Rustic Tuscan Sausage Soup

Try your hand at this simple, hearty soup. You won't be sorry. Plus I love the word rustic. So play along.

I found the recipe at Feast on the Cheap and modified it to my liking. If you double this, it will feed an army. It freezes well. It's always good to have some soup in the freezer. 

Ingredients

1 lbs. sweet Italian sausage patties

3 carrots, washed well and chopped (I don't peel them) 

1/2 sweet onion, chopped  

2 tbs minced garlic

1/4 cup water

2.5 quarts chicken broth

2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with juice

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tbs dried basil

8 oz whole wheat shell pasta, uncooked

8 oz spinach leaves (you can use frozen)

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Brown sausage over med-high heat in the bottom of a large stockpot. Crumble the sausage as you brown it. 

Add the carrots, onion and garlic and saute until tender and starting to turn a bit golden, about 7 minutes. Add water if it starts to get a little dry or too brown.

Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, pasta and basil. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and continue cooking for 7 minutes.

Stir in the spinach and cook until just wilted. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

MFD tops his with parmesan cheese. He likes it. And now Haikuesday:

Rustic sausage soup

Whisks me off to Tuscany.

Airfare is too high.

Congrats to Nadine, winner of the Chloe + Isabel $25 shop credit!

p.s. Tuesday sucks.






Linking up with Blissfully Miller and Let's Get Bananas for

Vote. And eat eggs. Those are the messages for today.

It's voting day in many states today. You bet your sweet ass I am at the polls every election day - major, minor, mid-year, primary. If your state votes today, be at the polls. Many people have fought for your right to vote. Don't squander it. And if you don't vote, never ever complain about anything in this country. Ever again.

Now then. Eggs.

Most of my days start with them. I need protein in the morning or I am a major asshole by 11 a.m. My go to breakfast is eggs because they're easy to make, easy to transport, and they reheat well in the microwave at work. They're an integral part of my weekly food prep.

Sometimes I scramble them with cheese and veggies, sometimes I make egg salad, but most often I make egg muffins. I use a Pampered Chef brownie pan to do this, but a regular cupcake pan is fine. The magic of these muffin eggs is that you can put whatever you want in them. I've used ground turkey taco meat, tomatoes, cheese of all kinds, broccoli, mushrooms, ham - they hold it all. This week I used breakfast sausage and cheese.

Ingredients
Yields 12 muffins
11 eggs
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs milk or cream
1 pound breakfast sausage, browned (you will only use half)
Cheese - I used gouda

Directions
Preheat oven to 350.

Cut cheese into pieces - I usually put three small pieces in each muffin slot. You can add more or less.

Brown sausage. Drain and allow to cool, then add to muffin slots by the tablespoon, about a tablespoon and a half in each. I eyeball it.

Beat eggs with spices and milk. Make it easy on yourself and do this in a large measuring cup that has a spout so it's easy to pour.

Pour eggs over your sausage and cheese add-ins.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Easy peasy protein yeezy. Pack those sumbitches up and you have breakfast made for the week.

I froze the other half of the cooked breakfast sausage. BOOM. Already one step ahead for next time.

Haikuesday:

Chicken or the egg?

"It's an important question,"

Said no one ever.

What's your go-to breakfast?

Linking up with Blissfully Miller and Let's Get Bananas for

Meatloaf beatloaf I...love meatloaf

Via

Similar to when he said, "Daddy's gonna kill Ralphie," Randy was wrong about meatloaf. Meatloaf may be my number one favorite comfort food. I love it out of the oven and I love it cold.

My basic meatloaf recipe is very simple, but some Sundays call for the big mama meatloaf and that was this Sunday. When I want to be a fatty, I use the Pioneer Woman's meatloaf recipe as a guide. This leaves a lot of leftovers, so if you are not feeding a crowd or interested in leftovers, you should halve this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 lb ground beef

6 slices white bread (I used whole grain white, you can use what you have)

1 cup milk (I used 1/4 cup fat free half & half and 3/4 cup 1%)

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon regular salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 cup shredded cheese of your choice

1/4 heaping cup parmesan cheese

ground black pepper to your liking

1/2 cup minced flat leaf parsley

4 whole eggs, beaten

10 slices regular bacon (don't use thick cut)

1 cup ketchup

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Sriracha (squirt or to your taste)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Put your bread slices in a large mixing bowl and pour the milk over them. Allow to soak for a few minutes. I use this time to deal with the parsley and gather the rest of my ingredients. I also get out my broiler pan, line the bottom with foil, and spray the top with nonstick spray. I set this next to my mixing bowl. Using the broiler pan allows the fat to drip through.

