Panera-ish Creamy Tomato Soup

Last year I developed a passion for Panera Bread's creamy tomato soup. Ever since tasting it for the first time, I haven't been able to enter their restaurant without having a bowl. So intense was my love, that I wanted to duplicate it at home so I could enjoy it without the price tag. I found a copycat recipe online, but I wasn't crazy about it the first time I made it. It just did not measure up to the Panera standard. I tried it again with a few modifications, and now I think I can declare it wholly awesome. Even the girls eat it with apathetic tolerance (and that is saying a lot when we're talking about tomato-based foods and my girls).


Inexplicably, it was one of the foods which suddenly seemed abhorrent to me during the first trimester of my last pregnancy. So it was shelved for a respectful amount of time in order to purge my soul of all first trimester prejudices, and has only recently enjoyed a revival in our house. Pregnant women are insane.

Here it is in all it's oh-so-much-better-than-Campbells glory

The green you see is basil pesto stirred in (recommend!)

Here is the recipe:

4 cups crushed tomatoes
3 cups milk
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a bowl, stir the baking soda into the tomatoes. This will prevent curdling between the tomatoes and milk (Supposedly. Once on a particularly dare-devilish sort of day, I actually skipped this step and couldn't tell the difference. If you are a more cautious sort whose blood curdles just at the mention of the word "curdle" then you should probably do it just to be safe). Set aside. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until translucent. Add flour and stir and cook onions for about 1 more minute. Stir in milk, bay leaf, sugar, and oregano. Stir over medium heat until slightly thickened. Add tomatoes and cook until heated through. Salt and pepper to taste.

A variation I really enjoy lately is to reduce the tomatoes to 3 cups and add 1 cup of pureed roasted red peppers (in their juice) for even more flavor. Yum! Sam's sells a huge jar of roasted peppers for $4.

What is your favorite soup?

40 weeks

Yesterday afternoon I was sitting on the couch at my parent's house when I was startled by the alarm on my phone ringing loudly. I looked down at the screen to see this message: "My Due Date". I had entered a countdown calendar event in my phone several months ago so I could check on any given day to see how many days exactly were left in my pregnancy. Then I promptly forgot about it. I glanced over at Emeth and felt grateful to be carrying a six day old baby in my arms instead of a full-term baby in my belly! The view from here is much nicer after all:

I had wondered to myself four weeks ago, in my 36 weeks post, if I would make it to 40 weeks this time. I felt pretty confident at the time that I would, since I've always been a dependable due date gal in the past. The most important thing, of course, was to make it to 38 weeks plus 6 days, so as to avoid a complete overhaul of our birth plan. Mission accomplished :).
In other news, I feel like I have hit an important milestone in my journey as a boy-momma today. Yes, I was pee'd on in the middle of a diaper change. I have officially arrived.

Day 1

...did not go as planned, but nothing a few dollars and a good night's sleep can't fix. The good news is that I'm still pregnant. The spectre of going into labor while we are on the road is one I can't shake, even though I know, from all indications, it is highly unlikely to happen.

We did have a very smooth day of travel, driving with reasonably harmonious children, eating natural trail mix and Utz pretzels, watching a few episodes of Veggie tales, working on my latch hook rag rug, and getting out to walk around and use the facilities every two hours promptly, until around 5pm. It was at that point that I mentioned to Jessie a vaguely unpleasant smell, and he noticed at the same time that we were trailing exhaust behind us. Just like that the van lost power. He pulled off I-75 immediately and popped the hood. He discovered that the serpentine belt he had just replaced yesterday (along with our alternator, at our mechanic's suggestion) had come off. We were blessed that a kind man (who we later learned is a christian, and a father of three himself) pulled over within 2 minutes of our breakdown, and drove Jessie up the road to get a new belt. Jessie had no trouble replacing the belt, but in the process discovered the reason the belt had been knocked off is because our water pump had bit the dust. Rather a frustrating development since we had just had the van in the shop and this problem went undiagnosed. Anyhow, we managed to make it to the next exit, where, providentially, there was a Dodge dealership right off the exit. They are going to replace the pump for us first thing in the morning and send us on our way. Everything else we needed for the night (lodging and dining) was right there across the street from the dealership.

I can't help but count our blessings in the midst of the annoyance though. I know too many people right now who have had incomparably more devastating things happen in recent weeks and days. Our little bumps in the road seem pretty trivial in comparison.

