Tuscan Soup (Zuppa Tuscana)

My mom told me she had dinner with my brother and sister-in-law and said I really needed to get that recipe! So I asked for it! Yum, yum!

1 lb. Italian sausage (the kind like ground hamburger, not the links, hot or mild)
8 bacon slices

1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic

2 Tbsp. flour

32 oz. chicken stock
4 potatoes, peeled and diced to 1/4 inch

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 bunch kale, ripped into bite-sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes (optional)


Brown the Italian sausage in a large soup pot or indoor Dutch oven (also called a French Casserole). Drain. Fry bacon in the same pot and remove, reserving 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings. Dice the bacon. Add onion to the bacon drippings and cook about 5 minutes and add the garlic the last minute. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic and stir. Add the chicken stock, stirring while pouring. Add potatoes and gently boil for 15 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. Add cooked sausage, most of the bacon pieces, cream and the kale. Cook 5-10 minutes until the kale is wilted. Salt and pepper to taste. Add red pepper flakes if using. Top with bacon to serve.




thechunckychef.com

Big Chocolate Chip Cookies

Okay, I think I finally found my favorite totally "normal" chocolate chip cookie recipe! I made these and took them to work during the pandemic (individually packaged with gloves and a mask on, of course) and people REALLY liked them. They are about 4 inches across and the perfect texture--a bit crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Original recipe came from tastesbetterfromscratch.com ("Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies")

Mix in a bowl and set aside:
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt

Cream together:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar

Add to creamed mixture and mix:
2 eggs, room temperature
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Gradually mix the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Stir in 2 cups of chocolate chips.
Scoop dough onto parchment paper lined baking sheets with a 1/4 cup measuring cup. I floured the inside of the cup after each portion to help the dough plop out easier. Try to have the dough keep the shape of the cup so they bake uniform if you care about that.  Bake at 375* for 12 minutes (that's my oven, yours may take a little more time). Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Makes right around 24-26 cookies.

These two cookies from the same batch look so different. I baked one before the other so maybe sitting out for 12 minutes made it more crinkly. Pretty cool, though!