Zuppa Toscana

I am a huge fan of Olive Garden. I don't get to go very often, but I love their soup and salad. MMMM.... I don't usually order Zuppa Toscana but my friend invited me over the other night and she made Olive Garden's recipe. I am now a forever fan. I loved her twist on it WAY more. Enjoy!

Makes: 6-8 servings
INGREDIENTS
• 1 lb ground Italian sausage (you can use sweet basil sausage)
• 1½ tsp crushed red peppers (you can omit if you don't like spice)
• 1 large diced white onion
• 4 Tbsp bacon pieces (real bacon bits work great! not mushy)
• 2 tsp garlic puree
• 10 cups water
• 5 cubes of chicken bouillon
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
• ¼ of a bunch of kale

1. Sautee Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.

2. In the same pan, sautee bacon, onions and garlic for approxiamtly 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.

3. Mix together the chicken bouillon and water, then add it to the onions, bacon and garlic. Cook until boiling.

4. Add potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.

5. Add heavy cream and cook until thoughouly heated.

6. Stir in the sausage.

7. Add kale just before serving. Delicious!

Depraved

My diet is draining on me. I have been deprived of chocolate for WAY too long. It's so bad that I have been reduced to turning to Internet Food Porn. I'm ashamed.



I sneak into the office....give a a quick look around...good...Dan is playing with the kids. I'll have a few euphoric moments to search the web and fantasize about chocolate cake. Then after I get a good tantalizing look, maybe I'll check out some brownie recipes. Mmmm.... That's hot.



Get a load of these babies!



1 box Duncan Hines chocolate cake mix
Bake as directed on box.
FILLING:
1 c. evaporated milk1 c. sugar24 lg. marshmallows1 (7 oz.) can Angel Flake coconut
Combine milk and sugar; add marshmallows and heat until melted. Add coconut. Pour over cake while hot.
TOPPING:
1 1/2 c. sugar1/2 c. evaporated milk1/2 c. butter1 1/2 c. chocolate chips1 c. pecans
Mix sugar, butter, and milk. Bring to a boil, add chips, stir until melted. Add nuts. Pour over cake. Just like an Almond Joy candy bar.




Chocolate Cake
stir together:
2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
Boil:
1 stick butter or margarine
1/4 c. cocoa
1 c. water
Add cocoa mixture to dry ingredients then add:
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
Mix until well blended. Bake at 375 in a greased bundt pan for 30 minutes.
Penuche Frosting (from the Cake Mix Doctor Cookbook)
1 c. brown sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
cook over medium heat until well blended (2 mins), then add
1/4 c. whole milk
Bring to a boil and set it aside to cool slightly.
Pour over
2 c. powdered sugar
mix with an electric hand mixer until smooth and pour over cake while still warm. (If it hardens too much while working with it, you can heat it up again on the stove.)

If You're Out on the Road...

A terribly sad event happened this week. My mom, SIL and I had to say goodbye to our beloved friends. Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. As we gathered together tearfully to say farewell to Gilmore Girls we did so in a way to honor them. And what better way to honor them than to make martinis. Because martinis make all parties better...

2 parts Bailey's Irish Cream

2 parts White Creme De Cacao

1 Part Vanilla Vodka

1 Part Kahlua

1 part Half & Half

Swirl glass with chocolate sauce or rim the glass with carmel

Enjoy...a few. It's sweet but it sure cheers a gal up.

We called it, the Gilmore. Make one tonight in their honor.

Mrs. Chubs Weighs In

I went to my Weight Watchers meeting today. It has been a whole week. And I lost FIVE pounds this week. YEAH!! That was what I really wanted. I know that the first week is usually fairly drastic compared to the following weeks, so I wanted to get a good jump start. I have about 15 more to go before I am really happy. Maybe by summer time, I will be able to wear a swim suit without frightening my children....if only I could do something about my shockingly WHITE legs.

I think this diet is going to work for me. Putting out the money for it certainly is a motivating factor. And it is a diet that allows me to still eat sweets...occasionally. Anything less would not work for me.

And I have found some really interesting recipes. One that I want to try this coming week is Bailey's Mousse. Check it out....looks yummy. Sweets and alcohol. Killing 2 birds with one stone.

I hope you all had a great weekend. I am off to do Tai Bo. (While I am motivated because Lord knows it won't last long...)

Just a bunch of stuff

I am sure there are thousands...millions...of other moms out there crying "When will this DAMN cold just go away?!?!" And I am one of them. My kids have been sick for WEEKS. As soon as that boogery gross snot nose clears up...it strikes again. I. Need. Sleep. Breydan's doctor called in a perscription for antibiotics so we can finally get rid of his crud. Looks like he has a sinus infection. Lucky us. Poor miserable baby has been sick for 6 weeks now. Ick ick ick.
I did not get dressed today. I plan to stay this way. I need a shower but I am too lazy. Welcome home, honey. Pardon the smell but I am tired.
I made my kids soup for lunch but decided for me? Another slice of Peanut Butter cake. That's pretty much all I have eaten today, except for that appetizer of bacon this morning. My ass is twice the size, but there is a smile on my face.