...The Adventures of a Maverick Mom...

Finding the Perfect Bra

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 16:47:00 +0000

Today we're going to talk about taking care of the girls. I recently read something like 90% of women don't wear the correct size bra. I already know I'm one of them, just always believed because 32 was the smallest band size they make and adolescent bras didn't have big enough cups that that was clearly my correct size. Right?

Wrong. That's just the smallest size must chain stores carry.

I also believed that cup sized were straight forward. A's were tiny and D's were huge. It was cookie cutter boobs to fill them.

Wrong again. I blame Barbie. Crazy bitch feeling my head with all kinds of unrealistic beliefs.

I started snooping around the internet. Searching the internet can be described as a cross between getting sucked into a black hole and lost forever or falling down the rabbit hole. You have no idea where you are or how you got there but it's a very fascinating while there.

The best thing is to go to a lingerie store and get measured. It can be hard to find a good one. It needs to be one with a range of sizes and not a chain store like Victoria Secret. As lovely as those girls are, they are not actually trained beyond corporate expectations to push and sell their merchandise. This is why I believed 32-40 A-DD was all that existed. I also believed 32 was a new invention. Seriously, I was that misled.

I also wasn't aware that boobs can be either full on top or full on bottom. This can lead to the gap on top of the bra between your bra and your boob. So, even though it may seem like the wrong size cup it may just be the wrong style cut of the bra. I'm very heavy on bottom so I need some padding to hike them up. A style like balconette does not work for me at all.

O the things we learn.

Most women are wearing bras that are too big in the band and several cup sizes too small. Again, this goes back to the programming of cookie cutter cup sized boobs. Truth is, a 34D is only a fraction the size of a 40D. Your cup size is simply determined by the number of inches between your ribcage and breast measurement.

So here's how to measure... you may need your honey or best friend to help you with this. You will need a measuring tape.

First, figure out your band size. You need to be topless for an accurate reading. Wrap the measuring tape around you. Next, bend over. Make sure the tape is flush against your skin and sits under your breasts where your ribs and breast begin. It should be pretty snug. You want to know your rib cage measurement. If the measurement is an odd number you will need to round up to the next even number. 33 goes to 34. That's say you measured at 34 1/4 or 1/2 then you would round down to 34. You wouldn't round up because that would put you at 36 and the band would end up too loose. Write that number down.

Now, the next part can be a bit controversial. Some will claim to use the +0, +2, or +4 method. All this means is how many inches to add. The +0 might be too tight and uncomfortable for some woman. The +2 is best. Since I've been wearing a +8 I can only go to a +4 right now and will transition into a +2. Use the 34 we took earlier... +0 would be a 34 band, +2 a 36 band, and +4 a 38 band. You can see how much bigger the bands get, This is why going no higher than +2 is best. The weight of your breasts need to be supported by your band not your straps.

Now measure your boobs. Now bend over again and measure around your breast. The measuring tape shouldn't be loose where it could slip off and on without changing shape but not tight to where it squishes them out of shape either. Subtract that number from the band size number. The remaining number is your cup size. Every inch equals a cup. A =1, B =2, and so on (These are US measurements, European will be different). If you feel unsure this is the best calculator out there right now. Yes, cups go far beyond DD. Most stores just do not accommodate these women. Most likely these companies are run by men. I'm sure if we set them down and explained most woman go beyond DD up to size O they would be ecstatic and we would have unlimited resources available to us easily. For now, we must go to specialty shops online to find them. I have always been wearing a 34B my whole life and it turns out my +0 correct size is 26G. Since I'm used to something looser I'm going for 28F, or even 30DDD/E. These ranges are called sister sizes. You can interchange if you need. If you go up a band size then you need to go down a cup size. Try to wear as snug as possible because, as we have all learned, our bras do stretch out over time. When you buy a bra you should be hooking it on the last hook. I've always heard tightest or middle. This is wrong. You want the third or loosest hook that way when it loosens over time, as it will, you can tighten it up. Seems obvious to me now.

