italian wedding soup (crockpot version)

I've always somehow equated Italian Wedding Soup with ton's of steps, which is an instant turn-off to me.  I'd rather order it out.
So I found this recipe on TheKitchn for an easier-looking (should that be a term) for italian wedding soup.  I say easier because as I read it, it seemed far easier than some others I've read through.
Reading through it I thought, why can't we do this in a crockpot?  Has it been done in a crockpot?
Oh I'm sure it has, but I wanted to give it a go.
Also, I have one of those crockpots that is smaller, a 2.5-quart one, made for serving two people I think?  It looks like this.  Do you have one?  If so, then this recipe is for you!  If you don't, then just use the recipe measurements from TheKitchn recipe or you can just make this one in your normal crockpot.
Sometimes you just want to cook for two anyways right?
I've found a great way to keep those little meatballs nice and crisp.
Don't fry em, bake em.  They stayed brown and semi-crispy after sitting in soup all day.
Doesn't the meatball in this photo look good?  Those panko crumbs really helped to keep the meatball brown and slightly crispy in soup all day.

It's a fairly easy recipe, I changed a few things around to make it easier since I didn't want to sit by the oven and add this in, wait, then add that in and wait. OY
With my recipe, I just sautéed the onions & garlic in the crockpot for an hour before adding everything; I did this while I made the mini meatballs.  When meatballs were done, I added in the chicken stock, the escarole, and the meatballs, and let it do it's thing.  Five hours later, just before serving, I added in the egg and cheese slurry.  Mmmm.  Yes indeed.
Then it was ready to serve!  Easy right?
Follow along....

First hour, sautee the onions and garlic in olive oil (on high) while you make and bake the meatballs.

I made a lot of meatballs for a smaller crockpot, but we noshed on a few....

After the meatballs are done, add the chicken stock, escarole, seasonings, meatballs and cook away on low for five hours.

When ready to serve, turn crockpot on high, get it nice and hot, then add in the egg and cheese slurry, mix. Put cover back on and let it cook another 15-20 minutes to let slurry set up.
Serve with lemon wedges, extra cheese, and bread. So easy right?


This just might become your new favorite winter soup! It's light but hearty. Filling but not food coma filling.  And you get a semi-healthy meal out of it.  Great way to use escarole, which btw I rarely use. At first I thought, a lemon wedge into the soup?  But after trying it I saw how well it complimented the soup.  Tasty tasty.  You will love this.  Also, feel free to swap out beef meat for chicken or turkey meat.


italian wedding soup (in the crockpot)
based on this recipe from The Kitchn
print recipe

1 pound ground meat (85% lean)
1/2 cup panko crumbs
2 large eggs, room temp
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese, divided
3/4 cup SHREDDED Parmesan cheese, divided (might need extra for garnish)
1-2 ts oregano
2 TB  olive oil
1 small or medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups (or more?) cups chicken stock (I used about 2.5- 3 quarts)
2-3 cups of escarole, rough chop (seems like a lot, but it will shrink when cooked)
salt & pepper
For the garnish:
Red pepper flakes
Lemon wedges (1 or 2 lemons)

Cook notes:
I used a small crockpot; I think mine is a 2/5 – 3 quart one.  If you have a larger one and want to make more soup then click on the link above to get the larger quantity version and keep in mind my changes in ingredients.  I used panko crumbs and they did help keep the meatballs crisp—I’m certain.  Also I used shredded parmesan cheese instead of grated to help “crisp” up the meatballs.  Look for it if you can, if not just use grated.
Turn crockpot on high, place the olive oil in the bottom, let it heat it, add in the onions and garlic, and let this sauté a bit while you make the meatballs.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of Romano cheese, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix thoroughly, form the mixture into 3/4-inch -1-inch balls. You should have 20 to 30 meatballs, depending on how large you form them. Place meatballs on parchment lined baking sheets, making sure not to let them touch, as we want to crisp up the edges good.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes--If that? When meatballs are done, drain them on paper towels to absorb any excess fat.
Meanwhile add in the chicken stock to the crockpot, add in a bit of salt and pepper, add in the escarole, then add in the meatballs.  I turned my crockpot to low, and let it cook for four to five hours.  My low setting on my crockpot is fairly hot.  I wouldn’t suggest putting it on high for five hours unless your crockpot runs low and very slow.  You just don’t need high for a light soup.
When ready to serve, combine the remaining 1 egg and remaining cheeses in cup and stir with a fork to blend. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the hot soup, stirring constantly. Cover and simmer just until egg bits are set, about 15 minutes? Serve in bowls, sprinkle with a pinch of red pepper flakes and a squirt of fresh lemon juice.
Serve immediately.  I served with sourdough bread and extra parmesan cheese.
Should make 3 large servings or 4 smaller ones

friday links

Happy Friday!

