11.05.2013

Tasty Tuesday: Sausage, Kale and Lentil Soup

Happy Tuesday... and Election Day! I voted. Have you?? 

Even got my sticker to prove it!

In honor if Tasty Tuesday, I thought we would start a Soup Swap!  Since this was Meg's idea... I thought she would enjoy the tag - now it's your turn. {when you get back on your feet}  Today, I'm sharing a Sausage, Kale and Lentil Soup we tried last week that was super easy, healthy and delicious. 

Sausage, Kale and Lentil Soup


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound hot sausage, bulk or casing removed
 {I used turkey}
1 onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1 large Idaho (russet) potato, peeled and chopped into small dice

1 Fresno or Holland chile pepper, thinly sliced or finely chopped

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped

2 large cloves garlic, chopped or sliced

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bundle Tuscan, black, or dinosaur kale, stemmed and very thinly sliced

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 cup white wine

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 3/4 cups lentils

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups water



Directions:
In a soup pot or large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Add the sausage, breaking it into pieces, and cook until lightly brown. Add the onions, celery, carrots, potato, chile pepper, rosemary, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook to soften, 8 to10 minutes.

Wilt in the kale, and season the kale leaves with a little freshly grated nutmeg. Stir in the tomato paste for 30 seconds, then add white wine. Cook to reduce by 1/2 and stir in the lentils, stock, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the soup until the lentils are tender, about 35 minutes. Serve immediately or cool, store, and reheat. 

OR... you can place everything in the crock-pot and cook on high for 6 hours, which is what we did and it was great! You don't have to brown your meat {onions and garlic} first.. but you could if you want that crispiness to it. 

{modified from Rachel Ray}


Weekly Meal Planning:
Sunday: Buffalo Creek Burgers and Smashed Potatoes
Monday: Sausage, Kale and Lentil Soup {leftovers are wonderful}
Tuesday: Jacyees Meeting 
Friday: Date Night! 

Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday! I am loving daylight savings time and the beautiful mornings this week. I know, it's a trade-off for leaving work at dark... but it does get me to 
bed earlier too, which I do not mind at all. 

xo, trace

11.01.2013

Five on Friday

Well, Hello November! Very excited to have you here today... and what a beauty you are. It's just the perfect fall day outside... and a Friday to boot!! Also, Happy All Saints Day for you Catholics out there. We had a fabulous October and I am so very thankful for a happy November ahead. You know the drill... it's 5 on Friday.


{one} Aztec Prints


I picked up a fun new scarf last weekend... and I am loving the aztec prints. Watch out wardrobe - you have some new kids in town to play!

{two} New Sheets


I finally splurged on some snuggly new sheets for our bed - and I can't believe I waited so long. It just makes it that much harder to get up in the mornings... bring on daylight savings, I'm tired of seeing pitch black skies at 6 a.m.

{three} Desktop Backgrounds


Maybe I am the only one... but does anyone else change their desktop background according to the season?? I just loving living in the season - even when I'm staring at my computer screen... since that usually consumes 8-10 hours of my day {only during the work-weeks}. If you're searching for a new look for November, meet Tidy Mom. She creates new fun backgrounds for your computer, iPhone, iPad, etc. Downloads are free too!

{four} Blacklist


I'm not really much for TV shows... and at first, I was very disturbed by this show... but I can not stop watching!! I want to know what happens with her husband... is he for realz?

{five} Good Health 



A little dose of thankfulness this week... I just wanted to share how grateful I am to have my health. Sometimes I complain to myself about the early morning workouts and achy body... and then I am reminded how lucky I am to have those. To have two legs that can run and a happy, healthy heart to enjoy this beautiful life. Thank you lord for blessing this family of ours with good health.

Looking forward to drinks with the boss after work today and then we're off to First Fridays tonight on Washington street. Hope everyone has a fabulous daylight savings weekend ahead!

xo, trace 

10.31.2013

Happy Halloween!


Hope your night was filled with goblins, ghosts, and lots o' sugar! Ours sure was. 

xo, trace

10.30.2013

Winter Cocktail Dresses

I've been keeping my eye out for a couple great cocktail dresses for all the holiday and winter parties this year... and that special lil 30th.  I'm thinking of staying away from the traditional little red dress - and really trying to avoid all black {not that I don't own 6 or 7 of them} if I can.
Here are some I have my eye on for this season.











Parallel Sparkling Dress




Help me pick!! Any other websites that have fun cocktail dresses? Please do share. 
Happy Hump Day ladies... it's almost Halloween!! 

xo, trace

10.29.2013

Sick Day


It's been a sick day for this gal. I'll be back on my feet tomorrow... Just in time for pumpkin carving! 

xo, trace

10.28.2013

Halloween Traditions


Halloween Week is here!! Wowza... I know they always say that time flies by the older we get, but I never thought it would actually become true.  I can't really complain though, we've had a wonderful fall... and we love Halloween week!

