Tomato Vegetable Soup

We were craving basic vegetable soup - kind of like how Cambell's tasted as kids, but better. Came out pretty good. Disregard typos on ing. list - i was writing fast! trying to remember...
Saute in oil or butter the onion, garlic, herbs, carrots and celery. Add the wine. then add potatoes and stock and tomato stuff and simmer for aobut 20 mins, or til veggies are tender. Taste for seasonings, add in pasta (that you cooked in another pot) lima beans (frzen), corn (frsh or frozen), honey and fresh basil, simmer a bit more.
If you'd like, stir in 1/2 c half and half and a 1/2 cup more water at the end. But the dairy is optional. You can just add more water to thin to your liking.
we made some loaves, too, cuz we like to dip. This makes a heaping pot of soup. FreeZe a bunch it's gonna be a long winter....

Tommys (and Clara's) Best Lo Mein Recipe!

Really! I don't know how he makes it and waiting for him to write down recipe but I know Clara made it all the time (we miss you, Clara) and you have to use the fresh Lo Mein noodles, and keep the veg crispy! And it's the best, most comforting Lo Mein ever. Recipe to come soon.

Also cool photo of the Between the Buttons with Cellophane (t hamby)
He left to see El in Florida this morning. Maybe Elliot will give us his homemade Jerky recipe!!

fall in love

working on, testing new desserts for fall - sketching and cooking a lot....
was thinking of baked apples filled with a brulee but then ended up cutting out an apple creme brulee with biscuit cutters and placing on filo rounds. The textures and flavors were perfect. Meanwhile tommy left for Florida tosee Elliot. I don't know if it is because he just informed me he's going swimming that i am feeling especially cold here right now...or perhaps that's just october 3 in Chicago, finally. it's been so nice here we've gotten used to summer.
He left me this love note, written on the chalk wall in letters 5 feet high! like a bandit in the night, for me to find this morning when i got home from dropping him at the airport. Lovely.
We'd spent the day yesterday cleaning, organizing, cooking and moving his vinyl collection (of over
2000 albums) up 3 flights of stairs...fun to have such a variety of music back in the house.

Photos: Ultimate Love Note, brianstorming the apple desserts, Apple Creme Brulee Filo Terrine with Wafer Thin (lol) Apple Tart and Spun Sugar