Birthday Star

I'm on the road this week (and next...) so this is a pre-scheduled post.


Happy Tuesday everyone! :) Hope everyone's having a grand week so far!

This past weekend I made a bunch of food for the hubs so that he wouldn't starve when I was out of town. Well, it's also to prevent him from eating a dinner of pizza rolls. As tasty as they might be, I'm pretty sure a whole week of them isn't great for you. I also tend to make things like egg rolls, dumplings and freeze them. I like having some pre-made food in the freezer for those lazy days I don't feel like cooking. And since my hubs isn't as into Asian food as his Asian wife, I also keep soup, lasagna, and sauce in the freezer for him. So much healthier than Stouffers...

I had a bunch of people ask me about the recipe for my sausage and kale soup. I kind of wing it depending on what I have in my pantry but here's my base recipe: In a large pot, heat some oil over medium. Add 1 diced onion and cook until soft, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1-2 cloves of minced garlic and red-pepper flakes (this is omitted with my hubs); cook unti fragrant, 1 minute. Add about 5 waxy potatoes diced into 1/2 inch chunks and about 4 cups of broth (I make my own broth so I adjust depending on flavor); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. I mash the taters in the pot a little to create some texture (or you can blend 1/2 of it). Add kale (1 bunch) and sausage (I use Italian Sausage but Polish Sausage or Smoked Sausages would be tasty as well). 

**Note: To keep it healthy, I don't add that much sausage. And for my summer soup, I added a lot more broth and less taters. 

This is a fun little birthday card I made for a friend. :) I just wanted to play with some patterns and scraps. I liked playing with the random yellow strip and the sentiment. Just a fun whimsical design touch. Not sure if it "worked" but it was fun.