January is National Soup Month.
Winter-time is soup time, and a great time to knit.  Put on a pot of soup, enough for a couple of days, and suddenly you have more time to knit.  Here are some recipes for knitting on a warm, cozy winter day.

Free Pattern ~ Quick and preciously cute hat on Ravelry.  Sign up (it’s free) then search on Sarah Shepherd.

Elaine’s Creamy Tomato Soup
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes, with juice
1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream warmed (or low-fat milk)
Salt and pepper to taste

Warm oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until slightly softened and fragrant, about 1 min. Add tomatoes with juice and broth to saucepan, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Whisk constantly until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Working in batches, carefully transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. (An immersion blender would be great for this if you have one.) When all soup is pureed, return to saucepan, stir in warmed cream or milk and cook over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through. Do not boil. Season with salt and pepper. Just a few slivers of fresh basil add a lot of flavor. Makes 8 servings at 123 calories per serving. Quick and yummy!  NOTE:  If you’re going to need to hold this soup for a bit, put your ovenproof soup pot in a warm oven to keep it heated and prevent the soup from sticking.  Thanks to Elaine Blaine for the recipe idea on Facebook.

Need some knitting help?  We can set you up with a private session ~ just email eweandcompany@yahoo.com ~ or register for a class; we have an all-new class schedule.

Please share your favorite soup and knitting recipes and questions by posting them here.  We are especially interested in a good White Chili recipe; it would go really well with the Great American Aran Afghan project scheduled to begin in a couple of weeks. Call us 615.952.0110 or e-mail to participate.

And let us know what you’re knitting, we love hearing from you!