Weekend Home

Even though this is a few weeks late........I loved my first weekend home in 9 months!! wow its been a while! and my first time to meet baby CALEB! (the reason for the trip)... it was so good to be home, see family and friends, and MOST OF ALL my boys!!

Till next time

love love

Anniversary Dinner Cruise

We went on a dinner cruise for our anniversary. Basically, there these huge boats, and they are 3 hour cruises around Lake Michigan at sunset, and you get a 3 course meal. There is dancing, and an observation deck, and it was a lot of fun! Defiantly a night to remember! Since it was our anniversary, they put flower pettals on our table, gave us a window seat, and gave us a anniversary dessert (even though there was a chocolate fountain for all).... it was very yummy and very fun!

till next time

love love

Two years and counting

Well, today is our second year anniversary!!! yay!

This is what Craig got.... books

This is what I got.... dress, purse, flowers.... I think I got the better deal :)

and for lunch.... I thought it only appropriate to have Italian wedding soup... SINCE we are celebrating our wedding... and I am Italian!..... Sound yummy.... well here is how to make it...

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 3/4 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
• 2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 cup minced yellow onion
• 1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 10 cups homemade chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
• 1/4 cup minced fresh dill
• 12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmerfor 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinachis just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

Lots of fun!!!!

WELL.... there is more to come NEXT sunday... so STAY TUNED!