Wedding Soup

Having lived away from our extended family for most of the past nineteen years, the responsibility of holiday dinners has been almost entirely mine. Only on a few occasions have we spent a major holiday away with family.

It's been especially fun when my parents have come for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I love working in the kitchen with the two best cooks I know!

As the children have grown & become more adept in the kitchen, my work load has become lighter.

This year, the work of Christmas meal prep was even lighter - for me, at least.

The children did almost all of the baking. I only made one batch of lemon sugar snaps (from Martha Stewart; my first time; marginal results).

We were invited to share Christmas dinner with The Cousins, with "instructions" to bring whatever we wanted.

Nice!

The girls made a couple of quiches and some desserts, and I got over easily.

I decided to make soup, and the girls made a special request:

Wedding Soup.

Being from Pittsburgh, I learned about Italian food (and Polish food and German food) before I ever learned about "soul" food. In fact, growing up, my exposure to "soul food" was relegated to a mere handful of basic options (although, with my parents, even ordinary foods are extraordinary):

Fried Chicken

Ribs 

(I'll ONLY eat my dad's.)

Collard Greens

(I ONLY ate my dad's until Craig learned how to make them.)

As I've already mentioned, my parents are the best cooks I know, and this is true even with Italian food.

However, I never had wedding soup while growing up in their household.

I don't even know anyone else who makes it at home, except for a lady I once met in an Italian market. As a visual learner, I didn't remember much of her verbal recipe sharing that day. So, when I was ready to make it at home just a few years ago, I had to search online for a recipe.

I ended up finding two recipes that seemed promising. Each one lacked something that the other offered, so I combined the best of the two.

For the past several years, this has been a favorite, not only for my household, but also for friends and relatives who've tasted it.

On Christmas Day this year, though, I decided to wing it, and it ended up being the best yet! The Cousins don't eat much beef or any pork; so to be safe, I made turkey meatballs.

Here's what I did:

Turkey Meatballs = ground turkey, crumbled bread (a slice or so of something good - I used my homemade wheat bread and grated it manually), chopped onions, herbs, salt, pepper, egg, milk.

Don't make them too large. I used a tablespoon to scoop mine, and that's about as large as they should ever be.

Cook the meatballs in the bottom of the soup pot you plan to use. Add chopped vegetables when the meatballs are sufficiently browned:

(It'll be necessary to push the meatballs to the sides of the pot & add a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.)

fennel

(I was out of celery, and I'm SO glad! Fennel is the way of the future. For sure.)

carrots

onion

garlic

spinach

(Confession: I use frozen spinach.)

I keep a cute little covered dish of coarse salt next to my stove. I always feel more chef-like as I pinch and sprinkle while cooking. Don't be shy, but don't overdo it. That goes for pepper, too. It doesn't hurt to add a bit more herbs and other seasonings along with the vegetables. I added some ground celery seed, as well.

OK, I can hear your question. 

("Which herbs?")

I used rosemary, thyme, sage (all fresh), and dried oregano. I may have thrown in a little savory, but I can't recall for certain.

NOTE: This soup got rave reviews, even from The Cousins (who, surprisingly, had never tasted Wedding Soup before). So, if yours turns out bland, don't blame me. I am a seasoner. I just can't direct you on exactly how much. You'll have to sample as you go.

My only caution is that it is possible to use too much oregano, and it doesn't take much to cross the line. That stuff is powerful, unless it's fresh.

Cute little covered dish (gotta love Polish pottery, eh?)

 When the veggies start to get a little tender, go ahead and add chicken broth. Now, I'm leaving this up to your discretion. It really depends on how many meatballs you have, whether or not you add a mini pasta (I usually don't), and how brothy you like your soup. It's totally a matter of personal preference, but at least use enough broth to cover the ingredients and leave room for evaporation as it simmers.

That's it. That's how I made my wedding soup. It's all in how you season it - and your meatballs really make a difference, too. Please - whatever you do! - DO NOT cheat by buying frozen meatballs. Seriously. It's worth the effort to make them yourself. If you decide to ignore my advice, just don't tell anyone where you got the recipe, OK?

;-)

The girls said that this photo makes the soup look more like swamp water (the camera is still in the shop); but I assure you, it is far superior to that.

Advent Calendar for a Friend

I have a penchant for over-tasking myself, and I use the excuse that I work better under pressure. The truth is that I just procrastinate until I have NO CHOICE than to produce something under the pressure of lacking time.

I love it, though! 

My white board makes me crazy and happy. I'm one of those weird people who let out a little "mad scientist" giggle, as I cross off an item from my list.

Recently, my young friend, Kelly, sent me this link and asked if I could make something similar for her.

We've been friends with Kelly's family for nearly twenty years. She was a little girl in the youth group that Craig helped to lead back in the early 90s, when we lived in California; and she's now married and expecting her second child.

How could I say, "No"?

This ended up being a really fun project, and I'm so glad that she trusted me to give it a whirl.

I spent a couple of days thinking about what to use for the main background, and I remembered this old sweater of mine that had been added to my "recycle" stash.

This sweater is too big for me now, as I wore it in the "old days" (read "pregnant-and-nursing-days") before I took charge of my health and fitness.

Once I got over the fact that PART of a garment that used to FIT me could be used to make a WALL HANGING,

I was free to proceed.

It took several moments of soul-searching before I finally cut into the sweater.

Some of the details of the original sample that Kelly had sent just didn't sit well with me. She's a really special friend with really great style, so I wanted to pay closer attention to some of the details, without losing the rustic look that she was aiming to achieve.

