Have you ever felt like the under dog?  Even if you know you have a good thing going, sometimes this is just natural.  Kind of like feeling like a small fish in a big pond.  The funny thing is, even the big fish start out small, and sometimes what sets us apart is a determined spirit and attitude.  Thomas Edison embraced this “never quit” spirit very well.  Did you know he tried over 1,000 times before inventing the light bulb?  When asked about it by a reporter he replied “I didn’t fail 1,000 times.  The light bulb was a 1,000 step process.”  That is genius.

One of my favorite cooking magazines is called Saveur.  I pour over each new issue more than any other culinary subscription I receive.  It is about food, and life, all of it together.  Sound familiar?   It is inspiring to me in every way, from the recipes, to the stories about the life, countries and people that accompany them.  It is also the reason I feel like a small fry in a big fryer today.  I received notification they want to hear about favorite food blogs.  Of course, I started my wheels turning…Should I nominate myself?  Should I ask my readers to nominate me?  I mean, let’s get real, these other food bloggers are the big dogs with thousands of followers, blogs posted frequently, most of them have sponsors.  Then there’s mine…local, occasional, and clearly not a “trend” or even sponsored.  Then I wonder, do the others have as much heart in the matter?  Many might, but for some I know it’s just a job.  To me it is my meaning.  And like I said, even the big fish start out small, so why not go for it?  It will be a long shot, but as the saying goes…It isn’t about the destination but the journey.  If you’d like to participate, go to Saveur for more details, or click on this link to take you there.  A long shot for sure, but if everyone who reads this votes, shares it, believes it, who knows- that’s how big things can happen!

And in the meantime, enjoy these last days of winter the best you can.  Only a few days will be left of cold days and freezing nights, which I know makes almost everyone happy as they welcome spring.  Make a nice soup to warm your soul, if you need some inspiration check out my recipe below for “Southern White Bean Soup with Sausage & Greens”

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.”
~ Confucius

Southern White Bean Soup with Sausage and Greens

Serves a crowd, or can be halved!

 Ingredients:

 2-pounds ground pork sausage- (Neese’s is a great choice)

1-finely diced onion

3-4 finely diced celery stalks

4-finely diced carrots

2-3 cloves minced garlic

1 cup, more as needed, all purpose flour

6-8 cup chicken broths- low sodium best- homemade is better!!!

3 cups diced tomatoes with juice

4-6 cups canned cannellini beans, drained

1 bunch kale, chopped & stems removed

1 bunch fresh spinach

1 bunch collard greens, chopped and stems removed

Salt & Pepper

 ***use the freshest, best greens you can find, a local Farmers market is a great resource!

Directions:

Brown sausage until cooked through, drain a little if needed but keep most of the fat and add the onions, celery, carrot and garlic to cook in it about 5 minutes.  Stir in flour, use enough flour to coat veggies, but don’t make too thick of a paste, stir about 30 seconds.  Stirring constantly, add stock over medium high heat.  Once desired thickness is reached, then add beans.  Stir in tomatoes with juice.  Add water/stock as needed to get right consistency.  Then add in greens and cook until tender, at least 30 minutes.  Season with salt & pepper, simmer a little longer, then enjoy.  Delicious served with garlic crostini’s.