Mmmmm...Meatballs!

I have been very consciously trying to get back to my menu planning, grocery list keeping days. You know, the ones before you had two crazy kids under foot all day long. Remember those???

It also helps to justify my obsession with tearing recipes out of magazines and leaving them strewn throughout the house, wherever I happened to be reading at the time. It would probably justify this practice even more if I ever actually followed a recipe....but I don't....EVER!

It's not that those recipes don't get to put use...they just don't get followed. They are more of an inspiration. Like my real life pinterest board...all over my house:)

So, to get back to the point, I carried my carefully plotted grocery list into the store today and began to cross things off one by one. [Believe it or not, there was once a time in my life when I was able to organize that grocery list by the departments in the store...produce, cold cases, etc. But that day has passed...oh well!]

Included in that list were all of the ingredients necessary to make meatballs "using" a new recipe I found in the March 2012 issue of Cooking Light. Which in this case, simply meant that I was going to add ricotta cheese to my meatball mixture because the magazine said it would make the meatballs mouth-wateringly moist.

And that's when I saw it...a sale! On lean ground pork! $1.00 a pound! Seriously...a whole pound of ground pork for just a buck! Oh, this meatball making adventure just turned into a expedition! Why make a batch of meatballs for dinner, when I could make 6 batches and freeze them for later use???

And let me tell you...I've made meatballs before. Pork, turkey, lamb, beef, combos, you name it. But these meatballs are so seriously delicious that the 6 batches may not make it to the freezer. YUM!

And, I think you probably saw the homemade marinara mess that Belle and I made this summer. That's some seriously delicious marinara, but it was all in the freezer. So, I bought a jar of Mid's Meatless sauce. I'm not much of a fan of jarred pasta sauces. Typically, I use big cans of tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes and make my own. (You have to save the homemade stuff for really special occassions, 'cause it's a pain to make!) But I had read, in Cooking Light again, that there are some decent brands out there, so I thought I would give it a shot. If I was going to spend half the day making 6 bazillion meatballs then I didn't want to be slow simmering a sauce all day too. And you know what? This sauce is pretty darn good. It's Sicilian style (I won't pretend to know what that means), and relatively thick for a meatless sauce. And it was perfect with these meatballs.

So, recipe...

Inspired by the Italian Meatball Sliders recipe in Cooking Light, March 2012: I've changed the quantities to make enough to freeze for future meals. The directions for tonight's dinner are pretty much straight from the magazine. There is also a great spinach salad recipe with this in the magazine...we had it as well, and it was delish.

Many, Many Meatballs

Makes approximately 50 2-inch meatballs.

Ingredients:

6 shallots - diced

8 cloves garlic - minced

15 oz. container of part skim ricotta

2 cups Panko bread crumbs

1 cup parsley - chopped

2 lbs. lean ground pork

1 lb. ground turkey breast

5 links sweet Italian turkey sausage - casings removed

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 tsp. kosher salt

4 eggs

Saute the shallots and garlic until softened. Then combine all ingredients and mix well. Form two inch balls. * See Special Note below* Heat large stainless steel skillet (I'm sure other types of pans would work here, that's just what I used) over medium low heat. Use an oil mister to spray pan. Reserve enough meatballs for dinner tonight. Then, working in batches, brown remaining meatballs on all sides and place on baking sheet. Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake until cooked through, approximately 40 min. Cool completely. Freeze on a clean baking tray, then transfer to freezer containers and return to freezer.

For tonight's dinner - Slightly flatten reserved meatballs. Add to warm pan and cook 3 minutes on each side. Add 1 1/2 cups marinara to pan and cover. Simmer 10 minutes or until cooked through. Serve on warmed slider buns (I used soft wheat dinner rolls from our grocery store bakery). You could top with a slice of fresh mozzarella and some fresh basil leaves too.

Special Note: A friend of mine shared that he always makes his meatballs in the oven. He skips the browning and bakes them on parchment paper. He swears they are crispy and delicious. And I trust him...he's a super cook and baker, so I'd highly recommend you give that method a shot...I know I will be! It will save you tons of time standing at the stove, browning batches of meatballs. You will still want to cook the ones for tonight on the stovetop though so they can simmer in the sauce.