If you would like to see pictures how the proper fit will change your shape check out this link here.

Finding these sizes can be hard to find. So far I've only been able to do so online. Here are a few sites:

Bravissimo
Figleaves
Brastop
Ewa Michalak

So there you have it ladies... the proper way to support your girls. Why not turn it into a girls night so the girls can help support the girls. Drink some wine measure each other and order your new bras together online. Make a girls night of it :)

Scotch Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 17:28:00 +0000

Something new we have just discovered in our house are scotch eggs. Have you ever tried these? They were very interesting. Definitely will be making more appearances in our house. Not the healthiest thing around so we can't have it every day....but what is life without a few indulgences???

Hard boiled eggs
Breakfast sausage
eggs for coating
cornflakes
oil for frying
Optional: shredded cheddar cheese
bacon
hollandaise sauce for dipping

Basic instructions:
Start by hard boiling your eggs. Once cooked, peel and wrap in uncooked breakfast sausage. In a small bowl crunch up cornflakes. In another small bowl whisk up a few eggs to use for coating. Heat oil for frying. After wrapping sausage, dip in egg and roll in cornflakes. Fry in oil until cooked through. About 5-6 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Variations:
Crumble up your sausage in a bowl as before and mix in shredded cheddar cheese. Wrap bacon around hard boil egg before wrapping it in sausage. Fry as above. I like to use a toothpick to poke a few holes through the sausage so the bacon cooks up crispy as well.

You can make hollandaise sauce for dipping. I prefer to have it on the side. If I am making the sauce and the variation, I leave the cheese out of it.

Hollandaise Sauce:

4 egg yolks
1 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of salt

Act crazy and whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.

Start a Herb Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 10:14:00 +0000

I love to cook with fresh herbs. They have both amazing taste and health benefits. I grew tired of traveling to the store and purchasing overpriced and small portions of wilted herbs. I'm not rich and there are never coupons for fresh herbs. The stuff in the jar is not the same! Doesn't taste the same. No health benefits. Not as pretty in my dish.

So I decided enough was enough and I decided to make one finally trip to the store and never find myself without fresh herbs again. Plus having extra to mess around with. Endless supply of pesto, and extra rosemary to simply boil on the stove to scent the house.

First, you need to find something to plant your herbs in. You can use a pot, or you can choose a basket to add a different look and feel. When winter rolls around a basket looks better when I move it inside. Choose a fairly large one, the herbs will need room to spread.

Next, you want to add plastic wrap at the bottom. Layer it a few times. This prevents leakage. Now for the fun part. Take a screw driver and stab the crap out of the bottom. This adds drainage holes and relieves a bit of stress. If you want extra drainage, you can add a low level of river rocks or pebbles on top of the plastic wrap.

Add your soil. Find an organic nursery and find soil that is pure. I do not trust Miracle Grow for anything I eat. You hear about all the stuff they add to food and it's scary. Most people don't realize they are adding it to the soil as well. That's why things grow so fast and so much bigger. I like to add natural fertilizers. Try adding a bit of Epsom salt. This puts magnesium into the soil. I add crushed eggs shells once a week. It has always worked out very well for me.

If you buy any herbs from the store, they will come in these brown paper cup looking things. I've damaged many plants trying to get them out without reading the directions first. I'm not a directions kind of person. I dive in and hope for the best. Probably from spending too many years working around men. I've picked up their bad habits. First, you have to soak it in water for a few minutes. Then you start tearing it off to expose the roots. Try not to tear or damage the roots.

You have to remove all or as much paper as humanly possible. Once the roots are exposed, give the soil a good squeeze. This breaks things up and allows air in. You are now ready to plant in your basket.

The herbs you choose will be based or your prefernces and how you eat. If you are new to gardening and are afraid of reaching too far out on the limb start with basil. Basil is extremely forgiving. When I first started I killed everything including the basil. Somehow, it came back to life. It grows and spreads fast and there are fewer rules to keeping it.

