Be kind

Just a gentle reminder (to myself) that we are blessed with more opportunities to serve each day than we will ever fully realize...

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile. ~ Mother Teresa

Why not make a difference in the lives of others today?  Be kind.

A bowl of soup

A bowl of soup with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate.  

Proverbs 15:17 (NLT) 

I've been crazy busy in the kitchen these days.  Trying to get ahead of the appetites in our household is part of what is spurring me on, but the other piece of motivation is my own innate desire to be creative.  In truth this desire keeps my heart literally overwhelmed with ideas and opportunities from knitting to embroidery, gardening, storytelling, decorating, journaling, teaching, singing, writing, seeing friends and the list is endless.  In recent weeks as I've been attempting to gain a little focus with all my ideas, the thought occurred to me that perhaps I could apply my creative desires to a need.  And our household is in a season where the need for food is at an all time high. But not just any food mind you - good, wholesome, nourishing food prepared with care and thought, delight and love.  Here's today's creation, with my adaptations.  In a word - satisfying.   You might find you need some too.

Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup

from Keep it Seasonal by Anne Wayte

1 T olive oil
1/2 lb high quality well seasoned pork, beef or lamb sausage (I used Aidells Italian Style Chicken Sausage - oh, my!! - good stuff.)
1 large white onion, cut into 1/2" dice
1 clove garlic (I used 3 cloves.)
3/4 lb baking potatoes, cut into 1" pieces
1 T chopped fresh sage, rosemary or thyme (I used 1/3 tsp. dried sage.)
4 C chicken or vegetable stock (I made a batch of stock a couple of days ago. I didn't think it was up to par with my usual stock, but it worked for this soup and after I added the kale I decided to add 2 more cups of stock for a total of 6 cups.)
salt and fresh ground black pepper
large handful of kale, trimmed and sliced into thin strips ( I used 2 large handfuls of kale.)

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan over med heat. Add the sausage and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the sausages from the pan and set aside. Discard all but 1 generous tablespoon of the fat remaining in the pan.

Place the pan back on the heat and add the onions. Stir well and saute' until translucent, approzimately 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to saute for another minute. Add the potatoes stir well and then add the sage and stock. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste, and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Slice the sausages into bite-size pieces and add them to the soup. Continue to simmer until the potatoes are cooked through and have started to collapse, approximately 10 minutes. Add the kale and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, until cooked through. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Serve piping hot and with lots of love.