Spicy Sausage & Potato Soup

Tags

food, foodie, recipe, soup

In our house, autumn means football, hunting, and hot soup…

It took years of convincing, but my local grocery store finally carries turkey sausage (without animal casings). So, it seems like the perfect time to whip up a batch of my spicy sausage & potato soup. Many people make their sausage potato soup with kale, but Hubster isn’t a fan. Instead, I use baby spinach.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. hot Italian (turkey) sausage, 1 bag baby spinach, 5 large potatoes, 5 celery stalks, 4 carrots, 1/2 bunch of green onions, 1 quart vegetable stock (or enough to cover other ingredients), 1 pint heavy cream, 1 bay leaf, 1 Tbsp. crushed red peppers, fresh ground pink Himalayan salt, fresh cracked multi-color peppercorns

Directions:
Remove sausage from casings and brown meat in a skillet and drain when done. Chop celery, carrots, and green onions. Cut potatoes into chunks. Add all ingredients (except heavy cream) to crockpot and cover. Cook on low for about 6 hours. Remove about half the potatoes and bay leaf from the crockpot. Mash potatoes and return to crockpot. Add heavy cream, stir and allow to simmer for another 30 mins.

XOXO,
YoungWifey

Amazing Autumn

Hello November…

It seems like that last few years, autumn disappeared before it even began. Leaves would start to change color only to be knocked down prematurely by heavy wind and rain.

This year, autumn has been amazing… bright colors, warm temperatures, and incredible weekends.

I’m enjoying an extended leaf peeping season between weekends at the cabin and weeks at home…

XOXO,
Young Wifey

Hello Again

This summer, I saw an old friend for the first time in over 16 years.

“You haven’t been posting on your blog. How are you?” he greeted.

My family may have mentioned the same thing a million times since there were only a scant amount of postings in 2015 and only crickets in 2016.

Where have I been? 
In the past two years…
We’ve lost many loved ones.
We’ve had several changes at work.
Pumpkin became a teenager and started high school so we’re constantly on the road to and from sporting events.
We’ve been going crazy with DIY projects that I haven’t yet had time to post.

But…

I will try to be better about posting…

I will try to make it a habit again…

XOXO,
Young Wifey

Ricotta Gnocchi

Tags

food, foodie, gnocchi, recipe, ricotta

It’s been a few years, since I’ve made gnocchi from scratch. Let’s blame it on my missing gnocchi board. A few days after I posted my recipe for Chicken and Gnocchi Soup, a friend shared her grandmother’s recipe for ricotta gnocchi. Finally, I took the time to make the delicious dish.

Ingredients:
1 c. ricotta cheese, 1/2 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 c. flour, 1 egg, 1 lemon, 1/2 tsp. fresh ground sea salt, 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, fresh chopped parsley, fresh chopped parsley, basil, butter, crushed red pepper flakes, fresh cracked tri-color pepper, baby spinach leaves, radicchio, fresh shaved Parmesan

Directions:
Zest and juice lemon. Mix together lemon zest, ricotta, grated Parmesan, flour, salt and egg. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Drop spoonfuls of mixture and cook for about 5-6 minutes, turning halfway through. Remove gnocchi from pan and keep warm until ready to serve. Add more butter, lemon juice, parsley, basil, and all pepper to frying pan and sauté. Arrange gnocchi on top of radicchio and spinach. Drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with fresh shaved Parmesan cheese.

XOXO,
Young Wifey

Tip Jar for the Laundry Room

Tags

craft, crafting, decor, DIY, home decor, launderette, laundry, laundry room, tip jar

For years, I collected all the change (that Hubster and Pumpkin tipped me for my amazing laundry services) in a jam jar.

As soon as I ordered the custom decal for my laundry soap canister, I decided to revamp my tip jar. It’s took me a while to get around to blogging about it.

I followed the same steps as I did before. I carefully cleaned a spice jar from Penzeys. After gluing a drawer pull to the top of the lid, I coated them with oil-rubbed bronze spray paint. Finally, I applied the decal to the front of the glass.

XOXO,
Young Wifey

Cheddar Ale Eggs

Tags

ale, breakfast, brunch, cheddar, eggs, entree, food, foodie, recipe, sauce

Our family’s version of Welsh Rarebit is one of our favorite breakfast dishes. Hubster and Pumpkin enjoy theirs with fried eggs, but I prefer mine with ale poached eggs.

Cheddar Ale Sauce
Ingredients: 1 c. of ale, 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, 1 Tbsp. prepared brown mustard, 1 tsp. garlic powder, fresh ground sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:
Add ale to small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and add remaining ingredients. Whisk together until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.

Cheddar Ale Eggs:
Ingredients: ale poached eggs or fried eggs, English muffins, cheddar ale sauce, turkey ham, smoked paprika

Directions:
Slice turkey ham and pan fry until warm. Prepare eggs to your preference. Toast English muffins. Layer the ingredients and top with the warm cheddar ale sauce. Garnish with smoked paprika.

*Serve with ale breakfast potatoes.

XOXO,
Young Wifey

Royal Tea Latte

Tags

drink recipe, foodie, latte, recipe, tea

Ingredients:
1/2 c. hot water, 2 English Breakfast tea bags, 1 c. milk, sugar

Directions:
Steep teabags in hot water until you have a strong tea. Steam and froth the milk. Pour tea into mug and mix in sugar. Top with steamed milk and then foam.

XOXO,
Young Wifey