Being the daughter of a first-grade teacher, my Mother {and Father} always made sure Halloween was the best!  Our costumes were always home-made, {or thrown together from what we had at home, as we got older} creative, and my mom always let us help make them! I remember several years spent as a lady bug, a clown costume that my mom made from my favorite care bear heart fabric, a couple years as an M&M, a scarecrow, a which, a cat... and my first halloween costume, a baby lamb.

When I was 3, we built a house in Smithfield - a HUGE neighborhood that was filled with kids.... no kidding, we had 1000's of trick-or-treaters every year. It was awesome! It's become a tradition that we always had hot dogs and chili {I am sure because it was easy to feed the 3 dozen kids we drug over throughout the night}, we always made caramel apples, popcorn hands with candy corn nails, and other home-made sweets like cupcakes and cookies.  My grandparents always came over... and most years, the cousins did too! It was a big ol' party.... and a week-night usually, which made it super cool for us.

After many trips out trick-or-treating, we came home with pillowcases full of candy... and spent all night organizing our chocolate bars and our sweets... bartering with each other to get what we wanted... always Skittles for me! We had other traditions... Our favorite book was The Candy Witch. We read it every night for weeks. The week before Halloween, we always had a Pumpkin Carving with Dad... we only carved one pumpkin, but each of us got to help with scraping and cutting and roasting the seeds. My mom and I always put together "special treat bags" for the kids she had taught and our neighborhood friends... we ordered spiders and pencils and little games from Oriental Trading. Then we spent hours stuffing them all into bags and labeling them with kids names. And if you were really special, Mom would invite you in for your very-own candy apple or cupcake.

Thanks for always making Halloween so much fun, Mom & Dad!!

I will never forget our Freshman year of college when Lynsey and I went to four Halloween parties four nights in a row - wearing the same devil and cave-woman costumes.  Once Lynsey locked herself out of her car getting gas - in her full devil outfit by herself... it was great. :) {Sorry, Lyns} I'll also always remember Halloween our Senior year when Lynsey and Neal had their "first date" of sorts.... or more or less, a late night trip to Supper Club! Little did we know that 8 years later they would be expecting a little girl.

Halloween also has a special memory for J and I - it was our first date!  We met 6 years ago this past weekend at Camp Hanover in Richmond, Va. We were facilitating an IMPACT session and were both facilitators. We spent the weekend pretending not to spend every free moment together... and on Sunday Jesse drove me back to Richmond and I gave him my number. Three days later he came back to Richmond for our first date - on Halloween!

We had fun reminiscing this past weekend and celebrating a little... Saturday night we had the Hastings over for our traditional Saturday evening dinner and game day. After dinner,  three separate couples stopped by and we enjoyed dessert and catching up.  Jesse and I decorated yesterday and bought a big bowl of candy for our trick-or-treaters.... excited for hot-dogs, pumpkin dip, and caramel apples on Thursday!

Happy six years babe! I love you... and can't wait to spent many more Halloween's together... creating many more spooky traditions.

What was your favorite Halloween tradition as a kid? Please do share...

xo, trace

10.25.2013

Five on Friday


{one} Brest Cancer Awareness Month


Last week we attended a local fundraiser for Brest Cancer Awareness Month. It was so nice to celebrate so many strong women who have been through so much - long battles, short ones, and those still fighting.... we are celebrating YOU this October!

{two} Fall Squash


Tis the season for these yummy fellas above. We enjoyed a heavenly butternut hash last night with pork chops and it was delightful! Neal also whipped up an acorn squash medley in Charleston and it was just as tasty. They are all on sale right now - if you haven't tried out a recipe - add it to your list. It's so easy and super healthy too!

{three} Barbour Vests


I am loving the outdoorsy look of these Barbour vests. I'm not sure about other places... but Barbour jackets are super pop here in Va., especially with the college kids. {or maybe we just didn't really need jackets in Alabama} Love the vests too - they are great with tights, boots and a long shirt - I'm trying to decide which one I want to add to my fall shopping list.

{four} Happy Socks


It isn't very often that the hubs says he wants new clothes... or to go shopping... or most of all - wants me to shop for him. But, last week he requested some new dress socks in fun colors. I set out to find some fun ones... and that's when I found these. They have tons of colors and patterns... fun for any occasion and great to add a lil pop to a boring grey suit too!

{five} Friday Happy's!


My most favorite thing in the world is to send fun happy's to my besties {that I wish lived next door} just to say hi, brighten their day, and let them know that I'm thinking of them! This weeks' happy went to a momma-to-be for a precious little baby boy that will be here in February. I decided to go with the blue theme... and stick to fun happy's for momma this time. Hope you enjoy Momma B! 

Linking up with these lovely ladies today... 




Have a wonderful fall weekend everyone!  

xo, trace