I hope you guys have a great weekend!! I know I’m going to, because SLEEP! Sleep is my friend! It’s a whole new world! ;) I’ve been feeling really unbalanced lately, and am trying to establish better routines so that I’m a happier, healthier mom/wife/human being. My normal routine is to stay up really late working on this blog. Like, reeeally late. Full time mom during the day, full time blogger at night! Who needs sleep! I’ve been on that schedule for almost 5 years now, and I thought it would be my body that gave out first. But I was wrong, it was my brain!! It went kablooie! You may have noticed that things have been quieter around here since Christmas…I’ve been posting a lot less. I love working on my blog and feel that it’s actually really important for me, so I’m not going anywhere! I just need to do some life-shifting to figure out how I’m going to cram it all in, because neglecting sleep is not going to work out anymore. So. A babysitter. And mom guilt. Hopefully over time I can learn to balance those feelings as well. For now, I’m just grateful to have a post out and NOT be exhausted! (A part of my old schedule was waking up in a half-panic the morning after posting to make sure that I hadn’t misspelled anything, forgotten an ingredient, or said something wildly inappropriate. It’s like drunk calls, except I have 30,000 people on my email list. Haha!) A few months ago I decided to try out a vegetarian chili recipe that I found in a cookbook. We all tried it and I kept thinking, something is missing. It just doesn’t taste five stars. Eric finally nailed it down… “I think it’s because you tried to make chili vegetarian, Karen. It’s not working.” Ha! I’m kind of a meathead. I’ve never really been interested in making minestrone (and I never order it in restaurants) because every time I eat it, I’m just like, where’s the flavor? Soggy vegetables in watery broth. And not enough noodles. No thanks. How could I ever go back to regular minestrone soup after eating one with this much flavor?? It’s not one of those watery, sad-lunch soups: it’s a whole MEAL. Beans! Pasta! Veggies! Sausage! And then we’re adding delicious toppings–basil pesto and freshly grated parmesan cheese. (I always feel so accomplished and healthy when I dump mounds of fresh spinach in my soup. Anyone else??) The only way I think this minestrone soup could possibly get any better is if you added a parmesan rind to the soup while it’s cooking. Have you ever tried that? It would add yet another layer of flavor! I haven’t tried it yet but I want to next time. Parmesan rind is how you get such great flavor in this Kale, Chicken, and White Bean Soup (I also posted a slow cooker version).
Use whatever beans you want! I think this soup is great with about 2 cans. I like to use a can of red beans (kidney beans) and a can of white beans (cannellini beans) but you can use whatever you have on hand. As I mention in this post, I am all about adding a parmesan rind if you have one. It’s a perfect nutty, flavorful addition to your minestrone. Get crazy with the veggies. If you don’t have zucchini and yellow squash, you can absolutely switch to something else. Leftover roasted acorn or butternut squash would be amazing. You could use broccoli cut into small pieces, or try even asparagus cut into bite size pieces. If you enjoy the veggie on its own, it’ll go just fine in this soup. I like using mild Italian sausage; if you like spice, buy hot!
The Best Garlic Bread of Your Life « Everyone loves this garlic bread, it’s like manna from heaven! One Hour French Bread « did you know you could be eating your own hot homemade bread in ONE HOUR?? Well now you do. Soft and Fluffy Parker House Rolls « an absolute classic. How many can you eat? Garlic and Rosemary Skillet Bread « cooked in a cast iron skillet for an unreal crust. Samoan Coconut Rolls (Pani Popo) « if you’ve never tried these, NOW is the time.
Slow Cooker Beef Barley Soup < this is one of the top recipes on my site! Recipe is from Eric’s grandmother. Ham and Mac and Cheese Soup « 30 minutes, tops. Kids love this. Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup « a classic! Get out that crusty bread for dipping! Easy Potato Soup Recipe « one of top recipes year-round. Never enough potato soup! Ham & Potato Soup « I love making this to use up my leftover ham. So comforting and easy. Loaded Baked Potato Soup from Charlotte Fashion Plate Callo de Pollo Mexicano from Bake it with Love Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
