SWEEDISH MEATBALLS

During my first year of marriage, I was still in the "try to impress with my cooking skills" frame of mind. I had a new husband to cook for and a child who was being introduced to the new world of home cooked meals. So one day I came across this yummy recipe for Sweedish Meatballs in the crock pot. I came home during my lunch break and made the meatballs. I browned them in a frying pan and put them in the crockpot with everything else and turned it on. The plan WAS that by the time I got home, they would be done and the house would have this wonderful mouthwatering aroma. Didn't quite go that way. Scott came home early and yes, there was an aroma filling the kitchen that was tantalizing. Enough so that he picked up the lid to the crockpot to find out what it was. That's when he called me at work a little worried at what I was planning on feeding him for dinner. I got home from work only to find that the meatballs did not hold their form and it was a big crockpot of....MUSH! But good smelling mush. I had used the extra lean hamburger wich did NOT hold together well once I shaped them into meatballs. So, my dear sweet husband gave the entire pot to the garbage disposal Gods and we went out to dinner.
I have SINCE found an easier way to make Sweedish Meatballs. But Scott still cringes at the mere mention of them. He will eat my easier version but never lets me forget my first attempt at homemade meatballs. I have gotten better at making meatballs, but won't make them that way again!
So, for anyone who would like to impress your family with an easy version of Sweedish Meatballs that is NOT in a crockpot, here's my wonderful recipe. My husband eats this one and cleans his plate everytime!

1 large can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 12 oz. can Evaporated Milk
1 Pkg. frozen sweedish meatballs
1 pkg. medium egg noodles
1/2 tsp. (or less) nutmeg
pepper

Place frozen meatballs, soup and milk in a large skillet and place on Med. heat. Sprinkle in your seasonings and cover with a lid and simmer for about 15-20 min. stirring frequently. Cook your noodles according to the package directions. To serve, pour meatballs and soup over noodles and enjoy!

ROASTED PORK LOIN & VEGGIES

I admit, I am NOT the biggest vegeatble fan. I think because growing up my parents only knew one way how to prepare them...BOIL THE HECK OUT OF THEM. That way, they were mushy, soggy and tasteless. And they expected us kids to eat them! GROSS! Now that I'M the parent, I rarely boil any vegetables. This is one of my absolute favorite ways to eat any and all veggies though;and my kids seem to think it's pretty darn good. You can use any type of roast meat or even a whole chicken. It's fast, easy and makes a wonderful Sunday dinner. Or if you need to impress the inlaws who have called to say they are coming over tomorrow night.

With most of my roasts, I pour just a little oil over it and rub it all over. This will help all seasoning stick to the meat instead of falling off as you turn it to season all sides. My rub of choice for my pork loin was Pappy's Prime Rib Rub. Pappy's is a popular seasoning that is made in Fresno and sold throughout California. Here in Utah, it's been a little harder to find. I have found it at the meat market and occasionaly at Kent's market. I'm sorry if neither of these are close to you. Just find a REALLY GOOD rub and cover that hunk of meat!

Place your roast on the rack of your roasting pan. You do NOT want the meat touching the bottom of the pan. Choose all your veggies and dice them up. For this dish I chose: Asparagus, carrots, onions, cabbage, mushrooms, potatoes and fresh garlic. (Fresh garlic is ALWAYS a must for me!) I threw all these veggies in a bowl, added a little oil, Balsalmic Vinegar and my favorite vegetable seasoning. McCormick Perfect Pinch Vegetable Seasoning. Sprinkle generously over your veggies then layer your vegetables around your meat. I baked mine at 435 deg. for about an hour. (MAKE SURE you bake according to your meat thermometer)

The finished product is both beautiful and delicious. I made a Lemon Basil rice pilaf to accompany our dinner. Though my 2 year old would have NOTHING to do with it, my other two boys were raving about it during dinner. The only sad part was, everyone got tired of leftovers so the dog got what was left. Yes, a perfectly wonderful meal had gone to the dog; AFTER the family had their fill though.

