place to live, had two sandy bays separated by a headland with a ruined castle on top, a lighthouse and small fishing fleet. But Scarborough didn't have many large stores, so in order to get our shopping fix, my friend Shirley and I used to drive the 65 odd miles inland to the city of York.

 

We would spend our day wandering around the town, trying on new clothes, browsing the galleries and gift shops and taking time to look for bargains in the antique and collectors stores.

 

No matter what time of year we went to York, it was always busy and lively and a fun day out. And whenever we went, we had to visit Mulberry Hall.* The premises date from 1434 and inside there are multiple rooms in which the most gorgeous china and crystal glass can be found. I loved looking around the store, but even better was heading up the narrow stairs to the tea room. Sometimes, we had to stand and wait for a table to become available, but we always waited, because having tea at Mulberry Hall was a part of our day out. It was special and something Shirley and I looked forward to each time we went to York.

 

The tea room was small but so pretty, with perfectly set tables and the murmur of conversation all around. The tables were beautifully set with delicate bone china, crisp linen napkins and good heavy cutlery. Shirley and I generally ordered the same things, salmon and cucumber sandwiches, a toasted teacake to follow, and of course a pot of English breakfast tea served with milk and sugar. Once we were served we poured ourselves a 'cuppa' ate our sandwiches, discussed our morning and what we still wanted to do, and just relaxed. It was the best part of the day.

 

And if you wish to make some salmon and cucumber sandwiches, here's my recipe for you:

 

• Thinly sliced whole wheat or white bread
• Tinned red salmon
• Good mayonnaise
• English cucumber
• Butter

 

Soften the butter and spread lightly on both slices of the bread. Drain the salmon, put it into a dish and remove all skin and bones, then break up with a fork. Add a spoonful of mayonnaise to the salmon and mix in gently. (The mayonnaise prevents the salmon from being too dry.)

 

Spread a good helping of the salmon mixture onto one slice of bread. If you are using an English cucumber, you do not need to peel it, just wash prior to slicing thinly. If you cannot get an English cucumber (also called 'seedless' or 'hot house') then remove the peel. Cover the salmon mixture with the thinly sliced cucumber, top with bread and cut the sandwich into four triangles.

 

Enjoy with a cup of tea!!

 

Wendy

 

 

 

 

*The Wind In The Willows



* http://www.mulberryhall.co.uk/