Spicy Tuscan Soup

LOVE...this soup. I served this during the holidays and everyone loved it. It is fast and full of flavor. Don't let the "spicy" part of the soup scare you...it just adds interest and tons of flavor. Enjoy this soup with hot crusty garlic bread. As with most of my recipes..this one is fast, easy and very rewarding.

1 pound Spicy Breakfast Sausage
1 whole Medium Red Onion, diced
2 slices of bacon, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
4 red potatoes
1 quart of warm water
3 cubes Chicken Bouillon
1/4 bunches of Kale, Roughly Chopped
1/2 Heavy Cream - MUST use heavy cream...don't substitute.
Salt and Pepper

Crumble sausage into a dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until cooked through. Drain and set the sauasage aside. Add bacon and onion to dutch oven. Reduce heat to medium and cook until onions are clear. Add minced garlic and cook one minute.
Slice potatoes in half and then cut in half shaped moons. Add warm water, bouillon cubes and potatoes to the Dutch oven and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are almost done. Add remaining ingredients as well as the sausage and simmer for 5 minutes longer. Let cool and serve with crusty bread.

Saving the Bubbly!!!!

Have you all heard of the cool spoon trick when it comes to saving leftover champagne? Well, if you place a silver spoon in a champagne bottle and then stick it in the fridge it will amazingly last for another 2-3 days. The problem is finding a spoon that will actually fit inside of the champagne bottle.
My brilliant mother came up with this concept of using a meat thermometer instead of a spoon to save the bottle...and guess what? It works! We had bright and bubbly champagne the next day.
So next time you and your hubby break open a bottle and know that you won't finish it all, pop in a meat thermometer and then stick it in the fridge. You pay enough for that champagne you should be able to enjoy a mimosa the next day right?