Gloomy with a Chance of Meatballs

Sometimes, when I've had a rough one, I make soup. I like to drown my woes in chopped onion, sauteed carrots and soothing broth. Today was just the kind of day that required post-work stewing, so I poured good wine, put on Thievery Corporation, simmered in my funk, and made soup.

Ugh..today was a doozy. I woke up late and got in the car to find a near-empty gas tank. I rushed to the gas station, buzzed off to Coronado where I teach my morning class, parked, and then realized I forgot to bring my tote bag. My tote that has the handouts, the book, and everything I need to teach my class. I teach at two campuses and have a tote bag for each one. Somehow, I brought the wrong tote. I sat in my car yelling, "Shit!!" repeatedly and tried to figure out if I could possibly wing class without everything I needed. Finally, I decided I couldn't, called the college to tell them I would be late, and hauled ass back over the Coronado bridge to go home for my bag. I got the damned bag, booked it back over the bridge to the Navy base and arrived late to class, flustered and pissy. I am a hyper-punctual person, so this was very upsetting to me. I just couldn't shake the mood for the rest of my classes, for the rest of the day. Weekend: Are you here yet? ..Almost!

First world problems, I know.

So, after an intensely grumpy day, I popped in to Trader Joe's (with a list and cash), took Guiri on a long, head-clearing walk, and made soup. I have a ton of soup recipes I love, but Ina Garten's Italian Wedding Soup is easy and just the comfort I needed tonight. (Ina, you are so deliciously reliable!) The meatballs in this recipe are my go-to for pasta and for meatball sandwiches, except I make my 'balls with ground turkey and spicy Italian sausage and let me tell you, they are amaaazing. Yes, my 'balls are amazing! (I'm immature like that.) So I used my version of Ina's 'balls, left out the pasta and spinach because I didn't have them on hand, and followed the rest of her recipe pretty closely.

The soup was delicious!  I served it with lots of wine and a gorgonzola-pear-walnut salad and enjoyed the company of my husband. We kissed, we ate, we chatted and laughed and I felt so much better. It's good, this marriage thing.

Tomorrow is a new day.

{mirepoix}

{my 'balls}

{love this guy}