Tortilla Pinwheels

I have to perfect my rolling techniques for these guys because they happen to always come unrolled for me. But they are a light, yummy treat for any party. Prepare ahead of time to let the flavors of the cream cheese and salsa meld together and so the roll will hold up when you slice them.

Tortilla Roll-Ups
Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese, softened
Salsa (to the consistency you desire; I use a little less than half of a jar)
Fresh baby spinach
Thin slices of turkey and ham (from the deli)
Flour tortillas

Directions
-Mix cream cheese and salsa together. Using a hand blender is helpful, or make sure your cream cheese is VERY soft. Make sure the mixture is not too runny.
-Spread mixture on a tortilla. Layer with baby spinach then the turkey/ham
-Starting at one end, tightly roll up tortilla, keeping it tight as you go. Wrap tightly (can I say tightly any more?) with plastic wrap and store in fridge.
-Right before serving, slice thinly using a serrated knife.

Italian Wedding Soup

This is a quick and easy take on an Italian classic. I received the recipe from my aunt, and although I have no idea if it is a "traditional" wedding soup, it was super simple to make and quite delicious! I served it with a crusty Italian olive oil bread and it was perfect for a cold Sunday night in Cleveland!

(I am working on my photo editing; is this color any better? And yes, my counter is yellow)

Italian Wedding Soup

For the meatballs:

1 lb ground turkey (you could obviously also use beef)

1 tsp dried basil

Pinch of Italian seasoning

1 egg, beaten

1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

Enough breadcrumbs to cover your ingredients

-Mix everything together and make tiny meatballs (bite-sized)

-Boil the meatballs in chicken broth until they float; by preparing it this way, the meatballs will absorb the broth and add extra flavor. Remove meatballs from broth, put them into your soup pot and discard the broth.

To the meatballs, add:

Approx 6 cans chicken broth

3-4 bouillon cubes

3-4 carrots, diced

Salt and pepper and Italian seasoning, to taste

1/2-1 package fresh spinach (I believe escarole is traditionally used, but I was not about to go out hunting for it on a Saturday, so used spinach)

Simmer soup until carrots are cooked. As soup is finishing, boil the pastina (tiny pasta used in soup) of your choice; we prefer ancini de pepe or orzo, and went with the ancini de pepe this time around. Serve the soup with Parmesan cheese and crusty bread on the side!