Musical pairing –Nick of Time, Bonnie Raitt
Last fall, a friend of mine sent out a call on Facebook to see if anyone on her list would be interested in doing an ‘I-walk’ – an internet walk which meant that we each walk independently and then post our miles daily so that (a) we tracked our miles and (b) it gave us accountability as well as a platform to encourage one another. It was quite the experience and one in which I’ve made new friends, albeit, via the internet because the only person I really know is the person who put out the call. I also managed to move my body more consistently than ever before – the challenge was to log in 60 miles in 4 weeks – and for someone who leads a pretty sedentary life, 60 miles seemed insurmountable but i wanted to at least give it try. This wasn’t about losing weight or dropping a dress size (although i do need to lose some pounds) – for me, it was about moving my body.
The Professor was super supportive and walked with me every day; we also purchased a pedometer app for my phone and tracked a route from our home, down the street to a small cemetery (kinda ironic, donchuhthink?). Then we determined how many laps I’d need to complete in order to reach the 1 mile marker. My first time around a single lap, I was winded and ready to head home but I hung in there for another lap and had my first mile done; that first week I only completed 11 miles; but week two I completed 13.7 miles, and week three I completed 18 miles; week four? I completed 21.3 miles – for a grand total of . . . drum roll please . . . 65 MILES WALKED IN ONE MONTH!!!
As we cheered each other on, it was exciting to see everyone moving – some older, some younger and it didn’t matter if we posted 1 mile or 5 miles for the day – everyone was excited to be on this journey together and there was such great camaraderie! I’m afraid I haven’t moved nearly as much lately but I’m committed to getting back into a routine that includes some sort of movement every day – tough to do when you’re a food blogger and in the kitchen most of the time, writing blog posts another part of the time and juggling work, family, home the rest of the time.
Oh, and for those of you who thought this post was about my age? GOTCHA!
Adapted from All Recipes
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 {32} ounce homemade chicken stock (NOTE: Use organic chicken stock if you’re not into making your own)
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
4 cups kale, chopped, stems discarded
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
3/4 lb. mild Italian sausage links, casings removed
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Bay leaves
Leftover Parmesan Rinds (see note below)
SMITH BITES NOTE: I never, ever toss the rinds when I buy my fresh Parmesan! I store them in the freezer and pull out whenever I’m making soups or stews – it adds another layer of flavor; the rinds are natural and edible plus get melty and delicious!
METHOD:
In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until onion becomes translucent–about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes, kale, sea salt, pepper, and pepper flakes then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the sausage until browned in a pan over medium heat, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon. Once cooked thoroughly, add the sausage and cream to the soup. Heat to desired temperature and serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.
Buon appetito!
Pingback: Weekly Recipe Wrap Up – The Soup Edition | Delicious Obsessions
Oh Good Lord you are funny! And yay for you! Congrats and I know how it feels. For me it was the stationary bike – 10 minutes to 20 to 40 to 60. I wish I lived somewhere where walking outside was more agreeable. And I want some Zuppa Toscana – Mmmm.
What a wonderful event, Debra! Can’t wait to try this soup. It looks delicious.
{And I knew this wasn’t about your age!!!}
Wow, what a great way to stay motivated, and be held accountable to something. Way to go on your 60!
Oh, and the RGB has a “zuppa toscana” recipe, too. As a staple recipe in the house, it was one of our first posts. Can I amend my post to add your version?!
[K]
Congrats for your walking campaign and what a great idea to track it like that! I should start doing that too while the weather is so nice. And guess what? We have a beautiful cemetery close-by too! We normally walk the opposite way to the park, but I think tonight we should stroll through the cemetery. I like looking at the names on the gravestones…
Congrats on doing this! We used to wear pedometers and battle over who had the most steps in a day. It really made a difference in our amount of exercise. Of course now, the ankle has totally messed me up, but you have convinced me to get going once this thing is fixed. Too much time spent sitting at the computer…Good for you!
What a fantastic idea, since I stopped working fulltime in the kitchen and got schmoozed into working in management, I spend way too much time sitting…, I need to move. When you mentioned 60 miles in a month I seriously didn’t imagine I could do it.., but you’ve convinced me I can do it, so I will.
As someone who thinks out-running the bus by a few blocks on a semi-regular basis is an accomplishment, way to go on your very real one!
As for the OG connection–I have to say that if you were stuck in Midtown New York, starving and not wanting to spend a ton of money, I’d actually steer you to the Olive Garden in Times Square. The bartender made us fabulous drinks (we had gift cards and figured we’d live it up), and I’d take any visitor there for snacks as it has a gorgeous view of all of the goings on below, as what could be better than Martinis and breadsticks?
Congrats!!! That is a lot of walking! Way to shine!
The soup looks fantastic, beautiful photos!!
This is my kind of soup! I love walking, too. What a nice post! I did think it was someone’s birthday. Ha!
What a great challenge idea. From my years of working online I’ve met many friends via the internet. One of the best things is I’ve also had the opportunity to meet, in person, some of my electronic friends and now we are even closer friends. Your Italian soup recipe is perfect for this post because (in my case) many of these electronic friends are from different countries. The internet is like one big melting pot (Parmesan cheese reference fully intended).
Wow, that looks delicious! And the walking challenge sounds like a lot of fun. Do you have a grocery store that’s within walking distance? You could walk there every day to buy the supplies for your next recipe.
Well done Debra! I’m a big walker and I’m pleased you’ve taken it up too – I think human bodies are made to walk, runners get a high I know, but then you have no knee cartilage when you’re 50…not so great ^_^
Congratulations on reaching your goal! Over 60 miles is impressive. And I love your music, my husband and I both start dancing most nights your blog comes up 🙂 This soup looks delicious…a bit of cream can do wonders! And thank you for the tip on saving the parmesan rinds!
65 miles…Awesome!!! I am hoping to one day do a triathlon…maybe 🙂 Yummy recipe love.
65 miles!? That’s awesome! What else is awesome? this soup.. we’re planning on doing lots of soup this fall so this will most certainly make the menu!
Hearty fall/winter soups, such as this beauty, are my all-time favorites dinners. If only the weather in my part of Florida — still hot! — would cooperate, I’d make this tomorrow night. Simply wonderful (and bookmarked to make when things finally cool off here)!
Take out the meat and throw in some fish and you have yourself one happy man here! This is a great post and you should be so proud of your walk! That’s fantastic!
65 miles in a month! That’s quite an accomplishment. And especially, as you noted, when you’ve got cooking and food blogging to do! you deserve a pat on the back. And some soup!
Congrats on your walk and this soup recipe looks fantastic! Love the musical choice too as always! Hope all is well and happy Monday!
Walking is the best…good for you and all those miles.Fabulous soup.I love the kale and the sausage.brava 🙂
Good for you! And the soup looks wonderful!
Good job on reaching your goal! I love our early morning walks and they help with justify all those hours in the kitchen. Your soup sounds and looks perfect for a cool Autumn evening.
Congrats on surpassing your goal. Now keep moving!
I wish I could join you…I mean I REALLY wish I could!
But good for you…and it’s amazing if you force yourself to do it for awhile, one day you can’t do without. I used to know that!
Almost hate to admit I’ve been pitching those rinds for years…just never thought of using them. Recently saw someone just simply toast them over a flame on a skewer too…perfect timing as I just bought a new block.
That soup looks amazing!
I’ve started walking more, too….I love the idea of tracking it. I think I’d be a little more motivated to put in an extra mile. 😉
Congrats! Good for you!!! The soup looks tasty too:)
This looks like perfection–cannot wait to try!