Thankfulness Day 5: Best Tomato Soup Ever!

Friday, October 17, 2014

This is by far the best tomato soup recipe ever, in my opinion... no surprise that it's by the amazing Ree Drummond (her cookbooks are totally on my wish list!!). So far, every recipe of hers that I've made - thanks to www.foodnetwork.com, has been fabulous. This tomato soup is no exception. The only downside? You won't have any leftovers, it's that good...

Best Tomato Soup Ever 

Ingredients

1 medium white or yellow onion
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
One 46-ounce bottle or can tomato juice
3 to 6 tablespoons sugar
1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

To begin, dice the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Throw in the onion and cook until translucent. Now dump in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the tomato juice.

Next - and this is important - in order to combat the acidity of the tomatoes add 3 to 6 tablespoons of sugar. Now, you'll want to start on the low side, then taste and add more as needed. Some tomatoes and juice have more of an acidic bite than others.

Next, add 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base to the pot. Now you can add lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, then heat almost to a boil. Then turn off the heat.
Stir in the cream. Add the basil and parsley and stir.

Serve the soup warm!

{thanks to www.foodnetwork.com for the picture & the recipe - note: I modified the recipe just slightly}

Thankfulness Day 4: Games with Family

Thursday, October 16, 2014


Thankful to be part of a family who loves games!

Thankfulness Day 3: Brothers Who Cook

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

 {the most amazing triple-chocolate-pudding-pie ever}

I am so grateful to have guys around who are capable in the kitchen. That doesn't mean they spend all their time there - these days their schedules are packed with studies and work - but when they do step into the kitchen, they know what they're doing. And they sure know how to create incredible meals! It probably all started with Papa's example, who loves cooking and who makes a legendary seafood pizza...
I'm really blessed to have these fab guys around!

Thankfulness Day 2: Time Spent with Curtis at Medical School

Tuesday, October 14, 2014


Today I had a grand time with Curtis at medical school! I always enjoy it when I can join him for a day, because we love spending time together, and it's fascinating to get a window into the life of a med student. For most of the morning he was busy with lectures, during which time I sat in the med students' cafeteria and mowed through a very long computer-to-do list, and enjoyed wonderfully tasty smells wafting by (it seemed like everyone was eating something with bacon in it... all looking delumptious. Oh yum.).

In the afternoon, Curtis had something called a "Simulated Patient work-up," in which he got to act out a patient encounter just as if he was the real doctor -- giving the patient a global check-up, and specifically evaluating them for chest pain. Then more hours of study. And reviewing notes with classmates. And discussing material with professors. And finally, home!

If there is one feeling that I'm left with every time I join him for the day, it's that God is incredibly good to us. The university in this state has one of the best medical programs we have ever heard of, and the people we've met are amazing. I'm also very blessed to have such an incredible brother (three of them, actually)!

[For a meeting of med school Alumni from the 50's, Curtis was chosen to represent the current class - hence the above picture as he describes the med school of today]

I am so proud of him!

34 Days of Thankfulness

Monday, October 13, 2014


Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!
I'm excited to announce that today's post is the first in a series on Thankfulness: a post a day for 34 weekdays, between Canadian and American Thanksgivings, highlighting things for which I am thankful.
And the best part? Ike is doing it with me! You can read what he has to say over at www.masculineconversations.blogspot.com.
Stay tuned for tomorrow's post!

Recent Doings

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Autumn in Vermont is always beautiful, but I think this year is one of the best. For weeks, the trees surrounding our house were various shades of flaming red, yellow, and orange, and then almost in one day they turned a dusty color and began coming down in droves. Now there are huge piles gathering on the ground, and the dogs have been spending hours lolling about in them. In another week or so, we'll probably be officially into "stick season," as it is known here -- the period when there are no leaves on the trees but no snow yet either. And I am SO looking forward to snow! I can almost hear the Christmas music playing already... :)


Our front yard!

Sunset over Camel's Hump

The last few weeks have seen a lot of company at our place! We love it when Curtis' classmates come over... most of them are great cooks, so we all cook together and share recipes. My absolute top favorite has to be Gobi Manchurian! It's an Indian dish - basically deep fried cauliflower in a spicy red sauce - and we made it again last Sunday under the tutelage of Curtis' study partner (pictured below). The four and a half hours various ones of us spent at the stove babysitting frying cauliflower were totally worth it!!
And the post-dinner ping pong games were a blast as well:


Playing doubles - glad to be on a team with this ping pong expert!

And finally, a couple of hiking pictures...

 Amazing bro.

Looking down from halfway up Mt. Adams, in New Hampshire

More posts coming soon!
-Ems

Paralegal Liaison!

Saturday, October 4, 2014



I'm super excited to announce that I have been elected to the position of Paralegal Liaison for Oak Brook College of Law! 
I'm so looking forward to working with the Alumni... encouraging Paralegal students, helping fellow Paralegal grads to connect with the school & to find job opportunities, and so much more.
It is really encouraging to see more Christians become equipped and knowledgeable about law and politics through solid, Biblically-based training at OBCL -- they are helping prepare this generation to make a difference in the world, and I'm excited to be a part of it. 
Here's to another great year for Oak Brook!

-Emily Adams, Certified Paralegal :)

[to learn more about OBCL, go to www.obcl.edu]
 
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