When my brother and I were growing up and playing baseball and softball that started in the cold spring, Mom-Mom and Poppy would come to our house with their trunk and back seat packed with homemade foods.

Sometimes they would bring all of the fixings for Mom-Mom to make lunch and sometimes dinner that day. Mom-Mom would make a big pot of her chicken soup.

That soup got us through sicknesses and blustery afternoons in the fall, winter and those early spring sports days. We would ask for a straw to drink the warm broth.

After a cold evening practice on the field, we would look forward to a bowl of soup.

The chicken soup was always so hearty with rich egg noodles and homemade bread to dip in the broth.

What a wonderful smell the house had, when a pot of Mom-Mom’s chicken soup was cooking on the stove. Complete comfort in a bowl this wholesome Italian Wedding Soup was and is to my siblings now.

My sister Ilana loves soups of all kinds, especially chicken soup. She can eat bowls of it and then another bowl for a late-night snack.

Today on my Mom-Mom’s 93rd birthday, enjoy my take on her classic Italian Wedding Soup recipe and make a pot tonight.

By the way, keep this recipe handy. This soup is a great starter in a cup to any weekly night meal or holiday table. Happy soup making.

Pork and Beef Meatballs

8 ounces of ground pork

8 ounces of ground beef

¼ cup of very finely grated white onion

1 garlic clove

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

¼ cup unseasoned breadcrumbs

½ teaspoon of kosher salt

¼ teaspoon of black pepper

1 egg

2 tablespoons of milk

Mix all meatball ingredients together. Roll into small, petite meatballs. Place meatballs onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake on the top rack in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10-15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and put cooked meatballs on a plate for later, refrigerating if necessary until you are ready to add them to your soup at the end of cooking the broth.

Chicken Stock

4 pounds of chicken parts (necks, bones, drumsticks, etc.)

1 pound of chicken wings

16 cups of water

2 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 celery stocks, cut into large chunks

1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters

2 cloves of garlic, whole and peeled

A few stems of sprigs of thyme and parsley

1 teaspoon of peppercorns

2 bay leaves

A few carrot tops, if you have those from your farmers market In a large pot, place your water, chicken bones and wings. Bring up to a boil. Skim the surface. Reduce the heat to low and cook your stock for 4 hours. Strain the stock and discard the solids.

Italian Wedding Soup

2 tablespoons of olive oil

6-8 ounces of curly kale, washed, dried and chopped

8 ounces of any cooked petite pasta like ditalini

1 cup of onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, diced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

Chicken stock

Pork and beef meatballs

In a large stock pot, add the olive oil and saute your onions, celery and carrots until softened. Then add your stock and bring to a gentle boil.

Place in your kale and pasta in the soup.

Cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook your soup for about 10 minutes or until pasta is cooked to al dente and kale is softened.

Gently add the meatballs and your favorite pasta and heat through for a few minutes. Serve hot with crackers or crusty bread.

Sarah Schweitzer is a dual-certified in culinary arts and baking & pastry from the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. She is a line cook for Executive Chef David Crespo at “Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine” in the new Downtown Allentown Market. She can be reached at sarah.schweitzer18@gmail.com.