Rich and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Most people dread going to their bi-annual dentist check-up. I don't know why, but I find it quite relaxing. The dentist assistants brush, floss, and rinse my teeth, letting me choose  the toothpaste flavor. Maybe it is because I still go to a pediatrics dentist, and they still let me choose stickers and prizes. But today, I felt like one of the thousands of people who want to wimp out on their dentist visit. Why, you ask? Teeth Extraction! Two teeths, in fact; and, I do not have a single cavity. I have worked hard to earn the no-cavity reputation, and yet I still have to endure the pain and soreness that one experiences when he or she recieves a steel crown or alloy filling.

After coming home from my operation, my constant drooling and wiping made me stop my Statistics studies. I went upstairs to read Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody, assigned to me for my US History class, and fell asleep. I wished I did not wake up from my afternoon nap because the left-side of my face was sore and throbbing. To ease the soreness, my mom and I made this delicious and warm tomato soup. It sure put an end to my crabbiness, and I had the energy to take over my brother's duties of washing the dishes.

Rich and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Adapted from allrecipes.com

• 4 tomatoes- peeled, seeded and diced
• 4 cups tomato juice
• 14 leaves fresh basil
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4-6 carrots
• sugar and pepper to taste 

Shred carrots and cut into finger-size pieces.
Boil the carrots until tender soft.
Place tomatoes and juice in a stock pot over medium heat.
Simmer for 30 minutes.
Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves and carrots, and return the puree to the stock pot.
Place the pot over medium heat, and stir in heavy cream and butter.
Season with sugar and pepper.
Heat, stirring intil the butter is melted.
Do not boil.

Top with a spoonful of shredded cheddar cheese.
Serve with a grilled cheese sandwhich.

Gooey Coconut Dream Bars

My mom and I were waiting all week to make this gooey bar. After having eaten the Dreambar a couple weeks back at Cafe Express, we wanted to resurrect the sweet goodness in our kitchen. Tomorrow is Father's Day and this is a delicious dessert bar for all sweet tooth dads to try. Mom and I whipped this up before going out to eat at Mambo Seafood. It's a mexican restaurant and fish market all in one. Everyone there is watching the soccer game (Mexico vs. Guatemala) and having a good time. In the middle of the cheering and festivities, a POP POP sound came out of nowhere. I didn't think much of it because it sounded like fireworks outside. The all of a sudden everyone eating outside scrambled inside to the exit door knocking over tables, dishes, and beer mugs. The patrons inside ducked under the table. We were all laying flat against the dirty ground, and my dad kept whispering me to get down lower. It was a very dramatic and scary experience. I, for one, will not go to that side of town again.

Gooey Coconut Dream Bars
Adapted from The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread

• 20 graham crackers
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 cup pf semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups of sweeted flaked coconut
• 1/4 cup of coconut powder
• 1 cup of chopped walnuts
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Foil a 9x13-inch pan and grease the bottom.

Crust:
Crumb the graham crackers in a food processor. Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, salt, and melted butter in a large bowl. Evenly pack the mixture into the pan.

Topping:
Sprinkle coconut powder over the crust. Then top it with a mixture of walnuts and coconut flakes. Pour the condensed milk over the covering the entire surface. Evenly sprinkle chocolate chips over the condensed milk.

Bake for about 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 15 minutes. Watch carefully and make sure that the top does not brown and the milk does not bubble over the pan. Cool the bars completely before cutting the bars. Bars can be stored tightly wrapped with seran film in the fridge or freezer.

I prefer to eat them with a glass of milk or a scoop of icecream.

The Beginning

Turn on oven. Turn off world.

Introducing a blooming connoisseur of sweets:
I am a student currently residing in a quaint, suburbian town (Sugar Land, Texas). Yes, there is a town named after the one ingredient that I love, C6H12O6. I am studying biology in New Jersey and I hope to eventually have a career in the medical field. Since summer is in full swing, cooking and baking have caught my full attention. To bust the summer stagnant, as I am taking summer classes and desperately trying to find a part-time job, I decided to create a blog that relates to all the things that I love.

When it comes to cooking, I really love international cuisine. When it comes to baking, I really love chocolate and dainty pastries. My cooking/baking/eating inspirations come from Food Network, Travel Channel, and flipping through colorful cookbooks and food blogs. I am a total fanatic with the kitchen appliances of every store I walk into. My mom recently bought a KitchenAid stand mixer (in my favorite color, baby blue) and an icecream machine. Even though I love sweet and savory foods, I have been blessed with a slight, hyperactive thyroid. I do like to feel fit and toned though, so I try to squeeze in excercise and swimming into my schedule.

This blog will feature recipes that I've created or learned from my mom, photos I've taken of the food I made, and reviews on restaurants, cookbooks, and recipes. I hope you enjoy reading my experiences with food and stick around for future posts. Happy eating! :)