Below is how I planted my basket. I will do individual posts on each herb to give as many tips for that particular herb as I can, to keep this post from getting too long.

My basket will include:
      - Basil
      - Rosemary
      - Flat leaf parsley
      - Italian parsley

Basil is very forgiving and a fast grower. Make sure when you plant the others you give basil plenty of room. He likes to stretch out.

When choosing a rosemary plant, spend the extra money and get as big of a plant as you can. Rosemary is a slow grower and will need time to figure out what it is supposed to do.

Plant them a few inches from the edges. It may not look like it here, but there are about 3 inches from the edge.

On the left, I added my flat leaf parsley. On the right, the Italian parsley.

Growing a garden of any kind can have amazing anti-stress qualities. It forces you to slow down and stop thinking about whatever is going on around you. Have your children help you. I've found when children are involved in the growing and caring process they are more eager and willing to try new things. They seem to be more opened minded about what they are eating. Living out here in the country and speaking to the other moms, all kids you love vegetables have usually helped mom or a grandpa in a garden. Small herb gardening like this is a good way to ease yourself into it without the level of maintenance and commitment of a vegetable garden.

Check back later for instructions on how to actually grew these herbs. The best watering procedures, how to store them, what to do with them, and their health benefits. Plus posts on a few others.

Simple Grilled Veggies

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 21:59:00 +0000

The grill is great for things other than just meat. The grill will bring out an amazing flavor in vegetables. It doesn't take much for a great combo. Anything you have in your fridge can be tossed together. One of my favorite combos is onions, bell peppers, and zucchini.

I've found a grill tray is best for this, otherwise they fall through the cracks. It can still be done you just have to be careful.

Above, I have sliced and combined all in a bowl. Then I sprinkled onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and seasoning salt. Season to taste, I applied generously. Drizzle a touch of extra virgin olive oil and mix well.

The amount of time it spends on the grill depends on the heat of your grill. I do not place mine directly over the flame or it will burn, however, I do place it nearby it. Fix the pieces occasionally and grill until they are soft.

This comes out so delicious even the dog was quick to eat the pieces I had dropped on the ground.

Play with the seasonings to find your perfect combo. Italian seasonings or Mexican seasonings can be used to change flavor. If you are nervous about combining your own cheat and grab Tony's or any type of Grill Mates or Mrs. Dash. I like to combine my own because I like to be in control of the flavor intensity. If you have never had any type of veggies on the grill before you will be thanking me for this!

ENJOY!!!

Southern Sun Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 15:51:00 +0000

Yesterday, it was 105 in the shade. And it's still June which means over the next two months who knows where the temperature will go. Trying to stay positive about this heat...it's time to make sun tea.

Around here in the South, most of us have grown up on sun tea. Simply, it is tea brewed by the sun. It has a different taste. Possibly tastes different because it's slow brewed? I don't know. I just know it's good. Lately, I hear a lot of bad press about it. They say it's dangerous and because it is done so slow it just breeds bacteria. Not true. I lived on it as well as most people I know. No one has ever had a problem with it. It is perfectly safe as long as you use a little common sense. It will not last as long as boiled tea. I would say two days, maybe three. Normally it doesn't last that long anyway.

To start, you need to buy a sun tea pitcher. These can be difficult to find now and you may have to order one. Lately it seems they are becoming plastic. You want a glass one instead. The plastic brews chemicals into your tea, it doesn't heat the same, just trust me when I say stay away from the plastic ones. If you can't find one, or don't want to brew as much because your family will not drink it you can use Mason jars to brew individual servings.

To Brew:

Fill your jar (it's probably a 2-quart) with water. I like to use pure water, nothing from the tap. It will taste better. Add 4-6 tea bags. If you wish to mix it up you can replace a few of the bags with herbal tea bags. Place in direct sun and leave for 3-5 hours depending on size of jar and desired tea strength. The tea will be more mellow than regular brewed tea. You may have to move it around in the yard to keep in direct sun. Once it is brewed you may take the bags out or leave them in and place it immediately in the fridge.

Fill your cup, add ice and whatever fruit you may want and enjoy!!

Cut the Cost of "Instant" Oatmeal

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 23:02:00 +0000

Now days, we are all looking for ways to stretch a dollar. With the rapidly increasing groceries prices we need to become clever with our shopping lists.

My son loves oatmeal. I love it because it feels him up in the mornings. If he gets hungry at school he turns into a monster. Normally I fix a small bowl of oatmeal on the side with eggs and sausage or something else. As a single mom, my budget is really stretched. One day I did the math and realized how much I was actually spending for those pre-packaged oatmeal packets.

A box of 10 packets costs 2.88. If he eats only one packet on school days the box will lasts two weeks. In one month I can spend 5.76 just on oatmeal. That really doesn't seem that bad. However, he's a growing boy and can eat two or three of those packets at a time. Even though it doesn't seem like much, we have all learned that these little things add up quick. What you are paying for with these packets is the convenience. Which I love. Mornings are not easy in my house. I decided I would make my own packets so I could save both time and money. This is just something extra I put together during my Sunday prep. Even though it seems like I'm adding more time onto myself, I really only do this about once a month or so.

Instant Oatmeal Packets:

Use ziplock bags for each packet and just measure the ingredients right into it. Add 1/2 cup quick-cooking or 1 minute oats into each bag. Add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and a pinch of salt. The great thing about doing it this way is you can adjust it to your tastes. Omit the salt if you want or add dried fruit to it. I grow a lot of different things but the things I don't grow I buy when they are in season and freeze. Or I chop up an apple or banana and throw in there.

Here's the Numbers:

1 box of 10 packets is $2.88 (10 servings ) about 30 cents per serving.
1 can of oats is $3.98 ( 30 servings ) about 12 cents per serving.

At Sam's Club you can purchase a box that contains two five-pound bags costs $7.98
( 110 servings ) about 7 cents a serving.

If you continued to buy the pre-packaged packets to get to 110 servings would be 11 boxes at a total of $31.68.

When you are doing your kitchen prep have your kids do this. You spend time together and get them involved. It's almost impossible to mess this one up and if they're doing it themselves, they might be more willing to eat the dried fruit if you choose to throw it in there.

Quick and Easy Tomato Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 21:03:00 +0000

Making homemade spaghetti/tomato sauce doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated. There really is no need to ever open another jar as long as you live. This is also a perfect base for meat sauces.

In 10 minutes you will “wow” friends and family on how you always make homemade tomato sauce. One thing that is very important is to use fresh basil not dried and add it at the very end of cooking. The longer basil cooks the less flavor it will have. Dried basil retains flavor, however, the difference in the flavors is huge. Well worth the effort of using fresh. Plus fresh basil has a lot of health benefits!

A quick tip for chopping basil, stack all your leaves and roll into a log. The way you rolled up Play-Dough to make a snake. Start chopping the end in the thinnest strips you can manage. What I do for even smaller pieces, I make a slit from half way up down the length of the basil roll. Then I chop the ends. When I reach the point of the middle cut, I repeat with the remaining. Just watch your fingers!

Here's what you will need:

1 28 oz can whole tomatoes (use whole not pre-diced. The diced ones have added chemicals to preserve the color and appearence of the tomatoes and changes the taste of them), you can grow and can your own tomatoes if you do use those instead.

¼ c tomato paste
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste, or red pepper flakes for added heat

Heat the oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Don't burn the garlic or it will become bitter. If you are using the red pepper flakes add them when you add the garlic. The red pepper flakes will not make the sauce spicy just give it a little extra kick.

Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir. Bust and break the tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add the fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes, no longer than 30.

You can let this cool to room temperature and store in the fridge for up to a week or the freezer for 2 months. When I freeze, I freeze in small one cup portions so I can use this later for a quick lunch for myself without heating more than I need.

There you go. No need to ever buy another jar of Ragu (although I love their new commericals) and be that top mom that makes the other moms hate her because she always makes her own sauce.

