SOUP'S ON!

     There's been a slight nip in the air the last few days, and I've loved every moment of it. When the weather turns autumn-like, my household suddenly gets into the cooking mood: pumpkin rolls, chili, soups...you name it!
     The chilly autumn weather has really made me turn to one of my favorite recipes: tomato basil soup. It's perfect to eat all year round, whether it's the dead of winter or the middle of summer. I highly recommend a wheat wrap filled with homemade chicken salad as a side dish.  

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THE FAVORITE THINGS GUY’S TOMATO BASIL SOUP

Here’s what you’ll need:

6 cans--28 oz. canned tomatoes (diced and peeled)

1 qt. tomato juice

1 container (0.62 oz) of McCormick’s ground basil

2 cartons heavy whipping cream

1 cup butter (melted) 

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 cup sugar or artificial sweetener

1/4 cup ground oregano
1/4 cup Italian seasoning

In a blender, puree canned tomatoes and tomato juice together. Pour pureed tomato mixture into a large stew pot (as shown in the above picture) and bring to a boil. Add basil, remaining dry ingredients, heavy whipping cream and melted butter. Heat soup over medium heat for an additional 15 minutes, while stirring soup every 5 minutes. Soup should be creamy, hot and ready to serve.
Pour into bowls, gather some family and/or good friends together, and ENJOY!

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IMPORTANT: The ingredient amounts can be halved, due to the fact this makes a LOT of soup! I also recommend this soup topped with grated Parmesan cheese, tomato basil snack crackers and/or croutons.