Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup with Bat Wings

Every Halloween we have a treasured family tradition that we follow exactly.

Take kids to pumpkin patch where they lovingly spend 1.2 hours picking out the perfect pumpkin. Pay $23.75 and bring them home.
Husband sets up perfect pumpkin carving station complete with newspaper and specialized, intricate carving tools such as the dog food can opener and a bent steak knife.
Kids lovingly draw faces on the pumpkins that require 1,205 intricate cuts to create.
Husband cuts tops off pumpkins. Kids look inside and proclaim that "pumpkin guts are gross!" and refuse to touch them.
Husband gives them my heirloom silver soup ladle and cajoles them to stop making faces and start digging.
After 5.7 seconds, children declare pumpkin guts to be "disgusting, cold and icky". Children ask to go inside to wash hands and never return.
Husband retreats to his recliner and picks up remote while muttering something about "every #@%@# year" and "never again."
Search for kids unsuccessfully.
Spend next 3 hours scooping, carving and drilling until sun sets.
Carry two 23 pound pumpkins to the front porch.
Dig in junk drawer looking for two stubby candles and box of matches.
Call kids and husband outside to ooh and ahh and proclaim that these pumpkins are the best they've ever done.

Aahhh, memories. Where would be without family traditions? I also like to serve a nice warm bowl of soup before they rush to the door and anxiously wait like racehorses chomping at the bit while I take "just one more" photo. This is one of my faves because it's super easy and is made with pantry ingredients.

ROASTED PEPPER AND TOMATO SOUP

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
16 oz can of whole tomatoes with Italian seasoning, undrained
7 oz. jar of roasted red peppers, drained
1 cup chicken broth
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon dried basil or 2 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in large saucepan. Stir in flour to make a roux and cook for about 2-3 minutes stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, red peppers, broth, tomato paste, garlic, sugar and salt and pepper. Cook until soup bubbles. Puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a standing blender.

BAT WINGS

4 slices of bread (makes 2 sets of bat wings)
Olive oil, butter or cooking spray
Garlic salt