When you're ready, add parsley, ground beef, cheese, spices, and lastly eggs to the mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, and sriracha and mix well. Set aside. 

Wash your hands, dirty friend. You're mixing this meat mix beeotch by hand until well combined. Place it on the broiler pan and form into a loaf. 

Top it with bacon slices, tucking them under on the sides and overlapping them just a little.  Pour a third of the sauce over the top and spread it with a spoon. 

Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top and spread. Bake for another 15 minutes. 

We serve our meatloaf with mashed potatoes, corn and green beans.

And now for Haikuesday:

Meatloaf sings to me.

Paradise by the dashboard...

Lighten up, it's meat.

Do you love monograms as much as I do? My friend has started a new business and I am the lucky recipient of a glass to test. Do you want one? Go like My Fab Glass on facebook and tell them Steph sent you. They will pick a winner on Friday at midnight and you'll have your own awesome monogrammed glass. 

Other than that...suck it, Tuesday.

Linking up with Blissfully Miller and Let's Get Bananas for

36 Life Realizations from my 36 Years, Part II

Did you miss Part 1 last week?

1. Life is not fair. Get over it.

2. Everyone has a past. It's not a factor unless you allow it to be.

3. Guilt is a self-indulgent, useless emotion. Your time and energy would be better spent getting your head out of your ass and preparing to be a better person for the next time.

4. What other people think about you is none of your business.

5. Some people are not worth fighting for or with.

6. Time heals.

7. Excuses are for assholes. Don't make them.

8. If you see something you love at Marshalls/Homegoods, you need to buy it. Marshalls Law declares that it will not be there when you go back. 

9. Forgiveness benefits you, not them. Holding on to hate and hurt is not the way to live.

10. If you can't laugh at yourself, chances are people do not enjoy hanging out with you.

11. Anyone who judges people on how much or how little they drink is a tool.

12. No one is invincible.

13. Marriage is work and it can be hard. The issues you have before you get married are the issues you'll have after. Be prepared for something other than wine and roses.

14. Your ability to sleep deep and long is compromised as you get older. Enjoy it while it's still good.

15. Take pictures with real cameras, you'll be so glad you have those memories to look at when you get older.

16. There is an art to learning from your mistakes. Everything you do, right or wrong, shapes you. Work with the clay.

17. You are not entitled to anything you don't work for - the world doesn't owe you a thing.

18. The most important thing in your life is not your job, what you own, or what you earn - it's who you have sitting in your circle.

What did I miss?

Linking up with
Because Shanna Said So - Random Wednesday

Oops I did it again banana chocolate chip muffins

Saturday morning I was faced with four spotty bananas. I couldn't find my banana bread recipe, so I called on The Dalai Momma because she is The Baking Queen. I secured her new recipe and decided to make muffins instead of bread because I do what I want.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins:

1/2 cup butter- melted
1 cup sugar
4 smashed medium bananas
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs at room temp
1.5 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon 
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tbs mayo
Mini chocolate chips (optional)
Brown sugar mixed with cinnamon for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with liners - I got 23 muffins out of this recipe.

Melt the butter in the microwave. Add bananas and smoosh them with a fork. Add vanilla and two eggs. Mix well with a fork. Add dry ingredients, mix with fork until just mixed. Add mayo and mix well.

I added about 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips and stirred again. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Top with a dab of brown sugar cinnamon mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes up clean. Viola. You now have

And now for Haikuesday:

Britney Spears hates you.

"You" being Tuesday, of course.

She likes bananas. 

Come back and see me tomorrow for the second group of 18 of 36 Life Realizations.

 
Linking up with Blissfully Miller and Let's Get Bananas for