I like food. Good food. And over the years my husband and I have become what some would call "foodies". We jump at the chance to try a new restaurant. We eat combinations that many of our friends fear or eat things some have never heard of. We research restaurants and hot spots when we travel. We feel that dining should be an experience and not just consumption.

And - if I do say so we have become quite the cooks here in our own home. Growing up on a farm with a HUGE garden and a handful of our own cattle the idea of "fresh," "local" and "grass fed" is nothing new. Here at home we make our own pasta, salad dressings, gelato and more now. We tend to shop the outside of the supermarket. During warmer months we shop more at the farmers markets than the grocery store. I know the farm where my eggs come from, our all natural milk is poured from a glass bottle and the first ingredient of our locally made bread is actually whole wheat. I like to make extra soups, casseroles and our favorite Bolognese sauce to toss into the freezer for those days that we don't feel like cooking.

That all being said there is something comforting about "easy." I am no food saint and as organic and good as I try to be, food that perhaps is not so good for you and created with ingredients that you know is over processed can indeed be quite tasty. As it turns out when all your ingredients for a recipe are poured from a can the ease of the creation is rather satisfying! So with that all being said, and after yet another weekend with an additional 7 inches of snow I want to share my go-to comfort food ... after scooping and clearing there is nothing easier than this ...

Grilled cheese and tomato soup!

Your favorite whole wheat bread

*GASP* - Velveeta!

Fill your sammich with the desired amount of "yellow gold", butter the outsides (Yes - REAL butter please!) and toss into a medium hot skillet until the perfect crispiness is achieved on each side.

Meanwhile in a pan, pour together one can of fat free chicken stock, one can of Italian stewed tomatoes, one can of tomato sauce, dash of sugar, few grinds of black pepper and a dash of sea salt. Before it gets too hot, take your emulsion blender and blend smooth (or pour ingredients first in blender and then into pan if you are without an emulsion blender *aka* motor boat). Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5 - 10 minutes. ENJOY! (PS - do yourself an indulgent favor and drizzle just a bit of heavy cream on your soup! TRUST ME!!! Worth every calorie!)