Click here to Pin this paleo slow cooker Italian sausage and kale soup recipe!

Originally published August 31, 2017. This soup is one of my favorites to make especially when I need a reset after a holiday weekend.

It never fails, the first couple weeks after school start and the sickness begins. Last week and weekend we had 2 streps and 1 virus hit us and we were literally at the doctor 3 different days with 3 different kids. It all started in preschool, which sounds about right and thankfully did not end with the parents although my allergies have been going a little haywire lately and my sinuses are acting up. Soup is always my go-to when I feel like this and although my 2 boys don’t typically partake in it, my daughter and husband do and I felt extra good about them eating a bowl of this Italian Sausage and Kale Soup with Sweet Potatoes from my friend Natalie’s new cookbook, The Big Book of Paleo Slow Cooking. Nothing but good stuff in this soup.

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Click here to pin this Italian Stuffing recipe!

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Click here to pin this Smoked Sausage and White Bean Soup with Spinach recipe!

Soup is one of my go-to foods when I feel that I need to reset and recharge my eating habits. It’s filling, it’s healthy (if you make it healthy, of course) and it’s usually really easy to pull together any day of the week.

One of my favorite soups to make is this Smoked Chicken Sausage and White Bean Soup with Spinach.

This soup is filled with staple ingredients that I almost always have in my pantry and fridge. Beans and basic veggies like carrots, celery and onions are really essential ingredients to almost all of my soups so I try to always have them on hand. I love using this chicken apple sausage and usually have a few packages in the freezer (it takes no time at all to defrost!).

It really does make for a perfect weeknight soup and leftovers are great for lunch the next day.

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This post is sponsored by Fisher Nuts.

Every time I walk past the seasonal squash display in the produce section I have to grab a couple of something. Until I cooked up this Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe a couple of weeks ago my counter was filled with a family of acorn squash, delicata squash and old reliable, spaghetti squash. It’s a good thing they have a pretty decent counter life because I’ve been more of a collector than a cooker lately so it took some time to finally getting around to baking them up.

I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the acorn squash though. I have prepared Stuffed Acorn Squash before and I absolutely love it. This stuffing is filled with crumbled Italian chicken sausage, kale, walnuts and grated Parmesan cheese – so simple and so delicious when you scoop up a bite with the sweet squash. Sausage and kale are a match made in heaven and adding crunchy walnuts to the mix just put it over the top. I’m very texture driven so I loved the crunch from the walnuts, along with the earthy nutty flavor.

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February Feels

If there is something that I’m learning about myself over time is that I am a creature of habit and routine. Routine brings me comfort and a sense of balance I guess you can say, as well as sanity. During seasons of transition, like a new school year or after a holiday, I don’t feel “right” until I’ve established some sort of schedule aka routine aka positive habits. (It is all relative in my book.)

January felt a bit like a season of change for me. Our holiday break lingered, we went through some family surgeries and recovery, and it was the start of new year in general. In all honestly, I was feeling a bit of a funk. My work at home schedule has been all over the place for a couple of months now, as well as my gym schedule. Let’s just say, I do not function well with “all over the place”. So here’s to February and reestablishing routines, ok?

How am I reestablishing routines?

Scheduled Time To Exercise

Well, to start, I’m getting myself back in the gym at 5am. I started early morning workouts 2 years ago and I have to say, they have been life changing for me. Over the last 6 months I’ve found myself waking up later and later and not getting myself to the gym in the mornings (telling myself I’ll work out later). As painful as it is to hear my alarm go off at 4:15am, the feeling of satisfaction and well being I have when I’m driving home before sunrise is like no other. I need that feeling bottled up as a reminder for those mornings when I just want to snooze.

Time Management

Other ways I’m working on my positive habits and routine is regularly writing and checking my calendar /planner, putting together loose meal plans, making sure I’m getting enough sleep (as well as self care in general), decluttering a few times a week and practicing yoga once a week. These are all actions that put me in a better place and help me become a better mom/wife/person in general.

Meal Planning

Meal planning has never been my strong suit, but I try to write out 3 or 4 healthy dinner ideas before I go grocery shopping after looking at what our schedule is for the week. What I’ve found that I do well with is having several go-to “recipes” that I know I can pull together without a ton of effort each week with our regular pantry, refrigerator and freezer items. These include a variety of healthy crockpot meals, sheet pan dinners and skillet meals.

For the most part most of these recipes can easily handle a seasonal produce swap so they are more like a formula to follow, and one that works because I already know (most) of my family will like what I’m making for dinner.

Here are 10 dinner recipes I make over and over for my family – these are healthy dinner recipes that taste good and are my “old reliables” I like to call them – I’d love to hear about yours!

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Pin this Baked Bean, Sausage and Kale Skillet for later!

First things first, I miss being here on the blog! My last post was weeks ago and I can’t even believe how fast this month has gone. Life has been a little hectic since I started my classes last month – I have humbly admitted to those in my life that have had to witness my craziness lately (my poor husband and kids), taking two science classes with labs (Anatomy & Physiology 2 and Chemistry I) in one semester was not the best idea. (For anyone who doesn’t know, I went back to school earlier this year with the end goal of becoming a registered dietitian). I am drowning a bit and struggling to keep up with the school work, not to mention the learning curve (which I hugely underestimated) that comes with a class like chemistry – think scientific calculators, basic algebra and math equations and safely working in a lab with test tubes, beakers and “stuff” (aka chemicals). Oh my. The math by itself is rocking my world a bit, my brain is definitely rusty in that department!!

