Delicious.

Last night was rainy and chilly. 

It was also heavenly. 

Thanks to a lovely little purchase I made earlier in the day. 

Michael’s voice and I had a blissful evening together full of fine cooking and delectable wine.  (Love his new CD!)

Hubby absolutely LOVES French onion soup.  It’s also my dad’s favorite soup, so I have known for quite some time that some day, some how, I needed to come up with a homemade version – a daunting task, I was sure.  Ohhhhh, Paula Deen, how I love you!  Ladies, you must try this recipe!  It was a little time consuming but SO easy.  And I am not going to lie, I thought I was the best chef in the world after sampling my concoction before serving.  It was the perfect meal for a rainy and chilly night.  Please note that the recipe calls for dry white wine in the soup. I highly recommend additionally adding some tasty red wine in your mouth, while cooking.  Oh, and plenty of pumpkin spice candles burning.  It’s all about the ambiance to get your creative cooking juices flowing!

Paula Deen’s French Onion Soup

Courtesy of the Food Network

Ingredients

• 4 onions, sliced (our onions were HUGE, so I only used 3 for both of us!)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 8 cups beef stock
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper
• 1 loaf French bread
• 2 cups grated Gruyere (it’s not hard to find, most cheese sections carry it)

Directions

Saute onions and garlic in oil over low heat until tender and golden yellow. Sprinkle flour over onions, cook a few minutes more, browning the flour well. Add stock and wine and bring to a boil, add thyme and bay leaf. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes or so. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Meanwhile, slice French bread into 3/4-inch slices and butter both sides. Toast slices on griddle until golden brown. Ladle soup into an ovenproof bowl, add toasted bread and cover with cheese. Place ovenproof bowl on a baking sheet lined with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees F or 5 minutes under a hot broiler.

Delicious.

Happy Tuesday!

Blessings/XOXO