15 minute weeknight soup: kale and chicken sausage soup

When a week goes by where temps rarely reach freezing, there’s only one food group that I want to reach for: soup. And when you have a week where there’s nary a time to sit down and plan like I just had, this soup is the perfect weeknight warmer. With the exception of the garlic and chicken sausage, there are no real culinary skills required to cook this soup. All you need is a handful of ingredients, a big soup pot, and about 15 minutes.

Yup, only 15 minutes until a soup full of depth and flavor that will warm you right up.

The flavor depth is hidden in the ingredients; seasoned chicken sausage, the brown bits on the bottom of the pan, diced tomatoes with a little extra sumthin’, and the soup is surprisingly healthy as well, full of beans, tomatoes and kale, which all pass the new years resolution test.

Next time you only have 10 minutes in the store to pick up dinner, grab these ingredients and assemble, instead of the instant food you’ve always grabbed.

Recipe adapted from this one by Real Simple.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 12-ounce package fully cooked chicken sausage links, sliced thin *I love the al fresco brand with roasted red pepper and asiago 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) ¼ teaspoon thyme leaves 1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed 1 14.5-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano 1 bunch kale leaves (I used an entire package of the baby kale from the bagged salad section) kosher salt and black pepper grated parmesan cheese to finish

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring once, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more.
3. Stir in red pepper flakes and thyme leaves
4. Add the beans, broth, and tomatoes and their liquid and bring to a boil.
5. Add the kale and salt and pepper to tase. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Serve soup in bowls, top each bowl with grated parmesan to finish.

The A List: 01.15.16

More and more I seem to be discovering my newest faves via SnapChat - which is no surprise because it's jumped facebook to my second favorite social app. (Insta, you're still number 1 in my <3).

But with no todo, here's a collection of things that caught my eye this week.

Carpool Karaoke with Adele: The Late Late show has been hyping this all week, and it doesn’t disappoint. Adele couldn’t be more adorable, and man, does she have a pair of pipes! I especially loved the Spice Girl part since we’re both former Geri’s, and loved how real and approachable she is in this video. Another fabulous Carpool Karaoke James Corden!

Alterna Rapid Repair Spray: I was watching an snapchat story with the Olsen’s stylist Mark Townsend during the holidays, and his number one recommendation for holiday hair was to finish it with shine spray. During a Sephora outing I happened to spot this one on the shelf and decided it couldn’t hurt to try it. OMG, it turned out even better than I thought. This spray manages to keep the frizz away and keep my scalp moisturized during the winter months, and it gives that perfect glossy finish that induces hair envy. If your hair is thick like mine, I definitely recommend giving this one a try.

E! News Glam Snaps: during the Golden Globes this past Sunday, E!News introduced their Glam Snaps, snapchat stories that recreated looks on the red carpet at home. It. Was. GENIUS. With a professional makeup artist and hair stylist on hand, they took a snap from the red carpet and followed it up immediately with the celebrity’s makeup look or hair style created step by step so watchers could easily follow it at home. What an amazing way to capture and recreate real time red carpet style.

Benjamin Clementine: snapchat discoveries seem to be a theme this week, and this one is no different. Burberry has always been a social media pioneer in the fashion industry and this week their channel was completely dedicated to their men’s fashion show. From backstage snaps, to reverse vids of sewing and fittings, their snapchat was everywhere including on stage with Benjamin Clementine. With just his voice and a piano, his songs move with reckless emotion, rushing and building to their next peak. And how cool is it that his album starts with him singing a Winston Churchill speech?

Floss Gloss: when Refinery 29 declared this polish “The Only Polish You’ll Need this Winter” they weren’t lying. I’m in love with this glittery pink polish, aptly titled The Pink Nugget. It’s a build-able pink glitter, with one coat it’s a nude shimmer, but as you add coat after coat it creates the most beautiful pale pink shimmer, a touch of sophistication with your glitter.

Golden Globes Fashion Wrap

Last night’s Golden Globes hit the mark across the board, great fashion, great celebrity spotting, and great jokes. While not as funny as Tina and Amy, Ricky Gervais was hilarious, often at Hollywood’s expense. His intro of Matt Damon? Awkward and hysterical.

But as always, my favorite part of the show is before the show, yup, I’m talking about the red carpet. The interviews are random and I love when the celebs pass each other on the podium and fawn all over each other. But let’s be honest – the fashion is the icing on the cake.

Last night featured a bunch of different trends, ethereal whites and blushes, classic reds, bold patterns, smoky and sexy jeweled tones and golden goddesses, but only eight can make my best dressed. Drumroll please…

Olivia Wilde: deep v's seemed to be the trend of the night and none were better than Olivia's, who smoldered in this burgundy Michael Kors dress.

