Flamingos do not believe that a Yankee Ground Hog is correct

Ground Hog Day my frozen butt!  It may be 6 more weeks of winter in Pennsylvania but I don't think that fat ground living rodent that is poked awake each year is a good weather prognosticator.  Sure its about 6 weeks before the Vernal Equinox arrives on March 20th at 5:45 pm Central Time.  So yes.....we actually have 7 more weeks until the Season called Winter is over.  But that damn yankee of a ground hog doesn't know anything about winters in South and we can be frozen one day and in flip flops and shorts the next.  I figure statistically old Pux Phil is wrong about 30 to 40 percent of the time.  So anytime his handlers say speak for him I just reverse what they say.  The northern part of the US is probably going to be colder but we are going to be seeing some rainy weather .

I copied and pasted this from the Farmers Almanac.  I trust them more than the fat rodent.

FEBRUARY 2015: temperature 46° (1° below avg.); precipitation 4" (1" below avg.); Feb 1-6: Rain to snow, then sunny, cold; Feb 7-14: Rain, then sunny, cold; Feb 15-19: Showers, then sunny, cold; Feb 20-25: Rainy periods, mild;Feb 26-28: Sunny, seasonable.

MARCH 2015: temperature 53° (3° below avg.); precipitation 5" (1" below avg.); Mar 1-3: Sunny, mild; Mar 4-9: Rain, then sunny, cool; Mar 10-14: Rainy, cool; Mar 15-23: Showers, cool; Mar 24-31: T-storms, then sunny, cool.

Annual Weather Summary: November 2014 to October 2015

Winter will be much colder than normal, with below-normal precipitation. Snowfall will be near or slightly above normal in the north, but significant snowfall is unlikely in central or southern areas. The coldest periods will occur in late December and January, with the snowiest periods across the north in mid- and late December and early January.

April and May will be warmer than normal, with rainfall above normal in all but easternmost areas.

Summer will be hotter than normal, with near-normal rainfall despite hurricane threats in mid- and late July. The hottest periods will occur in early to mid-June, mid- to late June, mid- to late July, and late August.

September and October will be warmer than normal, with a hurricane threat in mid-September.

Vonda's Italian Wedding Soup

The Starship Flamingo didn't leave the driveway this weekend.  She needs her engine checked to make sure shes not running a fever or anything and just to make me more comfortable with some of her little engine growls she makes.  So we stayed home. Since it is Super Bowl Sunday, I decided to make my Italian Wedding Soup.  Its great and I always have to share some.  My friend Sara asked me a long time ago for the recipe and she makes it for her sweet husband now.  I have to ask her for my recipe at times because I misplace mine a lot!  Its a scribbled out butter spattered piece of paper!  But today I have put it in my Blog to share with everyone that has asked about it today.  Sooooooo...

Here, as promised, is my recipe for Italian Wedding Soup.  Thanks to Chef Fabio and Chef Barbara Giacometti for the inspiration and for teaching me in patient little baby chef steps to cook Italian recipes and in that style for a couple of years.  I love anything from the Mediterranean area, but Italian cuisine is my fav.  This is a great soup that will freeze well and travel well in the RV too.

this will be step by step with photos (19 of them) so it should be fairly easy to follow.  just get all of your ingredients out and ready so you can devote your attention to your soup.

Italian Wedding soup isn't served at weddings.  It is about the marriage of everyday ingredients that blend together and make a wonderful savory soup that is comforting and healthy and filling.  Good for cold rainy days and days when you just need some loving from the kitchen.

you will need......
1 HUGE sweet yellow onion
4 long ribs of crisp celery.
a healthy handful of sweet baby carrots
1 Tablspoon of minced garlic
1 tsp. sea salt
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 cup of Orzo (or substitute rice or any small pasta if you have no Orzo)
1 pound of lean ground beef (85/15) (Or ground Turkey/chicken or ground pork)
2 Sweet Italian Sausages (Johnsonville is good)
6 cups of chicken broth (Swanson, Sweet Sue, Store Brand or homemade)
1 stick of BUTTER plus 2 Tablespoons
1 8oz. bag of fresh baby spinach leaves
1 cup of shredded parmigiana cheese
1 cup of Seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs
3 large fresh eggs, beaten
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp. seasalt
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp. sage
1/4 thyme

start with sweet yellow onion, carrots and celery 

chop chop chop

don't chop super fine but you don't what it all chunky

in a pre heated skillet add 2 TBLS. butter,2 TBL EVOO, minced garlic and veggies with a tsp. of sea salt and let them start sweating!

while the veggies are sweating and getting fragrant I'm starting on the meat balls. the aroma is going to drive you crazy!

1 cup panko bread crumbs, 1 pound of lean ground beef (your preff), 1 healthy cup of fresh shredded parm cheese and 3 eggs

stirring the veggies. I want them to be a little golden not crispy!
then add to the big soup pot of simmering chicken broth and the stick of butter.

adding the dry ingredients. the bread crumbs, the cheese, a pinch og sea salt, some basil, some thyme,a hint of sage

mix it all up till dry and chunky

beat the eggs and pour them in. mix it all up with your hands.

roll into teaspoon sized balls 

into a hot skillet with water. yes  that cup and a half of water I told you to set aside..... it braises them and draws out the fat leaving you with goodness! 
turn them when they are getting brown. keep adding the water. Let them rest while you tend to the veggies.

into the veggie pot that is simmering chicken broth. the wedding is beginning. its about the marriage of flavors.

measureing the Orzo. needs about 6 oz. of orzo pasta. or 1 cup of rice or 1 cup of small pasta you have on hand.  Orzo is preferred because it makes it so creamy!

Popeye would love this soup. It has a huge bag of fresh spinach in it!
the whole bag!

adding the spinach and the Orzo

watching it wilt.

add meat balls and simmer after about 15 to 20 minutes it is ready to inhale!

 

Italian Wedding Soup. A marriage of flavors that you would not believe will work! thank you Chef Fabio for the inspiration! A good white wine or red will work with this one.  Some crispy fresh bread on the side for dipping and sopping...enjoy!