Please read this.
I know a lot of you are not seeing my posts on Facebook.
All you have to do is comment AND like one of my posts and this will ensure that you keep seeing my posts.


Have you tried this? Caramel macchiato for the poor man!


Hilarious!  Have you seen his website? howtobeadad.com


That's right!  We're over the hump! Half over!  Spring is coming baby!


Been pretty and quiet around here on cape cod.



One of my friends has her second book out.
Mystery on Pine Lake: Cooper & Packrat, by Tamra Wight
And it's really cute, really good; perfect for kids who love to read, explore and have a wonderful active imagination. So many adults (myself included) have fallen in love with Cooper:
"....Cooper thought living at a campground would be cool. But ever since his parents bought the lakeside campground, he’s had more chores and less time to explore. And as if babysitting his little sister and cleaning the bathrooms weren't bad enough, his ex-friend Roy has chosen him as this summer’s bullying target. Cooper’s only bright spot this summer is his new friend, Packrat, a guy who carries the world in his coat pockets and leaves his troubles behind. But trouble has come to the Wilder Family Campground and Pine Lake, where a family of loons is building a nest...."

Congrats Tamra! xoxo!

Around the web:

6 secret weapons in the battle of unhealthy habits
3 core anxieties & how to calm them
the joy of cooking with samin (LOVE her!)
DIY coconut milk!
I finally faced my high school bullies--over a decade later on Facebook
annie hall vs. anhedonia (out there somewhere a vintage, digressive, hilarious Woody Allen masterpiece made in the late ’70s??)
artificial bone marrow created
food firm trims trillions of calories from packaged snacks
computer algorithm can tell if your book will sell or not
the "trout pout" is over!  YES!
velveeta shortage!  LOL
best beef broccoli
great line up of vegetable soups
DIY frosted cheerios
are you a birding fan?  You might like this site warblercalls.com
review of the new M&M red velvet
can my choice of workout have an impact on lifespan?
quick & easy faux pho
the story of 7-Up soda
conan visits american girl store
what 'text replies' really mean
salty honey pie
norman rockwell's recipe for his favorite oatmeal cookies
your brain can only handle a limited number of close friends
what your starbucks order says about you
how to make the perfect chocolate sauce
tar heel pie (yes please)
history of the chocolate chip cookie
scientists finds benefit to meditation
chocolate mint bites (bookmarked!)
spicy, cheesy gochujang spaghetti
cilantro-lime cucumber salad
excellent, easy recipe for hummus
your sarcastic horrorscope for 2014
10 free articles by hunter thompson
I love that there are such good good people in the world (god bless!)
25 completely absurd jobs!
dogs' pooping secrets revealed!  LOL!
tiny masterpieces: art in match boxes
the real truth about carbs (hmmm?)
DIY agave sugar body scrubs
photographs of nyc diners of the 1990's
snowboarder shaun white is just amazing
simone de beauvoir would have been 106 today
dietary prevention of age-related macular degeneration
untouched paris apartment discovered 70 years later (wonderful find!)
ironic & surprising effects of weight stigma
the red crab migration on christmas island
least you forget how cray cray dennis rodman is
and lastly,
still gives me the shivers,
makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up,
ever want to know what it's like to win the world series with the red sox?
Big Papi!!

Have a wonderful weekend.

caramel-coconut pecan brownies (one bowl, no mixer)

After the huge success with the one bowl, no mixer, decadent/borderline gourmet brownies,
I just had to make more.  More with add in's, to, well, you know kick it up a notch.
Because once you have a solid base recipe, the next best step any chef will do is to make it even better!
This time I wanted to add in my kind of ingredients:
coconut and caramel to eat all for myself  as a recipe creation for you.
I just love that taste of caramel, coconut and pecans all at once.
So needless to say, these brownies were very good.
And just as easy as one bowl.
I'll let the photos tell the rest of the post....


