under the weather

A couple of days ago Travis started feeling a bit under the weather.  Stuffy nose, coughing, all the loveliness that go along with having a cold.  Yesterday he was at his worst.  And with no accumulated sick time yet, the poor guy had to go to work feeling miserable (after a terrible night's sleep...for the both of us).  He came home from work, I encouraged him (although it didn't take much encouragement) to take a nap while I made some soup for dinner.  Ellie knew Travis wasn't feeling up to par and snuggled in with him to do what she could to make him feel better. 

While Travis, hopefully, slept away some of his sickness, I made sausage tortellini soup for dinner.  A warm bowl of hearty goodness always seems to do the trick (along with lots of rest). 

Here's the soup recipe, if you're interested:

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
2 (10 oz.) cans French onion soup
2 cans stewed tomaotes
2 c. coleslaw mix or coarsely shredded cabbage
2 c. uncooked tortellini
1-2 c. water
1 tsp. crushed basil
Parmesan cheese for garnish

In a large pot, brown sausage - don't toss the drippings, they make for great flavor.  Add rest of ingredients.  Let simmer until tortellini is tender (about 15 minutes).  Ladle into bowls, top with cheese.  Enjoy! 

This recipe is really easy and has great flavor.  This time around I used Buitoni's chicken and prosciutto tortellini - and they were excellent.  (If you can find them in your refrigerated pasta section at your grocery store, I highly suggest trying them!)  

After falling asleep on the sofa a little while after dinner and getting a better night's rest, Travis is feeling much better this morning.  Thank goodness!  I woke up this morning to make our favorite chocolate & cheese Danishes (click for the recipe) for breakfast.  Yes, 2 Saturdays in a row - they are that good!  Plus, I wanted to use up my marscapone cheese before it went bad.  They turned out just as tasty as the last time I made them.  Seconds?  Yes, please. 

sausage and spinach soup

Yesterday when Travis got home from work, we ran to the commissary to stock up on a few groceries.  (We ended up more than stocking up.)  By the time we got home it was almost 6pm, so the dinner making process had to be quick.  I had a recipe on my list of "to-makes" for the week, the prep seemed easy enough, it made the cut.  Sausage and Spinach soup, it was. 

The recipe is fast, easy, and has great flavor; it has officially made my list of cool weather meals.  It's satisfying and it warms your insides.  It might make your nose run a little.  You know that runny nose feeling when you sit over a bowl of warm soup?  <<sniff, sniff>>  It's worth it. 

Ingredients:
10 oz sweet turkey Italian sausage (I used 1 lb. of breakfast sausage, because that's what I had in the fridge)
cooking spray
1 c. chopped onion (I used a red onion)
2 tsp. minced garlic (I used a bit more than this)
1/2 c. water
1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth
2 c. baby spinach (fresh)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano (I used dried, because I didn't have fresh)
2 Tbsp. grated fresh Romano cheese, for garnish (I used Parmesan)

Remove casings from sausage.  Cook sausage in a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium/high heat until browned, stirring to crumble.  Add onion and garlic to pan, cook for 2 minutes.  Stir in water, beans, tomatoes, and broth.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Uncover and cook for 3 minutes or until slightly thick.  Remove from heat, and stir in spinach, basil, and oregano.  Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cheese.  (I also threw on a few croutons for a little something extra.)  Enjoy!

yum!