On the Stove Today

This soup is so simple and so good. It's getting around to what I call "soup weather" here, but today is a little warmer than usual and this is not too heavy.

Italian Wedding Soup
Serves 6-8

Printable Recipe

Meatballs:

1 pound meatloaf mix (ground pork/veal/beef)
1 large egg
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 Tablepoons fresh chopped Italian parsley (flat leaf)
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic - minced
1 teaspoon salt

Soup:

10 cups chicken stock
1 clove garlic - minced
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 pound chopped fresh spinach or 9 oz. frozen chopped
1 cup small pasta such as acine di pepe

1. Mix together all ingredients for meatballs until very well combined.
2. Bring 10 cups of chicken stock to a slow boil.
3. Drop meatball mixture by the teaspoonful into the boiling stock - one at a time.
4. When all meatballs have been added to the stock, add remaining ingredients and simmer until carrots are tender and pasta is cooked - about 20 minutes.
5. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese sprinkled in each bowl.

Found!

Unpacking another box (of things we obviously don't NEED since we moved in August and the box is still packed) I found this book and when I opened it to my favorite page I found something I thought I had lost, my letter from Peter Mayle.

My letter to him was brief and I mentioned how I felt it was "a daunting task; writing to the writer" and as you can see, he made me feel at ease about it. I also told him how his books were so well written that I had a tendency to live vicariously through him, knowing I would never be able to visit Provence.

He was very gracious to have taken the time to write me back, and obviously had actually read my letter.

I love letting good writers know just that, it's such a difficult thing for me to do (write) that I am often in awe of those I feel are well written.

I would "translate" this but then it would lose it's charm.

Tag, I'm it

I've been tagged by Melanie.


List 5 things people may not know about you and tag 5 people to do the same.

Needed a few minutes to think on this one.

1. I didn't like my husband in any romantic way for 6 months after we met~we were best friends.

2. I am related to Abraham Lincoln on Mary Todd's side of the family.

3. My mother met Fred Rogers~and he really was a very sweet man.

4. I chose Culinary Arts in school because I was going to go for Criminal Justice but spotted it listed just after that and thought it was more like me since I always wanted to open a cafe or B&B.

5. I spent my 18th birthday in a D&A rehab.

I'm tagging:
novaks8,
compulsive writer,
Jim,
Bobby,
Michelle

Heaven Rejoices Today

Ina J. Sharp
July 1, 1908-October 17, 2005

Grandma

I was going to post a recipe of my grandmother's the other day (and I still will someday soon) but today I am too sad for much cooking~My beautiful grandmother had a stroke this morning. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers if you would.

Grandma is 97 and my youngest child, Ian, shares her birthday, July 1st.

Ina J. Sharp

Grandma Barnes and Grandma Sharp

Mother and Daughter

Grandma on her 97th birthday with Ian on his 1st