In my heart I knew that the numbers should be embroidered, rather than "markered". Still, Morgan had to stand by me and help to build my confidence.

Embroidering the numbers made the project take about three times as long as if I had simply written them, but I'm so glad that I took the time.

Morgan helped with the placement and color choices, but we tried to be intentionally random with them.

I went for a "wonky" placement of the numbers.

For some reason, "3", "15", and "17" just wouldn't cooperate in the hoop; but I persevered.

Soon, Lord willing, my photos should improve, as I've finally taken my real camera to be repaired. My phone just doesn't cut it; but at least I have a record, albeit fuzzy.

Many thanks to Gabriela for scavenging in the back yard for a stick. I used twill tape to hang it.

I got lots of "oohs" and "aahhs" from my girls - especially Gabriela, who hinted around to wanting one for our family to keep.

I've had practice saying, "No", to her, though.

Probably The Most Satisfying Project Ever

Have you ever seen a project and felt instinctively that you should tackle it as soon as possible? As if it's some rite of passage?

Not since I cross-stitched a sampler of Proverbs 31 back in the early 90s (a 3-year process), have I come across something so tedious, engaging, and utterly addictive.

As soon as I laid eyes on Kate's scrap map, 

I. Was. Hooked.

I didn't spend much time analyzing my fabric choices, except for a few special places.

California is a dainty pink-and-floral print because my spiritual mother lives there. She is the epitome of a gentle and quiet spirit and godly womanhood.

Texas is black-and-white damask because it's where I live, and I've said that if I were any fabric, I'd be black-and-white damask home decor fabric.

Pennsylvania is denim because blue is part of the "Keystone State" emblem, and denim represents the casual, blue-collar atmosphere in which I grew up.

Georgia is camouflage because the lion's share of our Army time was spent at Ft. Benning.

Alabama is red because, if given a choice between the two rival teams, my husband would yell "Roll Tide!" rather than "War Eagle!". (I like the scissors print because it was while living in Alabama that I started sewing again more regularly after a long hiatus.)

Thankfully, I have very industrious kitchen helpers, so I was able to assign certain Thanksgiving dinner tasks to the children. They knew that I had some special sewing planned for this week, and they graciously allowed me the freedom to come and go between the kitchen and the sewing room at my leisure.

My two goals this week were my new apron (love!), just in time for Thanksgiving, and the scrap map.

I became so obsessed engrossed in the map project that I hardly slept on Wednesday night. I had just finished the final step of making it just before midnight, which meant that mounting and hanging it would have to wait until Thanksgiving morning.

I had multiple lists running through my head and couldn't prioritize them, so it took a long time to fall asleep.

Once asleep, I tossed, turned, and dreamed about the map and the fabrics for most of the night!

At 4:00 a.m., I forced myself to stay in bed and get plenty of rest for the day ahead.

Finally, I was able to get up, go for a run, mount the map, and watch, overjoyed, as my sweet husband hung it on the wall of the school room for me.

What a guy!

Once that was tackled, I was free to shower, eat breakfast, and work on the finishing touches for Thanksgiving dinner.

Incidentally, I strategically planned my Thanksgiving dinner dress to create a complimentary neutral backdrop for my new apron.

(My dress is actually slate-gray, but it looks black in this photo, next to the lighter gray in the apron, and so far from the black boots and tights.)

What's On Your Thanksgiving Menu?

A loaf of bread awaiting its execution transformation

I have a basic blueprint that I follow each year when planning menus for major holidays, but I like to change a detail or two, just to keep it interesting.

This year, The Cousins will join us for Thanksgiving dinner, and one of them offered to bring the turkey!

Selah.

Even with two ovens, it's a tremendous relief that I won't have to strategically time the use of them in order to accommodate something so large as a turkey and still make everything else in time for dinner.

I've been back in fitness mode recently, and I'm trying so hard not to load up on lots of heavy fare.

Even my pared-down menu still threatens the waistline, but not as much as in years past.

Trust me.

My dad bought this cute little garlic roaster for me a few years ago. Roasted garlic is a key player in my cauliflower pureé, which will be served in lieu of mashed potatoes, much to Morgan's chagrin. (I've promised to make it up to her on Christmas.)

What this photo lacks in aesthetic value, it makes up in culinary flair. This ordinary scene will morph into Craig's AMAZING collard greens (Daddy's recipe), sweet potato casserole, & cauliflower pureé.

The next generation of apple pie baker has graduated. Morgan normally makes the crust while I make the filling, but today she made the entire thing from start to finish. (It's probably more accurate to say that I've graduated. I wasn't a control freak about it, and she was free to create.)

What's fueling my operation today?
Ethiopia Harar Longberry

These bread cubes will become my stuffing (Mom's recipe), which will fill rolled flank steak (also Mom's recipe).

The remainder of today's prep includes making the topping for the sweet potato casserole, blanching brussels sprouts for roasting tomorrow, making cranberry salad, and mixing "pretty" herb butter to display on a cold plate.

The Line-Up:

Cauliflower Pureé

Roasted Brussels Sprouts


Collard Greens

Cranberry Salad

Sweet Potato Casserole

Stuffed Flank Steak

Whole-Wheat Rolls with Herb Butter


Apple Pie

(And from The Cousins:)

Turkey

Salad

Green Beans

Pumpkin Cheesecake

*  *  *  *  *

Happy Thanksgiving!