Sunday Best

I love Sundays, lazy slow days, waking up later than usual and just lounging around.  Before we moved to Germany, we were always out the door by 8:30 am to catch the 9 am Mass with Father Dan.  And we loved that, our days were almost flipped, and the rest of Sundays would be lazy days with afternoon dinners.

But here, our Mass is no longer just down the road, and it takes almost thirty minutes just to get to Mass by the time we factor in the drive, ID checks at the gate, parking at the Chapel and getting a seat big enough for the family in the chapel.

I am ashamed to say that 9 a.m is so hard to do here!

So, since arriving in Germany we tend to go to the Sunday 5pm Mass.  It is a great way to end the weekend, and feel blessed for the week.  The only problem was getting out of Mass at 6:15, we wouldn't get home until at least  6:45.

More times than not we would find ourselves at the KMCC (community mall) eating pizza on Sunday nights, or cooking and eating at 8:30 on a school night.

And Monday mornings are hard.....so this just wasn't cutting it.

So I started keeping an eye out for easy Crockpot meals I could throw in Sunday mornings,  after breakfast and just not mess with until we walked back in the door... ready to eat.  It seems to be working and I LOVE IT!

This is one of my favorites, and food photographer I am not!  In other words.... this soup taste much better than my picture looks!

I do admit I don't know how often I would make this in Georgia, maybe just a few months out of the year, because it is so cold here, and not so much there.  But until then, it is remaining in my rotation!

Italian Wedding Soup (or Meatball Soup) is really just one of the easier soups I make and it taste so good with fresh grated Parmesan.

Italian Wedding Soup

(I throw this together, so my measurements are not as a normal recipe would be.  I have a large Crockpot, that I put on High for one hour, and then reduce to Med for 3-4 hours or more)

*In a large Crockpot turned on high, fill 3/4 way with half chicken broth and half beef broth.
I use the broth base that is kept in the fridge, and you add it to boiling water.  Boil your water, and make approx 2-3 cups of each.  I just mix it all in the Crockpot together, both chicken and beef.
This is your broth.

*Clean and slice 4 large organic carrots into rounds, toss in.  Add a handful of organic baby spinach.

*Add a bay leaf, some dried thyme and a pinch of dried herbs de province.

*Make your meatballs in a separate bowl.  I make my meatballs by eye, mixing dried onion, Lawry's seasoning salt, Lawry's garlic salt, pepper, seasoned bread crumbs, 95% Healthy Choice ground sirloin, grated Parmesan and half and half.  I mix this up with my hands and get it very well combined.  It will be wet, but needs to hold its shape.

*From this point, you make small meatballs and toss into the hot broth water.  Once your finished with the last meatball, cover and let simmer 1 hour, stirring only occasionally after the initial 15 minutes.
(Note: if you are not making your broth from hot water, you need to heat the broth up initially, because the raw meat needs to enter a hot broth to start cooking)

*At this point, once everything is added, I add 1 cup of Orzo pasta.  This pasta swells large and melts in your mouth.  Some may want a more chewier pasta, so you could cook and add an hour before serving, but my family likes how big the orzo gets and how soft it is.  But what is so great, is that any pasta can be used. I always prefer to cook my pasta in the broth, but some may want to cook first and add later.

*Cook at least 4 hours in the crockpot, reducing the heat to med after an hour.  Serve with grated Parmesan.

I hope you give it a try, and enjoy like we do!