Orders of business. And Italian potato soup.

Alright, fellow homesteaders, a few orders of business today:


1.  I need a cup of coffee, hang on.


2.  Okay.  Better.  I grabbed a strawberry jam cookie just in case I get hungry while I type this, too.


3.  There is a big, Big, BIG gift coming in the mail to me as we speak.  What do you guess it is?!  I ordered it.  For myself.  If that helps... And for this purchase, I am indebted to Stuart for the rest of our married life.  The deal was that if I could order this, he could grow and/or shave and/or manscape his facial hair however  he please.  It was a big sacrifice.


4.  I have approximately 15 tomatoes.  Lawd, have mercy.


5.  I have already eaten the cookie mentioned in #2.


6.  My friend, Meagan took this picture of Georgia over the weekend.

I die.  Be still, my little heart.  


7.  I made a soup.  It was 100 degrees outside.  And it was still delicious.


Italian Potato Soup
You will need:
 - 1 lb. of grass fed ground beef, or 1 lb. uncured nitrate-free bacon, or 1 lb. nitrate-free sausage
 - 3 large potatoes, peeled (if using russett) and diced
 - 1 large onion, diced
 - 3 cloves freshly minced garlic
 - 2 teaspoons each sage, rosemary, and thyme (fresh is best but half the amount in dried works well!)
 - 6 cups homemade chicken stock
 - 2 cups whole milk or 1 cup cream
 - 1 bunch kale, loosely chopped and stems removed
 - 1/2 cup sour cream (check those ingredients!) or creme fraiche
 - Sea salt and pepper to taste


Step One:  Brown the meat and drain off any excess fat.  Then, add your herbs, diced onion, and garlic.  Let it hang out there for just a minute or two.  Mmm.

Step Two:  Once the onion has softened slightly, add in your diced potatoes.  Then, add your chicken broth.  Allow the soup to simmer until the potatoes are soft and tender.  Add a generous pinch of sea salt.

Step Three:  Once the potatoes are tender, add in the milk or cream.  Add more salt and pepper, to taste.  A few minutes before serving, throw in the bunch of chopped kale - it just needs a few minutes to wilt slightly.  The kale adds a wonderful color and texture to this dish - don't skip it! Or you'll be sorry, I say!

Step Four:  Stir in the sour cream or creme fraiche, or skip that, and just add a generous dollop to everyone's bowls right before serving.  Garnish with fresh chives and/or finely grated parmesan cheese.

It's a light, but hearty soup.


It's a flavorful, but simple soup.

It's a pretty, but unpretentious soup.


Those are all the adjectives I can think of at the moment...


Serve with some freshly baked bread, a green salad, or some juicy fruit and you're fit for a feast.

You know what I did?  I whipped up a batch of my soaked pizza crust dough the day before and just baked a flatbread out of it for dipping!  Delicious.


Make.  Eat.  Enjoy.  Then eat some more.


Good day.