Baby it's cold outside!

It is so cold out! I hibernate when the winter sets in to this extreme.
My thoughts turn to soup and baking. Not bundling up for the trek to the grocery store for any exotic ingredients . Searched the cupboards and found onions. Some leftover white wine......French Onion Soup.
My favourite recipe for onion soup comes from Great Good Food cookbook by Julie Rosso. So easy.
2 cups sliced onions ( spanish I used regular white
2 cups white wine
1 TB butter
In a preheated 425 oven ,combine first 3 ingredients in pyrex dish ake until most of the liquid is evaporated, stir once or twice.
In medium saucepan pour 4 cups beef broth add cooked onion mixture simmer for 1/2 hour. In oven proof bowls ladle soup top with dry bread round top with mixture of parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese and swiss cheese... Broil.

To go with this yummo soup, fresh baked bread.
There is no better fragrance in the house than bread baking in the oven . This recipe is from Martha Stewart called Shaker bread.Makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water (110 degrees)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees)
3 tablespoons butter, softened, plus more for bowl and pan
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
Directions
Sprinkle yeast over warm water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add sugar, and stir until dissolved. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
With mixer on low speed, gradually add milk, butter, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix in flour, about 1 cup at a time, and mix on medium speed until combined. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until soft and smooth, about 5 minutes.
Place dough in a large, buttered bowl, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan; set aside. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and knead until smooth. Shape dough into a 9-inch-long log. Place in prepared loaf pan, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until dough has doubled in bulk, 30 to 45 minutes.
Bake until top is golden brown and bread is cooked through, about 50 minutes.
Slathered in butter goes so well with steaming hot soup. Perfect winter fare.