>
Of course you can add in whatever you wish....

If you can use salted caramels even better.
Just keep them away from the edge as it's very hard to remove baked on caramel from metal!



Oh I do hope you can see that nice caramel middle?
Mmm hmm, that's right.


Please make sure to read the cook notes before making.

caramel-coconut & pecan brownies (one bowl, no mixer)
print recipe

14 TB butter, plus 1 TB more for greasing pan
dusting of high quality unsweetened cocoa powder for coating brownie pan
1 cup high-quality bittersweet chocolate chips
¾ cup sugar
¾ ts sea salt
1 1/2 ts vanilla extract
1 cup flour
2 eggs, room temp, beaten well
9-12 caramel candies, unwrapped (salted caramels even better!)
1 cup of roasted pecans, rough chop
couple handfuls of coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
extra sea salt for the tops of the brownies before baking

cook notes:
The benefits of using high-quality chocolate really make these brownies.
Choose a chocolate like Ghirahdelli, Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, etc… that has a high cocoa count (50-80% is perfect).  I use Ghirahdelli chips and cocoa powder (Walmart has really good prices of this brand).
The sprinkling of the sea salt on top of the brownies is not mandatory and will not make the brownies “salty”; it is meant to enhance the flavor of the chocolates in the batter.  This is a deep chocolate tasting brownie and they need a little more salt to truly bring out the chocolate.
When you melt the butter and chocolate, please use a nice low flame so the melting goes smoothly and the chocolate doesn’t get too hot, which will make it taste bitter/burnt.  And let this liquid mixture cool a bit before adding to the egg mixture.
Next time I make these I will use toasted coconut, for that extra ‘crunch’.
I didn’t load on the caramel pieces as they really spread when they melt, so keep that in mind when you want to be adventurous.

Preheat oven to 350°.
Butter up well an 8 x 8 baking pan, then coat with unsweetened cocoa powder. Set pan aside.
Melt the butter and chocolate chips together in a small saucepan over LOW heat, stirring constantly. When melted take off heat, set aside to cool a bit.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar, beat well, add in the vanilla extract, and mix.
When the melted chocolate has cooled down a bit (warm ok) slowly add it in to the egg mixture, a little bit at first, mix really well, then more as you go along.
Next dump the flour right on top of the mixture, then sprinkle on the sea salt.
Using a spatula mix until JUST combined, lumps are ok!
Add in half the pecans and mix.
Pour 2/3 of batter into greased and cocoa-dusted baking pan.
Place down a couple handfuls of coconut, making sure not to go to the edges.
Then place down caramel candies, making sure not to go to edges.
Sprinkle on remaining pecans--ok to go to the edges.
Use remaining 1/3 brownie batter, carefully place on top, and if necessary using wet fingers gently move batter around to evenly coat.
Sprinkle top of batter with just a little bit of sea salt.
Bake for 30-38 minutes. Mine were done at the 35-minute mark.
They take a while to firm up, so if you try to remove them from the pan they will break apart.  Very very gooey when hot from the oven!
These really need to cool down since the caramel will be very hot.

Makes 9 brownies.

My best, very best brownies (one bowl, no mixer)

For me a good solid, I can eat anytime brownie is one that is not gooey, not fudgy, but almost like a deep, rich heavy, dense cake-like texture with flaky, crispy top and edges.
Don't get me wrong I like gooey, but not all the time.
If I'm making brownies with quality chocolate, I want them to taste like a rich cake.
They say a truly good brownie is one that leaves you very thirsty.
I bring you such a brownie.
Get out your ice cold milk.....

This will be your go-to brownie.

Ridiculously easy to make, since we do it all in one bowl.
I stress in the recipe (cook notes) and I have to stress here to use a high-quality chocolate with a high cocoa  count--it truly makes all the difference in taste, texture and how it melts.

Follow along with me...it's just so easy to do....