Brie Larsen: she dressed to look like the statue and ended up winning the statue. Brie Larsen was glowing in this glittery Calvin Klein dress.

Julianne Moore: red-head envy alert! Julianne Moore is a goddess in this sequined midnight-coloured Tom Ford column. Even better? The long sleeves.

Laverne Cox: the lines on the white number number are so flattering on Laverne, she looks amaze. Love how modern the dark plum lip looks with this as well.

Alicia Vikander: at first a thought this dress looked like a smock, but once I saw Alicia move on the red carpet, I knew it was anything but boring. The sequin pleats with the contrast thread are everything.

Amy Adams: red-head envy part 2! Amy looks gorge in this orange/red number, the sequin lines are so flattering and her hair was the best on the carpet hands down.

Lily James: i'm not usually a fan of the dresses with tulle, but there's something so ethereal about this white Marchesa number that I can't help but love it.

Jennifer Lawrence: quite possibly saving the best for last - J Law slayed the carpet. I honestly thought she's show up in another Dior ball gown, but these cutouts, those abs, and the diamond collar knock this look out of the park.

All images via Vogue.

The A List: 1.8.16

Coming back from vacation this first week of January was a little bit like working drunk. So much time catching up, and not much time for me. But I still found time for some products and things I love, here's a look at them from this week.

Oscar Isaac signing Bill Murray’s Star Wars: Over the New Year, I finally saw Star Wars, and it’s definitely one of those movies you have to see in the theatre (and say you saw in the theatre). After the legendary Harrison Ford and the adorable BB-8, my favorite non-droid character was that of the pilot, Poe Dameron. It turns out Isaac was on this past December’s cover of GQ, and the online version offered up this little video of him covering Bill Murray’s SNL Star Wars song. It’s adorable, it’s quirky, and most of all it’s brilliant.

Mashable’s Snapchat Story end: it makes me happy every time I see the close of Mashable’s snapchat story, there’s always a different edit for their three little guys working on the M. But the current ending they have right now – a Zamboni, a hockey mask, a scoreboard saying “Keep Sk8ing!” is by far my fave. I mean, how can you not love it?

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask: during the fall, my signature makeup look was a bold lip coupled with a little bronzer and blush. It’s a bit of a statement, but it’s fun, it’s easy, and allows me to express myself still after my giant wardrobe edit. But since winter has officially set it, lipsticks are hard to sport when dry, chapped lips start to set in. That’s why I love this lip mask from Laneige. It literally forms a mask on top of your lips, and comes with the cutest little scoop to apply the product. Add in a fresh berry smell, and you’ve got an awesome chapped lip fights from one of my favorite K-beauty brands.

Sephora Eye Masks: working at an ice rink, you’d never guess that the air would be super dry. But after a long day plus a game night, my eyes are dry, red, and exhausted by the time I get home. Fifteen minutes after applying one of Sephora’s eye masks, and my eyes are refreshed, moisturized, and de-puffed, and the cooling gel is the perfect relaxer after a long, long day.

Award Season: The Golden Globes are this Saturday, and I can’t wait. They’re my favorite award show by far because the celebs and categories are so fun. They’re loose, they’re a little tipsy, it’s everything you want in a fabulous Hollywood party. Let’s hope Ricky Gervais can deliver again with his hosting duties, Tina & Amy are going to be hard to top!

Bananas: easy breakfast muffins

If every year’s New Years resolution is to eat healthier (among other things), overconfidence in the produce section of the grocery store is usually a result. The voice in your head says yes, I’ll eat salad for lunch every day this week, or broccoli is great and filling for dinner, to I’ll just have a banana for breakfast.

I’m more of a fan of bananas as a snack during the workday, but still, there’s always the last one in the bundle that’s turning yucky brown by the time Friday rolls around. But it turns out; overripe bananas freeze beautifully, and once thawed, come out soft and almost liquid – perfect for baking. And if there’s real bananas in baked goods, they have to be healthy, right?

I’ve been eating these banana chocolate chunk muffins for years – the recipe I adapted below is based on one from my pre-school cookbook – and they’re the perfect combination of breakfast and dessert. Small and chocolaty, they’re super portable for breakfast during your commute, or while you’re perusing emails upon arrival at the office.

I halved this recipe (and only used two bananas), decreasing the potency of the banana flavor, and adding a teaspoon of cinnamon for some warmth. And for extra chocolate-ness, I used Trader Joes semi-sweet chocolate chunks, instead of your typical semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar 3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted 1 cup mashed overripe bananas (about 2) 2 large eggs 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup mini chocolate chips (6 ounces)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° . In a large bowl, combine the sugar, melted butter, bananas and eggs; mix thoroughly. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until the batter is evenly moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips.
2. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups (I used a non-stick muffin pan and cooking spray instead of these). Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely.