Velvety Tomato Basil Soup
My cousin introduced me to the best tomato basil soup- and it was at Nordstrom’s. I remember visiting California to see family and she took me out to lunch at Nordstroms. I ordered the soup and was determined after that to recreate it. This recipe is adapted from Serious Eats. I like my soup thicker and reduced the heavy whipping cream. Although I have to admit that the heavy whipping cream is what makes the soup velvety and incredible. Feel free to add more whipping cream for added decadence.
I was curious about the addition of the carrots. The carrots add a sweetness to the soup. The carrots and onion balance out the acidity of the tomato. I remember when I had my first child and I was making baby food for her. I boiled some carrots with a small amount of water so I didn’t lose nutrients. Then I blended the carrots and had a taste. They were incredibly sweet. I couldn’t believe I was using the word sweet to describe a vegetable. The carrots were sweet. It was my first time experiencing vegetables could be sweet. It also confirmed to me that homemade baby food tasted way better than the watered down version of store bought baby food.
Suggestions for a Weekend in Kentucky
We spent a delightful labor day weekend in Kentucky. We went to Mammoth Cave National Park River, Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace, Churchill Downs, and the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory. I was hoping to do a tour at Fort Knox but shockingly they don’t do tours there. We stayed at a Marriott in Bowling Green, Kentucky for one night. We even had KFC in Kentucky (we are high class we know).
Tips for the Omaha Zoo
I have heard that the Omaha zoo is one of the best in the country. I’ve been to lots of zoos across the country including the San Diego Zoo and the DC zoo and thought how could it be so good? We had been living in St. Louis as well and the zoo in St. Louis is free and the thought of paying to visit a zoo didn’t exactly thrill me. I mean we were at the zoo in St. Louis a few days before and then we drive to Omaha to pay to visit a zoo?
However, my friend Marissa said that if we’re visiting Omaha then we MUST visit the zoo. Marissa lived in Omaha for four years so she knew what she was talking about. She also recommended to spend the whole day there. I read some things about the zoo ahead of time and thought I was prepared for the zoo. However, I was totally blown away with how amazing it is. I knew to pack swim suits for my kids because I had heard there was a splash pad there. We were visiting in the summer time so we also packed lots of drinks, sunscreen and snacks. There are not more animals or more exotic animals there than other zoos but each exhibit is thoughtfully done.
An example of how the zoo’s exhibits are enriched is the elephant area. There is an elephant crate that you could walk through. I felt like I could get a good sense of how large these animals were. There was also a safari jeep and helicopter that the kids could climb in.
My son was reading the zoo map and his eyes immediately locked in on the children’s zoo area and it says “learn through play”. He kept saying we need to go to the children’s zoo because we learn through play. We came early and stayed till the end and we could have stayed longer at the zoo.
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