We hope to make up our lost time tomorrow and arrive late evening at Josh and Bree's place in Lexington, KY. Thanks to all of you our friends and family who are praying for our safe travels and for me and the baby specifically.

Here are some pictures we took earlier at one of the rest stops in Georgia, where we took some time to walk around and play with stick and pinecones. Its COLD here, by the way (which agrees with my pregnant thermostat just fine, thankyouverymuch) .

various and sundry

Yesterday was a very proud day for me. I actually made something on my sewing machine. I know that's probably not very impressive to many of you, but for me it was a major feat. I have been believing for years that sewing machines are highly advanced pieces of machinery that require someone with an IQ of at least 230 to master them (and mine is only 225. *ahem*). I concluded this must be so, since every time I tried to use mine (which is a cantakerous and inexpensive breed to begin with), my project ended with my bobbin thread being gathered in a malignant mass somewhere inside the bobbin case, and (this is embarrassing) I could never figure out how to get the bobbin back together correctly and carry on (unless my husband was there to do it for me, the project was usually abandoned at this point). However, I have been in nesting mode lately, which means that I've been taking on WAY more projects than anyone in their right mind would ever attempt. So, when I saw an adorable flannel print at JoAnns on black friday, on sale for 1.49/yd. and then saw a remnant of surpassing cuteness and coincidental perfect co-ordination lying nearby, I couldn't pass it up. I simply had to buy them and take a stab at it. And so I made my first official, finished sewing project. A receiving blanket. I know, I'm almost 30 and I'm proud of myself for successfully sewing four straight seams. If I were born 100 years ago I would be hanging my head in shame.

But isn't it cute?

I'm also very proud of that vintage highchair its sitting on. We snagged that at an estate sale for $5. Eliza has had many fewer spills since she is sitting on a highchair again. Mealtimes had become painful occasions around here because of her tendency to squirm and slide and sit in every way possible to maximize her chances of spilling food somewhere between the edge of the table and her mouth. And 5 dollars! And its cute!

Another estate sale find. Old piano bench. Also $5. Pretty nasty old upholstery.

We painted it white, shabbied it up a bit, and re-upholstered and padded the seat. We have a chair purchased at the same estate sale that we are going to paint and upholster to match it.

We have other things going on too, but they aren't finished yet, so I won't mention them. Lets just say buying cheap furniture (or other decorative items) to refinish is becoming a very bad habit around here.

Did I mention I've been in nesting mode?

In other news,

We had this delicious baked pumpkin french toast for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning, from one of my favorite blogs, MADE. Its a great place to visit if you ever want to be made to feel entirely inadequate in your domestic abilities. I also made the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies she featured, twice. And I don't bake; well, hardly ever. Something about pumpkin inspires me.

We put up our Christmas tree

Ingrid is still adorable

And the pink hibiscus in the backyard is beautiful.

Finally, we are planning to leave for Michigan on Thursday morning. We are anxious to get this babymoon started, and especially to be safely through the driving part of it. This will be the third time we have traveled to have a baby, but the other two times only involved a 3 hour drive. We plan on stopping for the night twice (the second time with Jessie's brother's family in Kentucky), and getting out and walking around at least every two hours. I am still feeling uncommonly well for 38+ weeks pregnant, although I definitely reach the point of exhaustion pretty quickly lately.

I really enjoyed sitting down and making the blanket for our baby. I felt a closeness and an anticipation that I've never felt quite as strongly before. The baby was being quite active while I worked, and it just gave me the warm fuzzies to be actually making something especially for it. I daydreamed the whole time about welcoming our little one and wrapping it up in the cozy fabric I was working with. I can't wait to meet this sweet child!

today I am

washing teeny baby clothes and receiving blankets

having mild contractions

planning our last date before the babymoon for this friday

Coming up with yet more projects that will likely never be started, let alone finished

dreading giving all three girls a bath later (correction: shower - since our new home is wonderful, but has no bathtub)

feeling generally overwhelmed

feeling generally irritable

feeling generally grateful

36 weeks

Think I'll make it to 40?

I do have a very good track record.

Just for kicks, HERE is me at 35 weeks with Ingrid.

Now I probably just opened myself up to comments predicting my baby's gender based on how I am carrying the same/differently with this pregnancy :).

