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.

For other great meal ideas, no matter what your dietary restrictions, check out the meal planning service I use: Real Plans.

Italian Potato Soup

• 1 pound 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 tsp 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
• ½ cup sour cream (check those ingredients!) or creme fraiche
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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!

4. 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.