Hearty Tomato Soup and Cleaning Day 2

After a gloriously warm and sunny weekend, yesterday was a bit of a letdown....cool and rainy. So I made soup for dinner. It was quite possibly the last time we'll have soup for a while, but I wanted to share the recipe nonetheless. It is a winner from my friend, Nancy Partridge.

Hearty Tomato Soup

2Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
6 oz. of softened cream cheese
1 1/4 cup milk
2 (10 3/4 oz. each) cans of tomato soup
2 (14 1/2 oz. each) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
i pkg. cheese tortellini

Melt butter in saucepan. Cook onion and garlic in butter for about 2 minutes until onion is tender; remove from heat. Stir in paprika, basil and cream cheese. Gradually stir in soup and milk. Beat with a wire whisk until cheese is melted and soup is smooth. Stir in tomatoes. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot.


Today's Spring clean chore was the kitchen, dining room and living room. Organizing drawers, throwing away expired medication, scrubbing the floor, polishing the cabinets, cleaning glass and bleaching towels, washrags and pot holders. Everywhere else just needed a good dusting and vacuum. There is almost nothing I love more than a clean kitchen. Hooray!

I also needed a fresh idea for a centerpiece for my dining room table. So I swiped an idea from a friend and filled a hurricane jar with my collection of vintage cookie cutters and candy molds. Thanks for the great idea, Shawna!