rite of spring!

It really feels like Spring! It finally stopped the cold drizzly rain and the sun has come out! The birds are singing, the flowers blooming,  trees are budding. As so often it does, my mind turns to childhood memories...I can remember running through the sprinkler on a long hot summer afternoon, then sitting on the front porch drinking frothy, frosty root beer (our neighbors owned an A&W root beer stand)! Wet bathing suits hung on the railings to dry, dripping big , fat drops of water that cast rainbows from the sun.

In the fall the smell of leaves and the rustling sound they made were a sure sign that Halloween was close by, it was definitely one of our favorite days. We started planning our costumes weeks in advance (I was always a princess or a ballerina, but I would always think of other things I could be). We would bring our pillow cases filled with "treats" home and dump them in the middle of the living room, everyone taking their favorites.
In the winter nothing made us happier than a fresh, sparking snowfall over night, especially if schools would closed the next day. I could never understand why school closed because of the snow, yet we would spend the whole day playing outside in it!

But, my favorite of all is Spring! I love Spring. I loved the smells, the sounds of birds chirping in the morning, jumping over fat, squiggly worms on the walk to school, the budding trees and flowers, the first day it was so warm I could wear shorts and my angel wing halter top. But, no matter what the weather or season there was always lunch and one of my all time favorites, still to this day is grilled cheese with tomato soup. This recipe is a healthier version of the canned soup from my childhood.

So here it is. I like to serve this creamy soup with grilled cheese dunkers.

Creamy tomato soup with dill and Creme Fraiche

(go here for recipe)