Easter Swap Project Inspiration #3: Homemade Bouncy Balls

Couldn't you just see a handful of these in spring colors brightening up your little one's Easter basket? Or simply bouncing through your house on a rainy day? What fun!

Disclaimer - I haven't had a chance to test this "recipe." So, I make no promises for how it works or how difficult it may be...but the ingredients are pretty common and relatively inexpensive. And the directions seem really easy...you do mold the ball by hand, but I'm guessing that if there were imperfections then they would just contribute to the fun of bouncing it:)

Definitely seems like it's worth a shot...and a great no-sew inspiration for our fun Easter swap! Have fun bouncing!

Cookies for Santa and Holiday Wishes for You

We've wrapped and hung and baked and sung. The tree sparkles, the presents shimmer, and the cookies smell delightful. And now we wait...for Christmas, for Santa, and for the birth of our Lord.

Tonight, I send to you my warmest wishes for a very happy Christmas! I hope you find yourself surrounded by loved ones, filled with the spirit, and blessed by the Savior. And an abundance of cookies never hurt anyone:)

And in case you need a last minute gift, these little cookies are sure to delight a child in your life. My present to you...a quick almost-tutorial. Directions only, but pretty simple to follow. And you have just enough time to whip up two or three as you sit by the fire and enjoy the glow of you tree (and the cleanliness of your family room - cuz that won't last long tomorrow!).

You will need:

some felt scraps (red, white, green, brown, tan, cream, yellow, etc.)

a tiny bit of stuffing

embroidery thread

cookie cutters

1. Select a cookie cutter for the outline of your cookie.

2. Trace the cookie cutter onto the felt color of your choice TWO times for each cookie. Example - to make 1 chocolate chip cookie you would trace two circles onto tan felt. Cut out your cookies.

3. Draw and cut out embellishments for the top of your cookie. Example - to make one chocolate chip cookie cut out approximately 9 small circles of dark brown felt.

4. Use embroidery thread to stitch decorations to the top of your cookie. You can also embroider details like sprinkles at this time too.

5. Place the two pieces of your cookie right sides together and sew using 1/4" seam allowance. I did this on my sewing machine for speed and durability, but you could do this by hand if you would like. Leave a 1.5" opening for turning and stuffing.

6. Clip any corners and curves, then turn right side out.

7. Add a small amount of stuffing...don't overstuff these or they cease to look like a cookie and become more of a hockey puck.

8. Fold open edges in and whipstitch the opening closed using matching thread.

Merry Christmas!

Purpose - Spreading Love

If you've visited my blog recently, you might recall that I have been searching for a higher purpose for my crafting/sewing/knitting/cooking/etc/etc/etc. Just a means of using the gifts I've been given to touch others. So, periodically you'll see some links, tutorials, challenges etc. that will hopefully inspire you to do the same.

And this one's a breeze!

I love to cook! Love it! And, no, that isn't sarcasm. I really and truly enjoy it...ok, maybe not with a needy two year old hanging on my leg and a VERY talkative four year old providing endless commentary, but anyway...

Cooking is one of my ways of spreading love. Whether just to my immediate little family of four, or to a neighbor in need. It's one of my favorites ways to give to others.

And my secret to easy, affordable, and delicious treats...BISQUICK! I've found several easy-peasy recipes using the baking mix in various creations. This yummy apple cake recipe takes very few ingredients, very little time, and no baking experience whatsoever. Go ahead, sniff the screen, you know you want to:)

Then, when you are finished drooling, click the link and go make one for someone you love...or better yet, make one WITH someone you love! Then let me know with whom you shared your apple cake...have a great week!

Yummy, Yummy Goodness

Three simple ingredients. Three simple steps. Yummy, yummy goodness!


