Italian Wedding Soup

 The first time I ever had Italian Wedding Soup was when I worked in a hospital kitchen. We ordered it in frozen in bags that we heated up. It was decent, maybe a 6.5 out of 10. I ate it here and there, but I always knew I could probably make it better myself.  Funny that the only homemade version I’ve ever had is my own. I may not have much to compare it too, but I think it’s pretty good regardless!  It’s very simple and manages to feel

light despite having pasta and beef in it. Paired with some salad it makes for a cozy and filling meal. 

Italian Wedding Soup

Meatballs

2lbs Ground beef

1/2 cup Bread crumbs 

1/2 cup Milk or broth of choice 

2 Eggs, beaten

2 tsp Kosher salt 

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp Dried basil

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 small Onion, grated (or very finely minced)

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan cheese 

Soup

2 tb oil 

1 Onion, small diced

3 stalks Celery, small diced 

3 Carrots, peeled and diced 

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 48oz boxes chicken broth (12 cups)

1 cup Acini de peppe pasta

Couple handfuls of fresh spinach 

1 tsp Kosher salt (or to taste)

Black pepper to taste 

Juice of about half a lemon 

Meatballs:

In a large bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, milk or broth, garlic, salt, beaten eggs, grated onion, Parmesan cheese, basil, and Italian seasoning.  Add the ground beef and mix well until incorporated evenly.  Use tablespoon to measure the beef out and then roll into meatballs. Air fry in batches at 400 degrees until the meatballs are lightly browned. (Or you make bake in the oven). Set cooked meatballs aside until ready to add to the soup.

Soup:

In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add diced carrot and cook for about 1 minute before adding the celery and onion as well. Cook until onion is translucent and begins to soften.  Add minced garlic and cook about a minute, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning. 

Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once at a rolling boil, stir in acini de peppe pasta and stir frequently until it is fully cooked.  

Turn heat down to medium and gently add your cooked meatballs in. Allow to cook long enough for meatballs to heat through, then turn off the heat. Stir in a few handfuls of fresh spinach and allow it to wilt down. Season with salt and pepper to taste and some fresh lemon juice. I use about half a lemon. (you’re not trying to make it taste like lemon soup but just enough acid to brighten up the flavor of the broth).

Some people serve it with Parmesan cheese on top but I love it as is. Enjoy!

Five Products I Started Using in 2021 That Have Been Game Changers

I decided I wanted to share with you the top 5 things I started using in 2021 that turned out to be game changers. Over the years you try all kinds of new things. Some stick…others don’t. But this year I found some serious bangers!  Now, I’m not saying they’re necessarily the latest and greatest (in fact, I’m usually pretty behind in trends) but each of these products made such an impact I don’t even care. I can vouch that they are worth every penny I spent.  Now let’s get started….

Eufy Robo Vacuum

I told you the things I listed weren’t necessarily new.  Roomba first released their robot vacuum back in 2002.  Yep,  20 whole years ago (I looked it up)  So not at all new....but something that seemed super far off in the realm of possibility for me. (Ya know, between being a literal child for half that time and then broke the other half)  I had this Eufy brand vacuum sitting in my Amazon cart for, no joke, two years before I pulled the trigger this past October and my god, it’s one of the best triggers I’ve ever pulled in my 32 years. It’s the BEST! I run it for 45 minutes a day and am amazed at what it picks up every. Single.  Time.  I notice such a HUGE difference.  Yes, I do still vacuum my house with a regular vacuum but this helps keep up with the daily mess, especially having pets.  There’s not a chance in hell I would ever vacuum by hand daily so there’s no denying that this makes a huge difference in keeping up with the house between hand vacuuming.  He’s already become a member of the family, we named him Victor but he’s Vic the Vac for short.  He may even end up in our Christmas card this coming year.  Just maybe.....

https://amzn.to/3G2igk8

 Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer 

One of my resolutions in 2021 was to do a better job of moisturizing.  (not all resolutions are grandiose)  Frankly, I was starting to look ashy, crackly, and even a little crepey.  Not a good look.  The problem was twofold: I never worked into my routine as a habit, and also I HATE the sticky/greasy feeling of so many lotions.  I decided to give the Jergens wet skin moisturizer and I could not recommend it enough!  It’s been easy to keep up with as part of my shower routine.  I turn off the water, wring out my hair, then get to work moisturizing in the shower.  It soaks in nicely and doesn’t leave my feeling sticky or greasy.  Two (nicely moisturized) thumbs up from me!

 

Intuition Razor 

Since we’re on the topic of bathing, let’s segue into the next item: the Intuition razor.  I don’t know about you, but shaving in the shower made me want to shoot myself.  I have a basic stand up stall type shower that doesn’t have a place to put my leg up.  Having to lather up some shaving cream (or use conditioner...you know you’ve done it too!) just felt like such a chore.  Not having a place to put my leg up meant half the time the shaving cream got washed off before I even got to that section to shave.  It was just time consuming and annoying.....so I let myself get pretty prickly most of the time.  It finally dawned on me to give the Intuition a try.  I had been singing along to the commercials with Jewel for years (follow your hEaRt, your intuition) but finally picked one up out of pure frustration. The conditioning solid around the blade makes it so you lather, shave, and moisturize all in one swipe. It’s saves me so much time and frustration and keeps shaving my legs from being a huge chore. I love it!  I still keep a regular razor in the shower for ummm…”other” areas, It’s a bit bulky for getting into tight, delicate spaces…if ya know what I mean) but this razor does not disappoint.

Tanned AF Lotion
I bought this one day out of pure desperation. I had a place to be and a dress to wear and you could see the blood pulsing through the veins of my legs. (Might be a slight exaggeration….but only slight)   I added this to my grocery pick up order and the rest is history. I don’t use it super regularly (I’m not trying to keep up a tan 365) but mostly for events and particular outfits. It’s easy to use, very affordable, and doesn’t turn out orange.  I like to apply it, wait about 15 minutes, then apply another layer. I let it sit for at least 2 hours before showering but sometimes go longer. It gives me the perfect kiss of color without looking like Miss Hawaiian Tropic…although if you wanted to achieve that look I’m sure you could. It’s easy to find too (I got mine from Walmart) which makes it even better! 

Dawn Powerwash
Man, you know you’re getting old when spray dish soap makes you positively giddy. You might think…what’s the point? It’s just soap after all….but it’s a whole lot more than that I promise you! I use to to spray dishes with stuff stuck on without having to fill the sink with water and liquid soap to soak. It clings well and by the time you’re ready to scrub it comes right off. Plus, since it’s in a convenient spray bottle I have repurposed it for so many different things. I use to spray down my greasy stovetop, wipe down my kitchen cabinets, I even use it on greasy stains on my clothes as a stain remover. It’s super versatile and completely worth having the extra item under your sink. Go buy it now!

Have you used any of these products and love them as much as me?null