What? I cooked?

I'm trying out something new this week. I'm.... get ready for it..... COOKING for my family!

I'm not a good cook- or a good cleaner- or a good grocery shopper. Add that to being a photographer and what do you get? A husband that cheerily says, "Let's just get take out every night so you don't have to cook. Ever."

But this week we have no sessions. ZERO. So I have time to spend in the kitchen. My first recipe to tackle was inspired by the delicious tomato soup and grilled cheese at the Yard House. It made me die from tasty happiness. 

I made up the recipe for the grilled cheese sandwich, which wasn't hard- since it's bread and cheese. Here is the recipe for the soup. It was a tasty soup, but I like mine much creamier so I'll have to keep searching for a better recipe. Anybody out there have a yummy tomato soup recipe?

The kids gave the sandwich a huge stamp of approval. The soup, they wouldn't touch. You win some, you lose some!

FANCY GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES

1 loaf sourdough bread, cut into diagonal pieces

cheddar cheese slices

monterrey jack cheese slices

1/2 white onion, sliced thinly and sauteed until golden

butter

directions: Well I'm pretty sure you can figure out how these ingredients came together to make the pictures above.

Comments

[Lisa M.]

YUM! i wish I had some sourdough bread right about now (well, it's 2am and I'm figuring out that you're a nightowl like me!)

I wish my kids looked at my cooking that way LOL!

[Nama]

This looks absolutely delicious! Congrats on your big foray into cooking. :) And I'm definitely making that soup sometime...did you use the optional cream?

[Laura]

I want to eat the food and your children. They all look delicious.

[nyclizzie]

wow! I'm seeing a new side to the blue lilys. Moving into editorial? Your shots were delicious before, but now they are DE-Lic-ious! Cheers!

[Leslie Call]

I have an awesome tomato soup recipe that one of my best friends gave me...it really is the best I have ever made. We make it all the time around here and I used canned tomatoes, which is still so yum. Here it is:

Garden-Fresh (or not) Tomato Soup
1/2 c butter or margarine
2 tbls. olive or vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 lbs. diced fresh tomatoes or 2 cans (16 oz. each) Itaian stewed tomatoes undrained
3 tbls tomato paste
1/4 c flour
3 3/4 c chicken broth- divided
1 tsp sugar
1 c whipping cream

Enjoy!!

[Leslie Call]

ooops...I forgot the instructions part:

In large saucepan, heat butter, oil. Add onion and seasonings. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion soft.
Add tomatoes and paste. stir to blend. Simmer 10 minutes.
In small bowl mix 1/4 c. chicken broth with flour. Mix until smooth. Stir into tomato mixture. Add remaining broth. Let simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Allow mixture to cool.
In batches, puree tomato mixture in blender. Return mixture to pan.
Add sugar and cream. Heat through.