New Year, New Recipe!

In the last few months, I've (re)discovered two great loves of my life.

1) Cooking
2) Card Making

Briefly on card making, I've recently opened an Etsy Store called CityPaperie. This little venture blends my love for the art of handwritten notes with my extreme enjoyment of paper crafts! My lovely mother sent all of my old scrapbooking supplies (and some of hers too!) to Brooklyn.  If it's an evening or weekend, I'm probably making or at least thinking of cards. On Etsy? Follow me!

Now onto cooking! I just made what is quite possibly one of my favorite soups ever - I call it Spicy Sweet Potato Soup! I didn't measure or plan before making this soup, so work with me here. :)

Ingredients:
1 large loose carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large sweet potatoes, mashed
1/2 bunch of fresh collard greens, chopped
1/2 parsnip, chopped
10-12 cherry tomatos
1/2 cup salsa
3-4 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup of water
2 splashes of Apple Cider Vinegar
1 splash of olive oil
Garlic powder
Tony Chachere's seasoning
Fresh ground pepper

Directions:
First, chop carrot, garlic, collard greens and parsnips.  Heat a splash of olive oil over the stove.  Then, toss in chopped carrot and parsnip.  Season with a bit of garlic powder and Tony Chachere's. Let carrots and parsnip soften in olive oil for 5 or so minutes.  Then, pour in veggie broth.  Add in chopped collard greens and chopped garlic.  Let simmer for a minute or two.  Then, add in mashed sweet potatoes to the mix.  This will thicken the mixture.  Next, add in cherry tomatoes and 2 splashes of Apple Cider Vinegar. Add in seasoning whenever you wish (garlic powder, Tony's, ground pepper). Lastly, add in at least 1/2 cup of salsa.  Let simmer over low heat for 1.5-2 hours. For best results, let soup sit overnight to let seasonings and flavors marry.

Last step - ENJOY!