I wish we were neighbors!

Perfect solution, although I have a better one - I let DH prepare onions. While I start to tear up with my first onion it doesn't bother him at all. Of course that can only happen now that he's retired.

Onion soup is a favoriite of mine but I haven't found a recipe I really love enough to deal with the onions.

Would you be willing to share yours?

love the decorations too

What a perfect solution! I also love French onion soup but don't make it all that often -- for the very same issues that you have no solved!

Have a wonderful evening!

What a lovely tradition, Lynn. Bringing families together is incredibly rewarding and has so many positive ripples.

LOL maire_cate, that is my solution too. Though having contacts helps me not tear up as much, if there are industrial quantities of onions involved DH volunteers- he is immune. DS2 OTOH cannot be in the same room as an onion on the chopping block.

Maire_Cate: I’d be happy to share it with you all here. If not today, then this weekend.

Sue: that is so funny!!!

My DH has no problem cutting onions either, but is always at work when I need them cut, darn it!

Lovely! Have a great party.

I use sunglasses or else subcontract the work to a kid. Colder onions help. Also, not for cutting but for eating raw, soak them in cold water.

I made FO soup with a Martha Stewart recipe where you start from bones to make the beef broth. Fabulous. But when we moved, we found a local authentic french bistro that is just as good; haven't made it since!

Lynn’s French Onion Soup

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 2½ pounds Vidalia or other sweet onions, thinly sliced and quartered
• 3 TBS butter or Smart Balance
• 1 TBS olive oil
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2½ TBS flour for thickening
• 7 cups good beef broth
• 1 cup dry Vermouth (or dry white wine/ I use Vermouth)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 TBS cognac or brandy
• 8 1" thick slices from a French baguette (or
  more)
• Olive oil for brushing on baguette slices
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 cup coarsely grated Swiss cheese
• 1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Melt butter and the 1 TBS of olive oil together in a soup pot on low heat; add onions, sugar and salt and stir to combine.
2. Cook on very low heat for 2 hours, stirring every so often. Onions will turn a deep golden-brown color.
3. Stir in flour, and then when the flour is totally mixed into the onions, add the beef broth, Vermouth and bay leaf. Increase heat and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and continue to simmer, covered, for 45 minutes or longer.
4. Taste and correct seasoning, if needed.
5. Before serving, place the baguette slices on a cookie sheet. Brush lightly with olive oil. Lightly toast baguette slices under broiler. Remove.
   Turn oven on to 400-degrees.
6. Rub cut garlic clove over each toast slice and set aside.
7. While oven is getting to 400-degrees, bring soup to a boil. Stir in Cognac.
8. Divide soup into oven-proof bowls and place bowls on 2 sturdy cookie sheets.
9. Top each bowl of soup with a baguette slice (you may want to put 2 baguette slices in each bowl, depending on the bowl size and your own personal preference). Top with 1/8 of the combined cheese mixture.
10. Heat soup in oven for about 10 minutes, or until cheese mixture is bubbly and golden-brown.

Notes: I personally use Smart Balance instead of butter, and Vermouth instead of white wine. I also usually use Brandy instead of Cognac, just because we keep Brandy in our liquor cabinet all the time. This soup freezes well.

My Halloween napkins and napkin rings that I made. Everything I found to buy was too cute or too cheap looking for my taste:

(edited to add that napkins are a PIA to make . . . never again!!! )

that's so cute!

What a fun tradition Lynn. And how nice that you have been able to keep it going. Good soup, good friends, good times! Enjoy.

I am incredibly jealous - of both the friend tradition and the soup.

Onion soup - yum!

Did you know they sell onion goggles? You saved some money, LOL!

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/onion-goggles/112667/

Contact lenses also help alleviate the tears.

Thanks for the recipe Lynn. We usually have prime rib or roast tenderloin for Christmas and often serve potato leek soup. Everyone loves French onion too so I think I'll change it up this year.

thank you, Maire

The title of your post was so funny and your write up Just as cute. So happy you have found a solution. And thanks for your recipe.

What a fabulous tradition! I've never made French onion soup, but it's one of my favorites, albeit a rare treat.

ratherbesewing, same here! I've been wearing contacts for 30+ years and have not had the onion/eye thing during that time. I don't usually slice 2-1/2 pounds of onions in one go, but chopping an onion is no problem. I worried that somehow my soft lenses were absorbing whatever it is that causes tears, but it's never been an issue.

Can you slice onions in the food processor?

I also wear contacts and had no idea how much they helped with chopping onions until I had my glasses on instead one day. Somehow trying to picture the swim googles makes me think of a fun children's book illustration. Thank you for giving me this image.

The goggles for onions IS in a kids' book! I just can't remember which...Judy Blume? Beverly Cleary? Dagnabbit that's gonna bother me that I don't remember....

Glad you all got a kick out of the image of me whacking away at all those onions (LOL)! I can assure you that I looked totally goofy, and was glad no one was here to see me!

One helpful hint regarding the Soup, if your oven is being used for other dishes, or for whatever reason you don’t want to take the time to put the filled bowls back in the oven to melt the cheese, try this instead: place your toasted slice of garlic bread in the bottom of the bowl, mound your shredded cheese on top of it, and the slowly ladle your hot soup around and then over it. The hot soup will melt the cheese and the toast should float up a bit.

What a fun party idea! I'm definitely trying your soup - it sounds delicious. Your napkins are cute! But agree they are a PIA. One year I made two dozen for Thangksiving. How can something seemingly so easy be such a pain to make? Ugh. Never again!

LynnNM, I made onion soup with your recipe and served it at a dinner party last night. It got rave reviews all around. I didn't need swim goggles. My 44 year old Oster Regency mixer/blender/food processor/meat grinder quickly cut the onions into perfect thin slices. Not a tear was shed.

Thanks for the recipe. In return here is another soup recipe that I make that everyone loves

Ina Garten’s Winter Minestrone Soup

• Ingredients:
• Good olive oil
• 4 ounces pancetta, ½-inch-diced
• 1½ cups chopped yellow onions
• 2 cups (½-inch) diced carrots (3 carrots)
• 2 cups (½-inch) diced celery (3 stalks)
• 2½ cups (½-inch) diced peeled butternut squash
• 1½ tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 26 ounces canned or boxed chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi
• 6 to 8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti
• 8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup good dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons store-bought pesto
• Garlic Bruschetta (see recipe)
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1-1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it’s too thick, add more chicken stock. Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste. Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot.

Garlic Bruschetta

• 1 baguette
• Good olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, cut in half lengthwise

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Slice the baguette at a 45-degree angle in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted. Take the slices out of the oven and rub the surface of each one with the cut clove of garlic.

Here it is as a work in progress from when I made it in November

This picture is from Ina Garten's website

Badgergal, I knew that was Ina's minestrone before I scrolled up and saw her name. We love it with the butternut squash! I've never made the bruschetta (love garlic, but not garlic bread) or added the pesto, but that will change next time. Just bought a big jar at Costco.

CindyMac, I havent bothered with the bruschetta any time I’ve made the Minestrone soup but definitely add the pesto and wine. It adds to all the great flavors in the soup.

I add wine after sautéing the veggies, prior to adding the tomatoes. Will definitely add the pesto next time.

Ohhh, I’m so glad you all enjoyed my soup, Badgergirl! And, thank you for that Winter Minestrone Soup recipe. It sounds wonderful. I’m going to make it for us next week.