Recipe - Mom's Amazing Kale Soup

Got this one from my mom. I remember craving it in the winter when I lived at home. For some reason, hers tastes better than mine, but maybe that's just the nature of being a daughter.

For those of you who have never cooked with me or used one of my recipes, I try to be very, very exact when I describe things. However, I also fly by the seat of my pants if I am short an ingredient or feeling adventurous. Feel free to comment if you need clarification, but for the most part, any or all parts can be modified with no significant issues.

Finally, please read through the ingredient list AND the instructions before you start cooking. (In this recipe, you want to chop the potatoes and start cooking them while you chop the other veggies up. This can be gleaned from the directions.)

Ingredients:
- 4 large potatoes, washed and cubed (I like cubes about the size of mini-dice) OR 2 large handfuls of new or baby potatoes, washed and cubed.
- 1 medium onion, chopped about the same size as the potatoes
- 2 cups carrots, washed and chopped, again the same size as the potatoes
- 1 box AND 2 cans chicken broth
- 1 lb ground meat, preferably breakfast sausage. Ground turkey works well too if you're all worried about healthiness and that mess.
- 3 stems of kale, rinsed and roughly chopped into about 1 by 2 inch pieces.
- 1 can evaporated milk, soup can size
- 2 tbsp butter

Directions:
1. Throw potatoes and broth into a large soup pot. Simmer over medium heat while the rest of the veggies are chopped up.
2. Add the rest of the veggies as they are chopped up. Stir and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots start to soften.
3. While the veggies soften, brown the meat in a large skillet until it is cooked through. I usually don't add anything else to the pan and cook it on medium or medium low - hot enough to cook quickly but not so hot that oil is shooting out the the pan and searing my face.
4. When the meat is cooked, add it to the soup pot and let everything simmer on low for about 30 minutes. You can simmer for less time or all day depending on your schedule.
5. After the meat has been in the pot for at least 30 minutes, the soup is about 30 minutes from being finished. To finish, add the kale and milk and let it simmer on low for 30 minutes. Now it is done. Eat!!!

Yummy!