Hello Friends,

Just wanted to share this with you I borrowed this recipe from 12 tomatoes and it is delicious for sure. I just bought a loaf of crostini bread to go with it and put it on the side of my dish. I baked it sliced it up and used it to dip as I ate. Yummy and it smell fantastic too. 

soup.htmlhttp://12tomatoes.com/2014/01/soup-recipe-perfect-french-onion-soup.html here is the link for it as well.

12 TOMATOES

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Soup Recipe: Perfect French Onion Soup

Winter isn't just the perfect time to try new soups, it's also the season to perfect classics. That's exactly the mindset we had when looking for a great french onion soup recipe. The broth should be filled with the flavor of caramelized onions, the bread on top should be toasted to perfection without being a soggy mess, and of course the cheese should be melted just right. Most importantly, we had to find a way to simplify the recipe for the soup.

Normally, a good french onion soup could require hours of glazing than deglazing the pan as you caramelize the onions, but today's recipe cuts that down. Instead of dozens of times, you only need to deglaze the pot three or four times. For the broth, a mixture of water, chicken broth, and beef broth ended up being perfect. For the topping, we toasted a baguette to prevent sogginess, and just ever to slightly sprinkled the soup with Gruyere cheese to compliment the flavors while not overpowering. Keep reading below for our favorite recipe...

French Onion Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided evenly into 3 pieces
• 6 large yellow onions, halfed and cut root to stem into 1/4" thick slices
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• salt
• 2 cups water, plus extra
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 1/3 cup dry red wine
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups beef broth
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with twine
• 1 bay leaf
• black pepper
• baguette slices cut 1/2" thick (1 per bowl).
• 8oz shredded Gruyere cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F
2. Generously grease the inside of a large Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Place the butter into the Dutch oven, then add the onions with 1 teaspoon salt.
4. Cook covered for 1 hour, then remove from the oven and stir onions, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot.
5. Return the pot to the oven with the lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until the onions are very soft and golden brown (about 1 1/2 hours). Make sure to stir the onions and scrape the sides of the pot after 1 hour.
6. Remove the pot from the oven and place over medium-high heat.
7. Cook the onions, stirring frequently and scraping the sides of the pot until the liquid evaporates and the onions brown (use oven mitts to handle the pot), or for about 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the bottom of the pot is coated with a dark crust (another 6 or 7 minutes).
9. Once the onions are a very dark brown, add the garlic and continue to stir for another 30 seconds to a minute, or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
10. Stir in the sherry and red wine, and cook, stirring frequently until the liquid evaporates (another 7 to 10 minutes).
11. Stir in the broths, 2 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot as you do to loosen everything up.
12. Increase the heat to high until simmering, then reduce the head to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
13. Meanwhile, arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes in the oven.
14. Remove and discard the herbs from the soup, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
15. To serve, adjust oven to boiling.
16. Ladle soup into the bowls, then top with 1 or 2 baguette slices. Sprinkle with Gruyere cheese, then broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly around the edges (3 to 5 minutes).
17. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
18. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes

Love The Life Of An Organic

Recently I have been doing everything organic for my six month old son. I really never gave it much thought with my first son and now that I started with my six month old which has made wonders of a difference. I have been having regrets about not doing the same for my oldest. The only reason I started going organic recently is because my baby was having terrible tummy trouble with the formula that I started him on after breastfeeding. I switched to every kind I could think of and nothing worked for him. Then I came across a organic brand and thought to myself I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it out, so I went for it. It was a little bit more expensive than the other brand but I said well what's five more bucks, so what the heck. Almost immediately I noticed a difference, he was sleeping better at night and he was not gassy. So a week goes by and he was doing very well and even started gaining weight like he was supposed to. I was so happy that finally I found something that was good for him.


To cut costs I went on the website of the company and printed coupons which was excellent, because we are working on a budget. Now I am doing everything organic I think I am hooked lol. His skin was so sensitive to everything so I figured why not, right, might as well get organic baby wash and lotions too. I dont know why I didn't do this years ago seriously. Really it had to do with my ignorance and not knowing how great these products really are. So the company I get the baby organic stuff from also makes food and items for toddlers and big kids. We are now going to start my eldest son on the organic craze and see if he likes it I hope so. I really did not understand about all the hormones and things that companies are putting in foods. Now that I do I just cant simply ignore it, I even find myself reading labels on everything.


Dare I try vegan as far as clothes/or bathing products go I think I may make a go of it. I don't know if I could go completely vegan but I do eat organic food. I just cant go with out meat but I am always willing to give anything a chance. I know I personally would recommend organic products to anyone even if you are not a parent. Even at the age of sixty I think health wise would be a smart decision too make.You can really tell the difference its so uncanny lol I love it. I just going to leave this post with ten awesome ideas for why you should consider going organic. This is from the friendly website at The Organic Trade Association  a great place to learn more about it.# Organic Trade Association  

10 Good Reasons To Go Organic
Organic products meet stringent standards Organic certification is the public’s assurance that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without persistent toxic chemical inputs. Organic food tastes great! It’s common sense – well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that become nourishing food for people and animals. Organic production reduces health risks Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us. Organic farms respect our water resources The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, protects and conserves water resources. Organic farmers build healthy soil Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils. Organic farmers work in harmony with nature Organic agricultural respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas. Organic producers are leaders in innovative research Organic farmers have led the way, largely at their own expense, with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimizing agriculture’s impact on the environment. Organic producers strive to preserve diversity The loss of a large variety of species (biodiversity) is one of the most pressing environmental concerns. The good news is that many organic farmers and gardeners have been collecting and preserving seeds, and growing unusual varieties for decades. Organic farming helps keep rural communities healthy USDA reported that in 1997, half of U.S. farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair prices for crops. Organic abundance – Foods and non-foods alike! Now every food category has an organic alternative. And non-food agricultural products are being grown organically – even cotton, which most experts felt could not be grown this way. Check  out organic food trust me you wont be disappointed :) til next time see ya. Sincerlry, The Sleepless Mommie