They are seriously the best I've ever made.
Please make sure to read through the cook notes before baking.

my best one-bowl, no mixer brownies
from vanillasugarblog.com (loosely based on Boston Cooking School recipe)
print recipe

14 TB butter, plus 1 TB more for greasing pan
dusting of high quality unsweetened cocoa powder for coating brownie pan
1 cup high-quality bittersweet chocolate chips
½ cup high-quality milk chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
¾ ts sea salt
1 1/2 ts pure vanilla extract
1 cup flour
2 eggs, room temp, beaten well
1 cup chopped walnuts
extra sea salt for the tops of the brownies before baking

cook notes:
the benefits of using high-quality chocolate really make these brownies.
Choose a chocolate like Ghirahdelli, Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, etc… that has a high cocoa count (50-80% is perfect).  I use Ghirahdelli chips and cocoa powder (Walmart has really good prices of this brand).
The sprinkling of the sea salt on top of the brownies is not mandatory and will not make the brownies “salty”; it is meant to enhance the flavor of the chocolates in the batter.  This is a deep chocolate tasting brownie and they need a little more salt to truly bring out the chocolate.
Please make sure your walnuts have a rough chop; keeping them whole won’t taste as good.
When you melt the butter and chocolate, please use a nice low flame so the melting goes smoothly and the chocolate doesn’t get too hot, which will make it taste bitter/burnt.  And let this liquid mixture cool a bit before adding to the egg mixture.

Preheat oven to 350°.
Butter up well an 8 x 8 baking pan, then coat with unsweetened cocoa powder. Set pan aside.
Melt the butter and chocolate chips together in a small saucepan over LOW heat, stirring constantly. When melted take off heat, set aside to cool a bit.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar, beat well, add in the vanilla extract, and mix.
When the melted chocolate has cooled down a bit (warm ok) slowly add it in to the egg mixture, a little bit at first, mix really well, then more as you go along.
Next dump the flour right on top of the mixture, then sprinkle on the sea salt.
Using a spatula mix until JUST combined, lumps are ok!
Dump the walnuts and milk chocolate chips on top, and with 3-4 strokes fold into batter.
Pour batter into greased and cocoa-dusted baking pan.
Sprinkle top of batter with just a little bit of sea salt.
Bake for 30-38 minutes. Mine were done at the 35-minute mark.
You know they are done when the center is not runny/jiggly.
If you use a cake tester you will get some crumbs; this is fine.
They take a while to firm up, so if you try to remove them from the pan they will break apart.
Let em cool a bit, before removing from pan.

Makes 9 brownies.

friday links

Happy Friday!

We survived another massive storm and we still have power.
I'm really happy for having power. Last year we lost power for 4 days in 35 degree days and 18-20 degree nights!
Not fun, and our house stayed at 43 degrees (yes I monitored it as I was afraid of pipes freezing).
This storm-around, the sustained winds weren't as high as the February 2013 blizzard; winds gusts were 65 mph - 75 mph, and the sustained was at 35- 45 mph!
As I write this, it's 2pm and I have the worst case of cabin fever!
I haven't left the house yet, been stuck inside for about a day and half; hubby is still digging out the driveway.  He started at 11am....
So with these friday links you'll see a lot of links!  Sorry, I got a little bored.
No beach or storm photos...
But I have this one and it's pretty spot on:


Cookbook that I'm loving right now: Baking Sourdough Bread by Goran Soderin/George Strachal.
If you're a homemade sourdough bread lover AND you want to learn how to "kick up" your homemade sourdough breads a few notches, then this is exactly the book for you.
Not only does it show you how to start a good, healthy sourdough starter at home, but it also shows you the chemistry process, ingredients, and the golden rules of sourdough dough, and most importantly how to properly store sourdough which myself included don't know how to do the right way.
Inside you'll find recipes for sweet and savory sourdoughs: rye, wheat, spelt, oat, potato, lentil, wild yeast, crackers, hazelnut bread, beer bread, carrot bread, levain, russian sweet bread, wheat buns, and so many more variations.
I highly recommend Baking Sourdough Bread if you want to learn how to take your homemade breads up a notch.