Deep breaths.

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Click here to pin this Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Mushroom Bolognese recipe.

Spaghetti squash is back in my life thanks to my friend Katie’s recent post on Facebook. Why have I never thought to roast it whole in the oven like that? It makes it so much easier than struggling to try and cut it and fit it into a dish in the microwave. Yes, it takes about an hour (give or take) but once it’s in the oven that’s it. After it cooks and softens all you have to do is slice it longways, scoop out the seeds and fork out the strands – easy!

(Or – slice it into rings like my friend Beth recently posted about. Rings = longer strands that actually look like spaghetti. Genius! I’m trying this next time. But roasting it whole first.)

If you don’t have time to roast it in the oven and have an instant pot, here is how to cook spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot!

My favorite way to eat spaghetti squash is with a hearty tomato based sauce (like this one). I’ll never tell you that spaghetti squash will take the place of pasta, but if you are trying to cut back on calories, carbs or whatever – then this Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Mushroom Bolognese is for you. To me, it’s the next best thing to sitting down to a plate of pasta (and feeling really good about it).

Here are a few more healthy dinner ideas for you.

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I am pretending it’s not 90 degrees out and making soup this week. Guys, I don’t consider myself a very envious person, but this is the time of year where I start to experience major Fall Envy. I’ve lived in Florida most of my life (I was 10 years old when I moved here from NY) so our fall season is not new or shocking to me in any way. I’m pretty used to it whether I like it or not. But over the years, since social media hit the scene, fall in other parts of the country – REAL FALL – is a little more in your (my) face I guess you can say. It’s mid-September and I can’t tell you how many pictures I’ve seen already of apple picking, long sleeves, the start of leaves changing and yes…boots. My legs start to instantly sweat when I even think about wearing boots.

(Apples, Pumpkins and Palm Trees … Fall in Florida)

Like I said. It’s 90 degrees and I have Fall Envy. (has fall even officially started yet???)

I’m half kidding about making soup in hot weather because I actually like soup all year round. Soup in the summer is actually a nice way to enjoy all those colorful veggies that are bursting everywhere you look. Two of my favorite soups to make in the summer months are this Summer Vegetable Soup with Pesto and Summer Chicken Chili Verde. Soup is good food anytime of year if you ask me.

A few weeks ago my sister in law Jamie sent me a pin of this Italian Orzo Soup my friend Ali cooked up. The beautiful image of this soup stuck in my mind and I finally got around to making it this week. I needed a make ahead dinner for one of our nights and soup always fits the bill for evenings where we all may be eating at different times because of our schedules. What made it even better is that I already had all of the ingredients on hand in my pantry, fridge and freezer. (I love it when that happens.)

Enjoy!

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If you didn’t already notice, some of my blogging buddies are having babies. Quite a few actually. It’s awesome and I absolutely love when I hear of another preggo joining the bunch, especially the first time moms!

Today we are celebrating my friend Katie and her soon-to-be baby boy! I’ve know Katie a few years now, she lives in the Central Florida area like me so I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with her a few times. Katie is as sweet as they come (extremely talented too!) and I can’t wait to meet her little guy soon. (PS…I’m not kidding when I say she’s talented, just check out her beautiful food blog Katie’s Cucina and her and her husband’s DIY blog Sew Woodsy – awesome stuff!)

Since becoming a new mom can sometimes mean a little less time and less energy to get dinner on the table every night, I am sharing an easy dinner recipe for Italian Style Stir Fry that I find myself throwing together for my family quite often. It’s one that everyone in the family enjoys so of course that’s a winner in my book.

I always keep precooked chicken sausages for quick throw together recipes just like this one. I picked these up – along with a couple other varieties – at Costco and I can’t tell you how often they have saved the day at dinnertime. Serve this Italian inspired “stir fry” over brown rice or orzo for a healthy easy weeknight meal.

This Italian Style Stir Fry recipe was featured in Healthy Dinner Recipes for Beginners on Greatist! 

Best wishes to Katie and her husband on their upcoming bundle!

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My favorite soup bowl is back. This time it’s filled with a hearty Chicken Sausage, Mushroom and Kale Soup. It’s an incredibly healthy soup for you that I know you will love.

When I make soup at home, it’s usually for selfish reasons. I usually make a big pot when I’m feeling under the weather, my body feels like it needs a detox, or I just need something quick and easy to heat up for lunches throughout the week – I love making soup on Sundays just for that reason alone, a huge bonus to have soup ready for weekday lunches. Yes, I’ll admit that my soups are usually for me and if someone else eats it or likes it then Bonus!! Not that my husband or kids don’t like soup (my daughter actually has become a soup lover, my son is on the verge of turning) – it’s that maybe my soups tend to be a little too healthy and too “veggie” for them. My husband will be the first to ask what kind of meat is in the soup. So lately I’ve been trying to really incorporate some type of lean protein (other than beans!) like chicken or ground turkey. For this soup I decided fresh chicken sausage would be perfect. And it was!

Both my daughter and my husband loved this soup for dinner. Since I added the sausage to it, it technically qualified as a dinner and I was happy to only have a few bowls to wash because of it. My son isn’t a huge fan of mushrooms so I didn’t push this one on him, but I have a feeling one day he’ll be on board.

This soup recipe is chock full of goodness…the mushrooms, kale and chicken sausage make it hearty but the light veggie soup base still keeps it light and really good for you. It’s something to feel good about eating that’s for sure, and we need that especially now since spring (and spring clothing) is just around the corner. Enjoy!

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