Simply Sunday: Back To Routine

Sunday Musings

It’s simply Sunday, the last Sunday of July.

Where has the summer gone? A good question with a lot of answers. For my family it has been an exciting month of July. We spent three weeks traveling to Namibia and South Africa. Yes, it was truly an African dream.

I am currently working on a blog series in which I will share our amazing African adventure.

And now it’s time to get back to a routine and a schedule that allows me time to enjoy the rest of the summer and accomplish some of my goals too.

What Is Routine Anyway?

A sequence of actions regularly followed is considered to be a routine. Now of course, routine for everyone is different. Especially in the summer months our schedules and routines do get more varied and less structured than in other times of the year.

For me, some of my favorite routines include:

• Making a list of intentions and schedule for the coming week on Sunday – “Simply Sunday”
• Getting up early and enjoying morning coffee with my husband
• Making a to do list for the day
• Walking my dogs daily
• Planning healthy meals before it’s time to be cooking
• Having a scheduled work time for my blog
• Exercise
• Spending the evening with my family

Routinely Cooking Healthy

While we were away, one of my favorite things was that many of our meals had soups as a starter course. I love a good soup and during most of the year I usually make a soup, stew or chili once a week.

Getting back into the routine of making soup weekly is my intention for this week. I found this recipe for tomato soup in Fine Cooking and I would like to share it with you.

There’s no better time to make tomato soup than in summer with all the fresh tomatoes available. I going to substitute fresh tomatoes. It’s on this week’s menu!

Classic Tomato Soup Recipe

By Perla MeyersFine Cooking Issue 91

Yield: Yields about 8 cups.

Servings: 8

Silky tomato soup is like the little black dress of soups. Unadorned and paired with a grilled cheese sandwich, it’s a comforting lunch. Dressed up with simple garnishes, it makes a sophisticated start to a dinner party.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 large white onion, finely chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, smashed and peeled
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 3 cups lower-salt chicken broth
• 28-oz. can whole peeled plum tomatoes, puréed (include the juice)
• 1-1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh basil, chives, or dill, or a mixture of all three (omit if using one of the garnishes below)

Nutritional Information

Preparation

• In a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat the oil and butter over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, about 8 minutes.
• Add the flour and stir to coat the onion and garlic.Add the broth, tomatoes, sugar, thyme, and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper.
• Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat while stirring the mixture to make sure that the flour is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes.Discard the thyme sprig.
• Let cool briefly and then purée in two or three batches in a blender or food processor.
• Rinse the pot and return the soup to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reheat if necessary.
• Serve warm but not hot, garnished with the herbs or dolloped with one of the garnishes below.

Make Ahead Tips

This soup stores beautifully and tastes better the second day. You can keep it in the refrigerator as long as you bring it to a boil every two days. Or you can stash it in the freezer for up to three months.

To add a creamy touch, try one of these garnishes:

Sour cream, goat cheese & Parmesan garnish: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup sour cream with 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese. Add 1 Tbs. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1 Tbs. thinly sliced chives, and 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil. Mix thoroughly and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a dollop to each serving.

Crème fraîche, herb & horseradish garnish: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup crème fraîche with 1 Tbs. minced fresh dill and 1 Tbs. minced scallion. Add 1/2 Tbs. well-drained prepared white horseradish and mix well. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add a dollop to each serving.

Simply Sunday Today

In conclusion, today, my Sunday is dedicated to reflection on our summer so far, being grateful for the wonderful opportunities and experiences of the past weeks and to making plans for the coming of month of August. Oh yeah, working on getting back to my daily routine!

Thank you all for sharing this time with me.

I look forward to catching up with you soon.

Have a glorious Sunday!

Rosemary