Baking Sourdough Bread


Rye Ciabatta bread pg. 42

I had the most amazing greek salad at a local pizza joint, that I shall now call my pizza joint here on the cape.  Zoe's Pizza in Mashpee, makes the best salads I've seen in a long time.  It's hard (if you don't live in the city) to find a good greek salad.  And this one was made with real salad greens not that horrid iceberg, and obviously they give a nice hefty amount of feta.


What I'm reading now:

Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin.
"...one Sunday afternoon, as she unloaded the dishwasher, Gretchen Rubin felt hit by a wave of homesickness. Homesick—why? She was standing right in her own kitchen. She felt homesick, she realized, with love for home itself. “Of all the elements of a happy life,” she thought, “my home is the most important.” In a flash, she decided to undertake a new happiness project, and this time, to focus on home.  And what did she want from her home? A place that calmed her, and energized her. A place that, by making her feel safe, would free her to take risks. Also, while Rubin wanted to be happier at home, she wanted to appreciate how much happiness was there already.
So, starting in September (the new January), Rubin dedicated a school year—September through May—to making her home a place of greater simplicity, comfort, and love.
In The Happiness Project, she worked out general theories of happiness. Here she goes deeper on factors that matter for home, such as possessions, marriage, time, and parenthood. How can she control the cubicle in her pocket? How might she spotlight her family’s treasured possessions? And it really was time to replace that dud toaster.
Each month, Rubin tackles a different theme as she experiments with concrete, manageable resolutions—and this time, she coaxes her family to try some resolutions, as well.
 With her signature blend of memoir, science, philosophy, and experimentation, Rubin’s passion for her subject jumps off the page, and reading just a few chapters of this book will inspire readers to find more happiness in their own lives...."
Happier at Home is really good, written with thoughtful research, not just personal opinions from afar.


Ham on Rye, remember this one?  Did you read this in grade school?
I always loved reading Charles Bukowski; he is a brilliant writer.
What are you reading?


Do you suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder)?
I tend to get a hefty touch of it by January & through February.
Last year I finally bought, after reading all the high reviews, the Philips goLite Blue Light Therapy device.
It worked so well last year, I already have mine out for January & February.
I cannot recommend this enough. And I bought it from this retailer on Amazon, safely & soundly.
If you do get it, don't set the light too high in the beginning, start off slow, as it's a strong light.
This works far better than those white, giant, boxy lights; this one mimics the blue sky of summer.
And it's portable!

Around the web:

more benefits of drinking coffee!  YAY!
personalized prize ribbons (brilliant!)
how to 'knock on wood' and why it helps
big sur cabin spray in a bottle (love this, send samples please!)
the dictionary of american regional english is done (charting under-the-radar regional language nationwide)
broccoli beef recipe
easy garlic broccolini
worlds biggest ship graveyard
what is chromium and why do you need it?
most searched diets of 2013
cozy reading nooks
seasonal affective disorder: bring on the light
christmas tree shaped snack cakes! (so cute)
tips for baking oat-porridge bread
creative food art
Mmm dan dan noodles!
3 ways we sabotage ourselves + how to stop
have you been following the ship rescue in Antarctica? 
create a jar of "awesome" for 2014
finding your niche
an apple a day....
exercise & the brain: mental conditioning
the origin of the candy cane
how to make golden brown pizza crust
worst customer service horror stories
cinnamon can help lower blood sugar: which variety?
how to fall asleep when your mind won't shut off
adding years to life & life to years
london artist ron mueck creates real-life sculptures
cabbage patch inspired hats for kids (adults?)
cinnamon roll pound cake
6 year old break-dancing star
must friends, trust friends, rust friends, and just friends
38 haunting abandoned places on earth
most miserable time of year
bourbon sea salt caramels
michelangelo's handwritten 16th century grocery list
how to scald milk
slash your risk of stroke by eating (real) vitamin C
how to clean/repair a sluggish toilet (very handy)
miracle healing wonders of carrot juice
flourless brownie cookies
best & worst places if you had to shop at one store
the teacher fit program
peanut/tree nut allergy lower among children whose mothers ate them during pregnancy
I love love love this!  The joy of cooking with Samin!
raw vs. cooked? (excellent analysis)
lemon marshmallow cookies (heavenly!)
paleo diet manifesto
the BEST selfie ever!

Have a wonderful weekend!