Feel free to chip in, if you feel so inclined, but I always find that game highly amusing and entirely irrational. I especially enjoy that complete strangers tell me I am having a boy just about every time I go out in public. Mind you, this has happened with every pregnancy, and you've probably noticed, I don't have any boys.

My favorite comment of that nature so far in this pregnancy came from a browser at my garage sale two weeks ago. "Oh, you're definitely having a boy this time..." she assured me confidently, "...because, you've got hips." Who could argue with that kind of unassailable logic? And what pregnant woman doesn't love observations regarding the size of her hips?

32 Weeks

If you've been wondering what circumference I have attained by now,

then wonder no longer.

And if you've noticed the picture quality

getting progressively worse every 4 weeks,

the reason is this; the larger I get,

the less inclined I feel to pose for longer than

about 30 seconds.

Especially if it involves standing on my feet

at the end of the day.

bring on the babies!

Alternately titled 1 down, 5 to go.

You may remember that I had previously shared that I am one of six expectant mothers at our church in my pregnancy announcement post. Well, one of five now, to be exact.

This picture was taken two weeks ago at Kim's baby shower (3rd from right). The baby boom has now officially begun! Isabel (2nd from right) and her husband Will welcomed James Raymond yesterday morning. I hear rumblings that the next of us will not be far behind. I am 2nd to last in line (by two days) in the due date lineup.

Most exciting, for me, is my sister's upcoming due date. I will be flying to Michigan alone for three days next week in hopes of seeing my new niece or nephew, possibly even attending the birth if he or she has not arrived before I get there. Penny and I were pregnant together two years ago when Ethan was born four months before Ingrid. I attended his birth, and it was amazing. Penny worked so hard for him! I can't wait to meet whoever it is that she is carrying so attractively in her pregnant belly. Seriously, she should be America's Next Top *Pregnant* Model.

Penny and Ethan

28 weeks

This baby's movements

feel more personal every day.

And I'm feeling great!

{it was a very} happy anniversary

Thanks to our good friend (and cousin-in-law) Lesley, we were able to have Friday evening and Saturday morning to ourselves for our anniversary. Its been a long time since we had one of those dates.

First we enjoyed

the sights

around downtown

St. Petersburg

and took

lots

of pictures

of

each other

Then we went home and talked about how wierd it was to pull up in our driveway at nighttime and walk in the house without having to carry in any children, fix them a snack, and tuck them in for the night.

We decided to get up early the next morning and watch the sunrise, since we wanted to maximize our time together, and we've never watched a sunrise together. Seriously never.

So we headed to the Skyway fishing pier area before dawn

and watched

the sun

rise

I can't wait to do it again.

And then Jessie made me pose for a million pictures.

I like having my picture taken when I'm pregnant. Its so fun to look back and remember, and we hardly have any of my previous pregnancies.

I love living in Florida

Since I had been so cooperative, he even let me take some of him.

Is it just me, or does this guy look like he eats a lot of studly salads?

Obviously we aren't very skilled at taking arms-extended-self-portraits.

24 Weeks

Yesterday I was 24 weeks

and it rained outside

so we waited another day to take pictures

and it rained again.

I have definitely grown since 20 weeks.

Although I have a few inconvenient and uncomfortable pregnancy complaints, I think as a whole I am enjoying this pregnancy more than any of my previous pregnancies. The baby's movements are a constant reminder of the life growing inside me - that little person that I am so anxious to meet. I love the added anticipation of not knowing the baby's gender. I know some people really enjoy finding out early on, and calling their child by name throughout their pregnancy, and I can see how that would be great. But for me, I love the mystery surrounding this little person. The absolute knowledge that I will love whoever it is wholly and completely at first sight, regardless of gender.

Although I feel a sense of inevitability that this will be another girl (and I welcome that!), it is exciting to think about the what-ifs of it being a boy. I can't imagine adding a boy to this familly right now. We have such a great girl groove going on. There are a lot of side benefits of having children all of the same gender. I think about it a lot lately. They can always share bedrooms. They can be thrown into the tub together for baths indefinitely. When we went to the disney store on Saturday, we spent the entire time in the princess section, and no one complained. But I know if we have a boy we will embrace all the new experiences that come with it, and marvel at all we were missing out on.

20 weeks

Yesterday I was 20 weeks

and I wore high heels

and my husband was appointed

as a new deacon at church

(the handsomest one)

and I went to a baby shower

(not mine)

and I ate a lot of food

and I played with my girls.

It was a good day.