Darth Deer

This weekend was mainly spent celebrating the first days off work Sam has had since Bria and I came home from Utah. And it was also spent scheming and planning for the almost two weeks Sam will have off for Christmas (the latter should explain the former). Also included were things like this:
And this pumpkin bread pudding, which I only remembered to take a picture of after the fact (it was soooo good).

Speaking of pictures, there's a chance I took that picture on my brand-spankin'-new, early-Christmas iphone-- which was FREE. I didn't know I cared about technology, but I do.

We also ate soup with Hannah and Rob, who graced the suburbs with their presence for the day. The story of this soup is that it is a replica of the Zuppa Toscana from Oliva Garden. I used to hate that soup-- like seriously loathe it and gag at the very thought of it. Then, when I was pregnant with Bria, I started craving it. And now I love it.

1 lb ground sausage (regular or spicy-- just make sure it's not maple)
3 large red potatoes, sliced in half and then sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 large onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 bunch kale, chopped
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Brown sausage in large soup pot. Remove sausage and set aside. To the pot add chicken broth, potatoes, onion, and garlic and bring to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add cream and sausage to the pot and warm through. (Do not boil.) Add kale several minutes before serving. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.