Soup of the Day

Or should I say, soup of the life.
You all know my favorite soup is Borsch. But this soup is definitely one of our very favorite things to eat.
It’s ZUPPA TOSCANA SOUP!

Here is what you need:
1 pound of spicy Italian sausage
2 quarts chicken stock (or more if you like a less chunky soup)
2 potatoes, unpeeled, cubed
2 cups kale, cleaned and torn into bite size pieces
1/2 onion, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup half and half, or cream
red pepper flakes (optional)
Here is how we make it!
Get a large soup pot. Put in the onions and sauté them until tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the chicken stock and start to boil.
While your stock is starting to boil, fry the sausage in a pan and break into bits. Once cooked you can drain off excess fat. Set aside.
Once the stock is boiling, add potatoes and kale and cook these until tender. Then add the sausage, and pepper flakes, if you like them. Lastly, add the cream. Heat through.
We like to serve this with homemade Rosemary Foccacia bread. I shall have to post the recipe for that too, eh?
For now, hope you are enjoying the great soup season of FALL!

THINKING OF THOUGHTS

Just got back from a visiting teaching appointment. Now I am home and I am pondering the exchange I just had with a lovely sister in my ward who must think I am so silly, but opens her home to me each month anyways.

I guess, I just feel like connecting with people is one of the most godlike things we do here on earth. And, I have met a lot of awesome people in my life.

Like, REALLY awesome. And, yes, I am using the word "awesome" in the awe-inspiring sense of the word.

And yes, that means YOU!

I really miss Chicago a lot. I also miss my mission in Ukraine, and my ole college BYU, and my home in California. But mostly I miss the PEOPLE. Each group was SO DIFFERENT. Can you imagine what California would be like if it were inhabited by Ukrainians? Haha. I try to imagine babushkas guarding the buildings and carts of kvas all around. But although everyone was so different, I had a great relationship with each one, even if it was for a short time.

I am just amazed to be where I am now, and to have been where I have been. My friends (who read this blog at least) I hope you know, I think of you so often. Every exchange we had, every conversation. I wrote in my journal about you, and was affected by your words and actions.

The weirdest thing is how I kept one of those friends and married him. Poor guy.

But it is pretty neat.

Arrrrghhhhh

So it's been awhile since I've posted anything. I am writing this now on my iPad, which does the job but its not as good as my desktop where I have my pictures and stuff. The problem is that I can't really work in our computer room because currently it is being occupied by our plants and our bikes and other stuff that used to be outside on our deck. They are re-sealing the edges in preparation for winter, and it has taken way longer than it was supposed to. Blasted apartment living. Oh well. First world problems.

So hopefully if they finish the work soon, I will be able to get back to post some new recipes I have been wanting to share, and maybe some pictures...


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Bored on a Friday night.

Today was very hot. I did little to nothing all day. We had Little Caesars pizza for dinner.

Micah is on call this evening. I'm going to bed early, because I can.

Also, here are some weird pictures for your viewing pleasure. Goodnight all!

PIE

I like stating the obvious with my food.

IT WAS DELICIOUS!
Here is the very simple recipe I used.

• 4 cups fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar (for sprinkling on top)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Combine 3 1/2 cups berries with the sugar and flour. Spoon the mixture into an unbaked pie shell. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup berries on top of the sweetened berries, and cover with the top crust. Seal and crimp the edges, and cut vents in the top crust for steam to escape.
3. Brush the top crust with milk, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Here’s another picture of the deliciousness.


Speaking of pies, here is Pippa being a cutie pie.
 
And putting dolly on her chair.