Feb 12, 2015 4 min read

If you’re a regular reader of my column, you’ve realized by now that I like to do things from scratch.

There’s a certain satisfaction for me in knowing exactly what the five of us are eating. While I’ll never deny that having someone else prepare dinner can be a nice break, eating out (fast food or otherwise) is definitely the exception.

There are, however, days where taking some shortcuts from the store make getting a meal together so much simpler.

This week, as I was hustling through our morning school routine, I was faced with two stuffy, coughing kiddos.

Josie, the 6-year-old, had the worst of it.

She had “gunk” in her throat, she told me. Given the noises she was making, it was obviously bothersome.

Smiling up at me, she flashed her single dimple, and asked me to make her favorite feel better food for dinner: soup.

How could I not accommodate that?

So, as the kids finished up the business of teeth brushing, clothes changing and reviewing spelling words, I set to it, figuring out what I had because there was no time for a trek to the grocery store.

Based on the contents of our fridge and freezer, I settled on wedding soup.

Typically, I’d insist on making the mini meatballs from scratch and simmering them in the soup.

There’s something about homemade meatballs that just taste better, I think, and while mine are never on the same level as the ones made by Mike’s mom (whose meatballs are the best ever), the kids gobble them up. That morning, however, homemade wasn’t an option.

Both time and ingredients to make meatballs were an issue.

Thankfully, there was a package of frozen, store bought ones on hand.

With a quick defrosting in the microwave, I was able to cut and use them for the slow cooked soup.

The rest came together in under 15 minutes.

By the time our trio got home from school, the soup had been on for about 7 hours. Josie, now less stuffy, made her way into the kitchen.

“Is there soup?” she asked.

The hug I got when I answered “Yes” was more than enough thanks.

Two bowls later, little Miss Josephine declared herself cured of stuffiness.

Now who can argue with that?

Jennifer Harr is the Herald-Standard’s managing editor, news. Contact her at jharr@heraldstandard.com or follow her on Twitter @HSJenHarr.

Wedding soup

2, 64 ounce cans of chicken broth

4 carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices (or one bag of matchsticks carrots you only have to open and dump in)

4 stalks of celery, thinly sliced

1 box of frozen spinach

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound package of frozen Italian meatballs

12 ounces cooked pasta, whatever shape you want

Parmesan cheese

Pour broth into a slow cooker.

Sautee carrots, celery and onion over medium heat with olive oil, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add in the garlic, and sautee for 2-3 minutes more, careful not to burn it.

Defrost the meatballs partially, and depending on their size, cut them into quarters or eights. Add the veggies and meatballs into the broth, as well as the frozen spinach, and turn the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.

When you get home from work, stir the soup and toss in the cooked pasta to warm it.

If you don’t want your pasta too soft, then don’t toss it in, and just put in the bottom of the soup bowl and ladle the soup over it.

The warm broth will heat the noodles.

Sprinkle parmesan cheese over top of the soup and serve.