Just flew in from the weekend, and am checking to make sure my hair is still attached to my head.

It was a doozie. In every way. The good ways and the insane ways. How was yours?

The Good:

• Hubby in Cali for an uber-cool part-time job. He’s all cute and excited and it’s good to see him getting his vibe on after months without a job.
• Hilarious new friends via Facebook that were instant Favorite People. You know how hard it is to become an instant Favorite person?
• Online Rental Hunting in two mysterious cities. Stay tuned!
• The teenager of our house LOVED the Unitarian church services we attended this weekend. That, followed by a splendidly slow meal with my four perfectly divine children followed by Golden Globe watching at a radical pals house and there you’ve got a great day.
• Every time the kids remembered Monday is a no-school day, you’d think it was their birthday. The realization just kept re-surprising them the whole day long.
• Acapella sing off with the kids in the car. Take that, Von Trapps. Take that.

The Bad:

• 92,000 showings this week. Which meant I had to obscene clean my home 91,999 times. I gave up on the last one. Wet towels in the bathroom and dishes in the sink. Hey! You buy the house and try to keep that from happening.
• Sleepovers. Why do we do these things? No one even wants to consider sleep until three hours past my bedtime.
• Fluttery gallbladder weirdness, and 24-hour detox.  Yes, that means 24 hours without food. What the impossible?!
• Aforementioned detox meant stirring a pot of divine Potato Kale soup without tasting a snitch until the next day. They say patience is a virtue, but it’s not one I like to practice all that often. Thankfully, you don’t have to. GO MAKE SOUP NOW.

And your weekend? How’d you fare?

Potato Kale Soup

In Food Rules, Michael Pollan encourages a diet where we "Eat Plants. Mostly Leaves." Which, in the case of this splendid soup is advice worth following. Super simple, filling, cheap, and healthy. Yes, mama. Your lucky day has come. This recipe is a great go-to meal for rainy days and busy nights and is kid and hubby approved. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, finely chopped
4 fresh garlic cloves, crushed
salt to taste
2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and finely diced
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 pound kale, finely chopped
Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then toss in your onion and cook until tender. Add the garlic and thin sprinkle of salt. Cook about 30 seconds. Then add the potatoes, and just enough broth to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste. Once boiling, turn down the heat to medium-low and allow your soup to simmer for 30 minutes.

Toss the potato and soup mixture into a large blender and puree, or simply use a potato masher to really break up your potatoes. Stir the chopped kale into the soup, and allow to simmer and additional 10 minutes, leaving your pot uncovered this time. Salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with multigrain saltines, crusty bread, and giant spoons.