Twist on Cake Balls

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 02:15:00 +0000

By now we have all heard of cake balls. They are amazing. If you havent heard of them they are basically red velvet cake cooked, crumbled, mixed with cream cheese, rolled into balls, hardened in the fridge, then dipped in chocolate. Oh my, oh my.

Below I have two variations of these.

Variation #1: Oreo Cookie Balls (oh yea, I went there)

You will need:
A bag of oreo cookies
cream cheese
chocolate
white chocolate

Process the cookie until completely crumbled. Pour into a bowl and mix in room temp cream cheese. Roll into balls (as big or as small as you want) and place on wax paper and place in the fridge to harden. About 1 hour.

Next melt the dark or milk chocolate in the microwave. Stir the chocolate every 30 seconds. Dip the balls into the chocolate to coat. I use a toothpick to hold on to it. The chocolate will run and cover the hole. Place back onto the wax paper. Once all the balls have been dipped, place back into the fridge to harden the chocolate. Once that is ready, you will need to melt the white chocolate using the same method you used for the chocolate.

The white chocolate will be drizzled over the balls. You guessed it...place them in the fridge to harden the white chocolate. Store in an air tight container.

Variation #2: Peanut Butter Balls: (pictured above)

The method is exactly the same as above, with a few subsitutions.

You will need:
Peanut butter
Graham crackers
Chocolate
finely chopped nuts

Grind up your graham crackers, and mix it with the peanut butter. Roll into balls and place in fridge to harden. Melt your chocolate and dip, once slightly hardened roll in chopped nuts and place in fridge to completely harden.

Once I added a touch of raspberry jam to the center of the peanut butter balls. This is one of those recipes that is fun to experiment with. Think outside the box. Enjoy and good luck trying to resist.

Recipe Binder

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 13:46:00 +0000

I am not a fan of clutter. I will not sit and sort through endless stacks of paper to find one thing. I do not have the time or the patience for that. Kitchens can be a breeding ground for paper clutter. One word...recipes. These things are everywhere. It's hard to find new recipes in the stack, so I usually end up going back to past dishes. Does anyone else have this problem?

I needed to come up with a system. I keep a household binder to keep everything running smooth, so why not have a similar system in the kitchen?

On my next trip to Target I picked up a pretty 2 inch binder, a few dividers, some page inserts, and picture dividers for a photo album. When I got home I pulled out all my cookbooks, magazines, and recipes and planted myself at the table on a mission.

I designated each divider to a catagory and added a few page inserts behind each one. I printed up pretty labels and I was ready to start.

Then I sorted through all my recipes and placed them into their categories. How many catagories you have will be up to you and how detailed you want to divide your recipes. I get semi detailed because I dont like to mix soups, salads, and breads. I prefer it seperate so I can find exactly what I want. It is completely up to you how you chose to do it.

My tried and true recipes where placed either in the page inserts on pretty colorful paper I stole from my scrapbook supplies, or if they were recipe cards I placed them in the picture inserts. I didnt like the way the empty slots stood out, so I added some pretty recipe designed scrapbook paper to fill them.

I chose to cut up my recipe magazines and only keep what I would actually try and placed them with my other to-try recipes of that category in the pocket of the divider.

Some of you will not want to cut up your magazines, and that's fine, I wasnt going to cut up my cookbooks! For that solution a made a list that I placed first behind the divider. It has the book/magazine name, the recipe, and the page number it is found on. I use this only for my tried and true recipes, you may wish to print two and have a list for your tried and true and your to-try recipes.

The first divider in my binder is for my inventory lists. Here I keep my freezer, and pantry inventories so that when I make my shopping list I will know what I already have on hand. When I make my list I do not want to get up and search. I shop early in the morning when there are no crowds so I want to get going. If I assume I know what I have I always assume wrong it seems. So this iventory system keeps me sane.

