A Trip Down Memory Lane

Today we are taking a trip down memory lane. We have recently found out that we have to move in a few months, so I thought I would take you on our homes journey from when we bought it to now! 

My husband (at the time, boyfriend) did such an amazing job picking out our house four years ago. Fun fact: We were not able to be in the same state while we were purchasing our home! It was the most difficult yet rewarding time in our relationship and brought us closer as a couple and taught us how to work through our problems together.

We have loved this house dearly and are very sad to sell it, but we can't wait for our next adventure together as a married couple!

Without further ado... Lets take a tour of our home! All of the pictures are from the website our home was previously listed on, so they  may not be the best quality! I promise the updated photos will be much, much better.

The view as your walking into the house from the front door. Note: all the ugly light fixtures that don't match at all throughout the whole house! 

View looking left. The house is an open floor plan.

The breakfast nook. Oh, those blinds...And the light! 

Teensie tiny kitchen! 

Dining room, next door to the kitchen. That light...Oh so glad we finally got rid of it a few months ago! And those blinds. One of our first home projects was replacing the blinds in the dining room and breakfast nook. 

Up the stairs we go! There is a little landing up there, but we never ended up using it. 

Master bedroom.

"Master bathroom" ie: the smallest master bathroom ever. We never really ended up using it, we always used the spare bathroom because it was more spacious!

Although, this tub is great for a good soak. 

The master closet. I am going to miss this the most! There is also shelves behind the door. 

The spare room next to ours. Again, the closet space! We have been oh so lucky. Le sigh, do we really have to move??

The second spare bedroom. 

And lastly, the spare bathroom. You can see there is way more space than in the master bathroom. 

Going through these photos makes me realize just how far we have come together in the past four years, and how much progress we have made on the house in that time as well. I hope you have enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane with me! Stay tuned for the next post in this three part home series! 

Love,

-A

Italian Sausage, Kale & White Bean Soup

Happy February Everyone! 

Today I am sharing with you my absolute favorite soup I cannot stop making. It is so delicious and filling, and it will leave you coming back for more! The recipe comes from a new cookbook I received at my bridal shower this past summer, from my college roommate. This is the first recipe I have made out of the cookbook and I am super impressed! It has me very excited to try more in the near future. 

You can purchase this cookbook here.

Here is what you are going to need! 

Note: If you can find organic alternatives for these, go for it! I found the flavor is much better with a few organic ingredients.Can you tell I've made this a ton already?

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3/4 Cup (About 1 Medium) Diced Onion 

1/2 lb Mild Italian Sausage, Casings Removed

1 Bunch Kale, Chopped Into 3/4 Inch Pieces (About 3 Cups)

One 14.5 Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes

Half Of A15 Ounce Can Cannellini Beans (I used the whole can)

1 Quart Low Sodium Chicken Stock 

1/2 Teaspoon Chopped Fresh Oregano

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 Bay Leaf

1 Parmigiano Reggiano Rind, or 2 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan

Pinch Of Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)

Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper To Taste

First, throw in your olive oil and onion. 

Give the onions a stir, then add in the Italian sausage. Use your spatula to chop it into smaller pieces.

Let everything brown in the pan, stirring occasionally.

Grab your stock pot and add in the chicken stock, bay leaf and Parmigiano Reggiano rind. Mine was in smaller pieces.

Throw in the tomatoes....

Then the chopped oregano...

Then the cumin and red pepper flakes.

Give that a good stir.

Toss in the kale and give that a good stir. This soup is seriously so easy.

Last, stir in the Italian sausage and onion mix.

And it's complete! Let it simmer for 30 minutes, or longer! The flavor gets better the longer it goes. I stirred it about every ten minutes or so. Before you serve make sure you take out the Parmigiano Reggiano rind and the bay leaf.

I also made french bread with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese on the panini maker. 

Warm it up until the light comes on. Rub extra virgin olive oil on both sides of the bread, and stick on the panini maker. You can press it if you like, or you can flip it after one side is browned. After its almost done, sprinkle on some Italian seasoning and grate Parmesan cheese and let it warm until the cheese melts. 

Serve warm with the soup and enjoy!

I hope you love this soup just as much as I do! I feel the need to make this for the third time this month again tonight! 

-A