Best Dinner Ever!! (By family vote!)

In which we discover that whinning is not always necessary!

I decided to use this for Mama Kat's Writer's workshop.  I write here every week and love it.  Pick a prompt and come over and join us! 

This Week's Prompts

1.) Write a poem inspired by the last conversation you had with your child.
2.) Describe a time you felt startled.
3.) Create an "instructional" post where you show readers how to do something cool or useful or yummy.
4.) Many of us like to poke fun at some of the things that drive us crazy as parents…let’s flip the script, what are 10 things you love about motherhood?
5.) Share a lessons (or lessons) you learned about friendship from an introvert.

I chose number three, to create an instructional post.  I hope you love it!

I love a good recipe, and it just happens that I found one that sounded wonderful.  What made it unusual for me, is that it is like nothing I have made before.  It is called Meatball Soup or Homemade Albondigas Soup. 
The girls did not think that it sounded good at all.  I went ahead and made it anyway (unusual for me as I do get tired of arguing with them and having to eat leftovers for every meal when they really don't like it).  The whinning got louder when I chopped onions and than carrots (they do not like those!).  Kayla insisted that she would never eat a single bite!  (This really was not going well so I sent her to her room to leave me alone). 
I made the meat balls and started cooking them, then had to take Anya to activity days.  I came back and kept going, then had to go get Miracle and take her to flute.  Barely started again and I had to go get her.  In between all the car trips, the whinning continued non-stop as I was not making something that they liked and it was starting to maybe smell a little good, but how could they eat it when it wasn't going to taste good!
Then I decided to make spanish rice to go with it.  I wanted to make everything not heavily seasoned as the girls don't like it really hot, (even though my husband thinks that is the only way to eat).  So, I made the rice with home canned tomatoe juice and chicken broth.  Can I just say that the rice came out so perfect!  Anyway, when the rice is done and the soup is done, you put a spoonful of rice in the bowl (about 1/4 cup) and add the soup on the top and then eat. 
After all their complaining the girls each ate two big bowls and it went out the door this morning in their lunchboxes.  (I pretended no to notice).  My husband came home from work last night and had himself a couple of bowls for a late snack.  He (of course) had to add a little (or a lot) of hotsauce, but he loved it! 
We have decided that this will be dinner at least once every two weeks.  It is filling on it's own or with the rice, but I do think the rice adds to the soup in a nice way.  I hope that you like it as much as we did! 

Homemade Albondigas Soup

2 pounds ground beef
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch garlic salt
1 pinch onion powder
salt and ground black pepper to taste
8 cups chicken broth  (I used water and chicken boullion instead)
4 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch or smaller pieces
3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch or smaller pieces
6 potatoes, cubed


Directions

Place the ground beef, 1/2 of the cilantro, 1/2 of the chopped onion, the garlic, garlic salt, and onion powder in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and mix gently until combined. Form the meat mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs.

Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray, and brown the meatballs carefully over medium-high heat; remove the meatballs and set aside (the meatballs do not need to be fully cooked; they will finish cooking in the soup). Cook and stir the remaining onion in the same skillet over medium-low heat until translucent, about 10 minutes.

Pour the chicken broth into a large pot, and stir in the onion; add the carrots, celery, and potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are nearly tender, about 15 minutes. Add the meatballs and the remaining cilantro; simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Spanish rice

2 cups rice
21/2 cups water
2 cups tomatoe juice
1/2t salt
1/2t pepper
3 chicken boullion cubes

put in rice cooker and cook until tender.  Serve in the bowl with the soup.  If you want a little spice, you can add one can of green chili to the rice, but for the kids, I leave it without.  Also, you do not have to use tomatoe juice, you can use only chicken broth or boullion if you desire.  (Just make sure the liquid is always slightly more than double the amount of rice that you use). 
My daughter taught me how wonderful rice is when it is cooked in broth or boullion.  It makes all the difference in the flavor for dishes like this.