home is wherever i'm with you

I used to not mind the termites in our bathroom. They were kind of entertaining to watch, trailing along on their little missions to and from somewhere important, while I was brushing my teeth or taking a shower. But things have recently gotten out of hand… I caught one crawling over my toothbrush. A bit brazen of these little buggers, eh?? Just having a festival all over our bathroom and not even minding our stuff, in fact probably loving the obstacles like a kid at Discovery Zone.

[Remember Discovery Zone? My “cool” aunt Susie used to take us there when we would come visit her here in the big city. We would wear our little selves out crawling through all those tubes and slides and balls and more tubes with all the other grimy little kids. After taking Microbiology, the thought of a DZ kind of makes my skin crawl.]

But back to our little house-guests. Despite these termites, I truthfully love my home. One day I will look fondly back at this old fourplex and sigh with sweet gratitude. At my roommates: the opera singer downstairs and her husband that always takes our trashcans to the street; the flautist/clarinetist/loud-tooting-instrumentalist-of-some-sort Rice student next door (that I appreciate much more now that she has advanced past her scales); and Kavita, the neighbor dog, so sweetly submissive that she cannot help but pee a little upon greeting you. At the sink with no disposal. At the gas-lit fireplace that Quimby absolutely loves. At the front door that jams every time it rains. At the world-famous Texas Medical Center skyline out our window. At the Rice announcer I can hear any time they have a baseball game. And most memorably, at our first nest as husband and wife. 

tomatoes roasting...

so good. really, so good.

Creamy Roasted Tomato & Basil Soup

Makes 6-7 cups 

Ingredients:


1 ½ lbs Roma tomatoes, sliced lengthwise


3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil


2 tablespoons unsalted butter


1 medium yellow onion, diced


6 garlic cloves, minced


1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced


1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes


2 cups basil leaves, roughly chopped


2 tablespoons dried basil


1 tablespoon sugar


2 cups low sodium chicken broth


salt and pepper to taste


2/3 cup heavy cream


garnish:


goat cheese, crumbled (such a good compliment)

Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 375°F.


2. Spread tomato halves onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.


3. Roast tomatoes for about 1 hour.


4. While tomatoes are in the oven, melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.


5. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes.


6. Stir in the garlic and thyme and sauté for another 5 minutes.


7. Add crushed tomatoes, basils and sugar. Season with salt and pepper.


8. Stir the mixture and reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, covered.


9. Pour broth and roasted tomatoes into the pot. Season with salt and pepper.


10. Continue to simmer soup, covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.


11. Carefully puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth.


12. Stir in the cream until fully incorporated.


13. Ladle soup into bowls and top each soup with a sprinkle of goat cheese-serve hot!

Only slightly adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon