Italian Inspired Soup

I found this lovely recipe on Pinterest a good while ago and decided to finally try it. I had all the ingredients and it came together so quickly. I didn't have Italian sausage so I seasoned my turkey like I was making meatballs with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano. It came out great and made wonderful lunch leftovers!

Ingredients:

1 15-ounce can cannelini beans, drained
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, garlic, oregano, & basil seasoned
1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce, garlic, oregano & basil seasoned
1 pound ground sausage or turkey
1 small onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 celery stalk
1 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup ditalini pasta

Instructions:

In a large pot, season and brown the ground turkey. Remove from pot. Add onion, carrot and olive oil and saute for 5 minutes until soft. Add celery and garlic, saute about a minute more. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, the drained beans, and the sausage and cover the pot. Cook for about 30 to 45 minutes over low heat, at a gentle simmer.

Breakfast of Champions

Maybe not of champions but definitely breakfast for foodies. The Original Pancake House is a chain, which I try to avoid at all cost, especially when on vacation. However, while in Chicago it was down the street from my hostel so I decided to try it. Not to mention it had pretty good reviews. I ordered the hash with chorizo, peppers, onions, potatoes, jalapeños, and eggs over easy. It came with pancakes. I chose pecan, my favorite for pancakes or waffles. The pancakes were so delicious that I ate every bite and every nut even after eating half a pound of potatoes and eggs, ha! I don't know if the restaurant is good at every locatin and every city, but wouldn't hurt to try, right?

Cheap Eats: Sushi

Rusan's is one of my favorite places to go for cheap japanese. The summer/fall of 2008 I think I went every friday. Other than the original location on Piedmont Road in Midtown, the Edgewood location in Reyneldstown is my favorite! I love sitting at the bar chatting with the cooks in Spanish. The quality for the price is pretty damn good. If you're looking to try sushi you've never had the heart to order, hit up the lunch buffet. Get the calamari, unagi, tuna and salmon nigiri, and you can't go wrong with any tempura or fried rice. There's no labels so if you've got allergies be careful and ask questions, if not just get whatever looks good. With the large menu there's something for everyone!