For me, I find that having all my recipes in one place instead of searching here, then searching over there, now trying to seaerch through this book helps me to actually try the recipes I have. The ones I love go in the page inserts the rest get tossed. Plus, trying someting new keeps my family from getting picky or sick of what we've eaten a million times before. I also keep a page insert for extra shopping lists, and one for menu planners.

Once I had my binder set up the way I wanted, it was time to start planning my menu. My binder has a pocket in both the front and the back so I decided to use these to my advantage. When I select a recipe to try I place it in the front pocket. Since it would be a lot to have a month worth of recipes in there, and defeat the purpose of the system, I paper clip each weeks recipes together. That way I know which ones Im supposed to be working with. Once I have used the recipe for that week, I either toss it right then if it wasnt up to par, or I store it in the back pocket and file it next Sunday when I sit down to do my shopping list.

No system is ever set in stone and every system I have grows and changes with my families needs. So far this recipe binder has proven to be very effective for me. If you like my designs you can find them in my etsy shop.

Cowboy Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 10:23:00 +0000

Basically, a piece of bread with a hole and an egg in the middle. OK. Not basically, literally. That’s all it is.

There are many different aliases: egg-in-the-hole, bird’s nest, egg baskets, one-eyed monsters, the list is endless. Whatever you decide to call them, they are quick and easy early in the morning. This happens to be my sons favorite breakfast.

Typically, people will tell you to use a 2 inch round cookie cutter to cut your hole in your bread. I guess they’re super organized and actually know where their 2 inch round cookie cutter is. At 6:30 in the morning, I have no idea where my cookie cutter is and really don’t care to look for it. So I just use whatever I have on hand: a glass, the top to the cooking spray, the random dinosaur sandwich cutter I always seem to have beside me, or a knife to cut the best circle I can. So what if it’s a little lopsided, right?

Here's what you will need:

1 large slice of bread (sandwich bread will work, firmer bread is better)
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 large egg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Using a cookie cutter, cut a circle in the middle of the slice of bread.
2. Over medium heat, melt half the butter. Place the bread in the butter and swirl around to coat and toast. Crack the egg into the hole. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Let the egg set for about a minute. Flip the bread and add the rest of the butter. Swirl and coat, but beware of the egg. Don’t let it lose. By the time the bread is toasted the egg will have set.
3. Transfer to a plate and dig in.

Your personal preference on how you like your eggs will determine the amount of time you spend with your egg on the heat. If you have picky eaters that will not touch a runny egg you can pop the yolk with a fork after you crack it. On the other end, if you prefer runny eggs you can crack the egg, flip the bread and cover the pan with a lid until the top is set the way you like.

Take it a step farther:

I tried this one morning and I will admit it was pretty tasty. It reminded me of an egg sandwich. I'm not a huge fan of eggs so I decided to add some of the precooked bacon crumbles or breakfast sausage I keep on hand in my fridge for quick additions. I just mixed it in with the egg before it set. I prefer my eggs cooked. Once it was on my plate I shredded a little cheese on top. Oh it was good. Fast and tasty. All completed within a few minutes.

If you would like to read my blog on kitchen prep click here.

Tomato Basil Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 21:56:00 +0000

One place I love to eat is La Madeline. If you have never been there you dont know what youre missing. It is a French Bistro serving sandwiches and soups. They are famous for there tomato basil soup. Simple to make and sooo delish. I always have some in the fridge and some in the freezer. It's great to dip your grilled cheese into or eat plain on a cold or rainy night. Since the 'cold front' has blown in, I thought it would be the perfect time for a hot steamy bowl.

Tomato Basil Soup
Adapted from La Madeline's Recipe

2 28 oz cans of Tomatoes
1 large bunch of fresh basil
4 cups of tomato juice, veggie or chicken broth
1 cup of heavy cream
1 stick of sweet unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste
lemon juice (optional)

Add together in a large pot your tomatoes and juice or broth. Let it cook covered on medium low for about 30 minutes.

Puree the soup and the basil in small batches in your blender. Return to saucepan. Add cream and butter, while stirring over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with a hearty bread.

Enjoy!