Creamy Tomato Soup and Leggings as Pants

Has everyone seen that viral video with the southern woman ranting about “leggins”? Her basic message was that leggings need to be worn with something long enough to cover your ass, because “nobody wants to see what kind of underwear you’ve got on.”

Can we please discuss sagging pants on men?

I’m so sick of this double standard. So, because I choose to wear leggings as pants (because they ARE FUCKING PANTS), I’m just “asking for it,” right? Or I’m offending some woman that doesn’t have the confidence to wear what I’m wearing, right? How about we all just dress the way that makes us the most comfortable, and stop fucking attacking each other about it? I am not here to fit into someone else’s standard of beauty. I wear leggings because they make me feel good about myself. My ass looks awesome in leggings. They make me happy, and that’s my choice. That doesn’t mean everyone has to wear them the way I do. Do what you want. But don’t chastise others for being different from you. End of rant.

I’ve been super fucking lazy about posting, because I’ve been doing a lot of cat sitting lately. Whenever I have a little spare time, all I want to do is knit and watch Parks and Rec (because chubby Chris Pratt – am I right?). I’m in the process of making these really fucking awesome legwarmers. I’m going to wear them with my leggings (as pants), and be all around adorable (see pic to right).

I made this awesome tomato soup last week. It has fucking parmesan in it. Reading that made me so happy, so I immediately had to make it. The only problem I had with this recipe was the roux. It was way too thick. There was no reason to have so much flour involved here, so I cut the quantity in half for my recipe. I also used veggie stock instead of chicken, because I make my own. I feel like this blog is coming across as being only vegetarian. I’m not actually a vegetarian. I just try to use veggies as much as possible, and don’t eat very much meat in general. Also, the meat that I do consume is only purchased from the farmers’ market, or local co-op. It’s always locally and humanely raised. Same goes for my eggs and dairy.

The original recipe is for a slow cooker. You’re welcome to try this, but I don’t have one of those, so I did it on my stove top. It was pretty simple.

Creamy Tomato, Basil, Parmesan Soup (from Tastes Better from Scratch)

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with the juice (I used a jar that I canned last year, plus a can from the store)

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced onions

1 cup diced celery

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cups veggie broth

1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano)

1/4 cup fresh basil (plus more for garnish)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups half and half

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Saute carrots, onions, and celery in a little drizzle of olive oil over medium/high heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until softened, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, onions, celery, broth, oregano, and basil to a large pot over medium/high heat. Simmer for about 25 minutes. While the soup is simmering, make the roux in a large skillet. First, melt the butter over low heat, then slowly add the flour, while whisking. Whisk continuously for 5-10 minutes. Slowly start whisking in the soup to the roux, one cup at a time, until you’ve added about 3 cups. It will form a thick paste at first, but will then thin out a little. Whisk until fairly smooth. Pour everything back in the soup pot. Add the Parmesan, half and half, and lots of salt and pepper. Do a little taste test, and adjust seasonings as needed. Let it simmer on low for a few more minutes, stirring frequently. Finally, pour everything into a blender (or do this in batches), and blend until smooth. Serve with crusty bread, and top with some chopped fresh basil. Eat it on a rainy day in your underwear – maybe while wearing some nice hand knit legwarmers.