{throw it all together}

Today was a confidence boost kind of day for me... cooking-wise.

I put Caroline down for her nap, and walked into the kitchen to scavenge for my lunch. I really wanted some tomato soup and a grilled cheese, but alas- "no soup for you." ;)

So, I grabbed the ciabatta bread, sliced it in half, buttered it, and then topped it with shredded mozzarella cheese. I broiled it in the oven (at 400 because our broiler on high burns stuff really fast. not speaking from experience or anything.) It came out perfectly brown and melted.

At that moment, I looked into the fridge for something to dip my grilled cheese into. Salsa? Nah. Ketchup? No way. Hmm... Tomato juice. Surely I could just heat that up in a mug, and it would be close enough?

I pour it into a mug, and just as I was about to stick it in the microwave, I had a lightbulb moment. Whole milk. check. Basil? check. garlic? check. I added those ingredients together (1:1 ratio of milk to tomato juice, but you could adjust that to taste) in a small saucepan, quickly whisked together, and turned it up to medium/medium high. After I checked to make sure it was warm enough, I poured it back into my mug.

Voila! Tomato Basil Soup a la kate. Is it La Madeleine's? No. But, is it good? Absolutely.

So proud of myself for thinking outside the box and whipping something up with what I had on hand.