1. Melt 1 box of bittersweet chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Spread the melted chocolate in a thin layer on a sheet of parchment paper (I put my parchment paper on a jellyroll pan for stability).
2. Sprinkle the top of the chocolate with a handful of crushed almonds (I HIGHLY recommend the ones in the pic...Planters Sea Salt and Olive Oil skinless almonds) and about a tablespoon of flax seed.
3. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Then break into chunks.


Like I said, YUMMY, YUMMY GOODNESS! Now quick, hide it from your husband and children!

mmmm...PIE!

We took a trip to the local pumpkin patch and brought home this gourd-geous gourd! Of course, I forgot to take a pic of it before we baked it:( And I forgot the variety name:( So, I'm no help whatsoever:( But ask the farmers at your local stand which of their pumpkins will make the best pie...that's what I did.


We cut it into fourths and scooped out all the stringy stuff and seeds. We separated the seeds and bagged some for planting next year and some for roasting. The pumpkin hunks went into a 350 degree oven until they were ultra-smooshy. I think ours were in the oven close to 2 hours...we had a BIG pumpkin!



When it came out we scooped the pulp, and boy was there a lot of it!

So last night, I dug out my grandma's pumpkin pie recipe. Remember my rather sketchy soup recipes...well, you're about to see where I get it:)

A little fresh whipped cream and YUMMY!

Grandma's Pumpkin Pie Recipe:

2 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1 can pumpkin (when using fresh, eyeball it - put about 1 can worth of pulp in)

1 small can evaporated milk

pumpkin pie spice (I asked, "How much?"...she said, "enough.") - I went with a generous sprinkling approx. 1-2T

pie shell

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour into shell. Bake at 375 degrees. I asked, "How long?" She said, "Till it's done." I think it takes about an hour...but have I ever timed it? NOPE! You'll know it's finished when it is firmly set. Cool before serving. Serve with whipped cream. And that pic above...that was my first scoop of whipped cream. I FIRMLY believe that you should have a 1:1 ratio of cream to pie, but that's just me:)

A Sweet Treat

Belle and I made this delicious candy corn trail mix with part of a bag of candy corn that she quite literally STOLE from her Neeny (my MIL).

The Recipe: All quantities are to be determined by the eating parties. We kept the sweets to a minimum and loaded up on the cereal...no sugared up kiddos allowed around here.

Ingredients:

crispix cereal, pretzels, peanuts, dried cranberries, golden raisins, marshmallows, and CANDY CORN (orange and black m&m's would also be quite yummy now that I think of it!)

Directions: Stir:)

Soup's On!

Nothing says fall like the return of the soup pot to its cozy home on my stovetop! Here are two of my favorite soup "recipes." You'll quickly discover that I don't actually follow recipes, refuse to measure, and never replicate the same pot of soup in exactly the same way...EVER! But, I think you will easily be able to recreate these much loved pots of yummy deliciousness:) Just trust your gut and season till it tastes good!

Chicken Noodle Soup:

In a large stock pot, saute onion, garlic, carrots, and celery seasoned with S&P. Add previously cooked chicken whacked into bite-size pieces (I usually use leftovers from roasted chicken, but you can easily grill up a breast to use if you'd like). Saute briefly. Add low-sodium chicken broth/stock and water. Season with dried thyme, minced rosemary, a bay leaf and more S&P if you desire. Bring to a rapid boil. Add wide egg noodles. Simmer 15 minutes.

Beef and Barley Soup (my fave!):

Cut stew beef chunks into bite-size pieces. Season with S&P. Heat a tiny bit of olive oil in a large stock pot, add beef and sear on all sides. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and saute until soft. Add a couple of good glugs of balsamic vinegar and worcestershire sauce. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add a carton of low-sodium beef broth, a large can of tomato puree, and a can of water. Season with a bay leaf, minced rosemary, a sprinkling of Splenda (or sugar), and more S&P if you desire. Bring to a boil. Stir in approx. 1 cup of pearl barley (NOT THE QUICK COOKING KIND!). Simmer 30-45 minutes, stirring regularly. Once the barley starts to release starch, the soup will thicken (YUM!), but it will also start to stick to the bottom of the pan and burn, so be sure you stir every few minutes.

MMMMMmmmmmm.....