I'm ready for Spring/Summer.  I'm ready to throw meat on the grill, eat lots of fresh veggies, and put salads back into the weekly menu rotation.  I'm ready to shed the coats and pull out shorts. 

Ah, but we're still at least a couple of months away from that.  So, I have another soup to share.  This was pretty tasty.  Me and Serena both enjoyed the meatballs. 

Italian Wedding Soup

For the meatballs:
1 lb hot sausage
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and black pepper to taste

For the soup:
2 to 3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, shredded
4 celery ribs, chopped
2 bay leaves
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1/2 cup ditalini pasta
4 to 5 ounces baby spinach

Mix meatball ingredients.  Heat olive oil in large stockpot and saute onion and garlic until soft.  Add carrots and celery and saute a few minutes.  Meanwhile, with wet hands, start forming small meatballs -- about 3/4 inches across.  Add chicken stock and milk to vegetables and bring to a boil.  Drop meatballs into boiling soup, add pasta, and let it boil about 8 minutes; reduce heat.  Let simmer 10 to 15 minutes.  Add spinach, and when the spinach is wilted the soup is done.  Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.