Menu Deviations

Last night I decided to warm up some soup I had in the freezer rather than make tortellini. I just didn't feel like tomato sauce, which never happens. And dinner tonight is going to be white chicken chili instead of pot roast. I didn't get a lot of prep pictures of me putting it in the crockpot, but will at least get a finished one tonight, I promise.

Here's the recipe for the soup, it's very good! My husband even loved it!

Smoked Sausage Soup (serves 8)
Ingredients

1/2	lb smoked sausage
1	onion, diced
1	celery stalk, diced (or celery seed)
3	carrots, copped
2	garlic cloves, diced
32	oz. chicken broth
1	can diced tomato
1/2	cup dry barley (or rice or grain of choice)
1	bag baby spinach

Directions

1. Cut sausage into bite-sized pieces and brown in skillet.
   
2. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Saute about 5 minutes.
   
3. Add broth tomatoes and grain, bring to a boil.
   
4. Reduce heat and simmer, covered 15-20 minutes.
   
5. Salt and Pepper to taste.
   
6. Remove from heat and add Spinach, stirring until it wilts.
   
7. *I added extra water to this and it turned out great. The chicken broth just didn't seem like enough liquid to me when it all got in the pot.
   
8. *This also freezes very well!

This time around I didn't get the spinach in, we didn't have any, but I did manage a tablespoon of Spirulina :) I also added a couple of diced potatoes for more a more filling taste. That's important in our house. It's a really good way to get the yummy taste of smoked sausage without my Hubby feeling like he needs to eat a whole pound of the stuff. Enjoy.