Italian Wedding Soup, sort of

I like making soup.  It's easy and it feels like you're being some sort of good mom/cook on cold winter's day.

I pour lots of organic chicken broth into a big pot and warm it up. Then I add carrots. Then use whatever you have to whip up some tiny meatballs: ground beef, turkey, meatloaf mix...whatever. Salt, pepper, egg, breadcrumbs, fresh chopped parsley. Sometimes a bit of chopped onion, but my family prefers not to have it. Put a little olive oil on your hands to roll them out and put them on wax paper. They should be petite! Add them to the chicken broth. It can all simmer for awhile and then I chuck in pastina (or little pasta like orzo or rings or ABC's.) Watch the pastina ratio, because a small amount turns into a lot very quickly. The last thing is to toss in a bag of baby spinach. I think kale is more traditional, but I find I usually have spinach on hand. Season to taste and simmer until done.

Microplane a bit of strong cheese over the top and swirl it in: parmesan or reggiano or some other stinky Italian cheese. Serve with a crusty loaf of bread and glass of white wine. Comfort!!