So, something is MAJORLY off today.  Honestly, ALL elements of my world seemed to just go to shit pretty quickly.  For example, work went pretty well, but the kiddos were just CRAZY because of all of the buzz about this impending DOOM SNOW! My performance at the gym was just off, everything was majorly uncomfortable and hurt like crazy….which is very strange.  So I was thinking, “Maybe I just need to get home and chill and all will set itself right.”

Wrong answer.  Had to hit up both Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s to grab a couple of things.  The saving grace in all of today is that I actually stuck to my list and didn’t blow an astronomical amount of money.  Anyway, got home, got the mail, and got my stuff inside…..where things quickly started to unravel.  Set my bags down on the counter, at which point my delicious ginger kombucha decided to explode!!  YAY!  This was followed by a great deal of swearing.  After that, I started cooking dinner, which lead to a grease splatter to my FACE and catching my finger with the peeler while peeling a sweet potato.  Seriously, the kitchen NEVER rebels against me.  Ever.  We are like BFF’s……this is how I KNOW something ain’t right with the world.  I’m blaming that meteor in Russia….

Oh!  And the kicker?  I got my “official” rejection letter from the Ph.D. program at A&M in the mail today.  I mean, I knew it wasn’t going to happen, my application was incomplete.  No big deal.  But to see the words, ” your overall profile is not competitive with other applicants” stings just a wee bit!  Especially when the day is already in the crapper.

So, I made the Miracle Soup, because this shit can cure anything.  ANYTHING I tell you!  From the plague, to the winter blues, to any kind of sickness imaginable, it’ll set you right.  I have GOT to trust and believe that this soup will set things on a better path!  Plus, I made it SUPER spicy tonight just to ensure that!  Anyways, the recipe below is the NON crazy spicy version, so no fear!

Miracle Soup

**Warning….this is kind of just “kitchen sink” soup….meaning NONE of the measurements are exact and I just kept grabbing stuff! It’ll turn out different every time, but it’ll turn out AWESOME each time too!  It also makes a TON, so use a big pot!**

• 1 lb. ground Sausage

• 2 Medium yellow onions, chopped

• 2 anaheim peppers, chopped

• 2 poblano peppers, chopped

• 1 jalapeno, chopped very finely

• 6-8 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 bunch kale (i used 1 whole bag of the pre-washed pre-cut stuff)

• 1 LARGE sweet potato, peeled an diced into 1/2 inch cubes (like the size of your forearm, large…or a few smaller ones)

• 1 can diced tomatoes

• 2 quarts of homemade chicken stock (you can use boxed stock, but get the better quality organic stuff, not the cheap shit full of MSG and other junk)

• Salt, Pepper to taste

• 1/2 tsp of cumin for good measure!

1. Start by browning your sausage in the bottom of a big soup pot. If you need to, start it in a bit of coconut or olive oil. When it is browned, remove it from the pot and set aside.

2. Add all of your peppers, onions, and garlic and cook until translucent….or like 5 ish minutes, stirring often. When the veggies are cooked through, add back in your sausage…then get ready to start dumping in a BUNCH of stuff!

3. Dump in your can of tomatoes and stir them into the mix.

4. Then pour in your chicken stock.

5. Add in your salt, pepper, and cumin and stir to combine.

6. Let that come to a boil. DON’T watch it….it WILL take longer.

7. When everything is boiling away nicely, add in your sweet potato chunks.

8. Turn the heat back to a simmer and let it simmer away for another 10 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.

9. Add in your kale, one handful at a time, so that it can wilt down, until you’ve added the whole bunch/bag.

10. Let it simmer away for another 5-10 minutes! Bowl it up and ENJOY!!!

    A couple of things:

    *If you end up needing to add more liquid, I would always opt for more stock. That being said, this makes a pretty chunky soup. But I like mine hearty. You do what makes you happy.

    *I have also played around with the HEAT level by adding additional jalapenos or by throwing in red pepper flakes. Again, you do what makes you happy and spice it up to your own level. I always err on the side of NOT super spicy……because you can always add some Red Hot to your own bowl!

Here’s to curing all of your demons!! (And hoping and praying I don’t spill my bowl of soup on this computer….) Much love.

-Meister