New Year, New Beginning

I have decided that I'm not going to put dates on my menu. I will just accumulate a bunch of my recipes and pictures through the month and post them. This way, I won't feel too pressured into trying to keep up with it. Here are just a few recipes I have done during the past month or so. With a house full of sick family and mom being one of them, I have not done a whole lot of cooking. It's been a lot of cereal, mac. & cheese, Ramen, hot dogs, or grilled cheese. Now that we are all on the mend, I have once again picked up the gauntlet to challenge myself as well as my families taste buds at new things. My hardest thing is remembering to take pictures of what I have made. Must do better! Hope you can find something you enjoy cooking and one your family will enjoy eating!!

CONFETTI PASTA AND BRUSCHETTA

This was such an EASY dish and became a big hit with my boys. The nice thing about it is that you can be so creative with it and have endless possibilities

Start with 2 boxes of Pasta Roni Garlic & Olive Oil flavor. Cook according to directions and then get creative. Use any type of meat or seafood and any combinations of vegetables. In this one, I used Johnsonville Sweet Italian sausage, fresh mushrooms, red onions and fresh asparagus. I steamed the sausage seperatly and sauted the veggies in just a little oil until they were firm but not soggy. Once the pasta was done, I threw everything in and mixed it up.

For the Bruschetta I bought a loaf of Baget bread. Slice the bread at a diagnol. In a medium frying pan melt 3-4 TBS. butter on medium heat, add 1/2 tsp. crushed fresh garlic. Be careful not to let the butter burn. Place the sliced bread in the pan and spread around so bottom side is covered with butter. Let toast for about 2 min. and then turn over. you may need to add a little more butter, depending on how many slices of bread you are doing. Once both sides are nicely toasted and golden brown, remove to a cookie sheet.

Rinse out pan or use seperate pan for Bruschetta topping. Pour in 1/2 can diced tomatoes, (Italian stye is a good choice) add in 1 TBS. diced onions, fresh Oregano and Basil. Sautee for about 5 min. on Medium heat. Spoon a small amount onto breat and top with some Mozzerella cheese. Place in the oven to broil until cheese is melted. Serve and ENJOY!!

April 4th - 10th

This was a trial recipe. If you've ever heard of porcupine meatballs, this is the same thing. Except you're just not rolling the meat into balls. I made two HUGE casserole dishes of this because I took dinner to a friend and her family so I more than doubled this recipe! I set a dish aside for my husband to take to work and had a girlfriend come over to eat with us. So between my girlfriend, my two boys and myself, there was only 1 serving left to put in the fridge. I'd say that was a hit!!

PORCUPINE CASSEROLE

2 lbs. ground hamburger or ground turkey
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 1/2 C. UNCOOKED rice
1 can tomato soup
1/4 C. brown sugar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C. water
Pineapple Rings (optional)

Cook ground meat, onions and peppers together. Once meat is done, drain all grease. Place in a large bowl. Mix in UNCOOKED rice. (DO NOT use minute rice) In separate bowl, mix together soup, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and water. Pour over meat and rice mixture and mix well. Place in 9x11 casserole dish. cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour! (I placed the pineapple on the last 15 minutes and poured a little more sauce over it. This is totally optional.)



HONEY LIME CHICKEN WINGS

Are you a wing lover?? You'll LOVE these and probably end up licking the dish just to get more sauce!!

18 whole chicken wings, split
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (Or juice form 3-4 whole limes)
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

In a large bowl, mix together the honey, lime juice, lime peel, garlic, salt and ground black pepper. Place the flour in a plastic bag and shake the chicken wings in the flour to coat. In a large skillet, fry the chicken wings in hot, 1 inch deep oil until cooked through. Place the cooked wings in the honey/lime mixture and toss to coat well. Serve immediately.

March 29th - April 3rd.

CHICKEN DIVAN

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
1 bag frozen broccoli florets
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 C. Sour Cream OR Miracle Whip
1/2 C. milk
1 - 1 1/2 C. Grated Cheddar Cheese
2 c. cooked rice
Crushed Keebler Club Crackers or Corn Flakes-OPTIONAL


Dice chicken to bite size pieces. Spray frying pan with a little non stick spray and place chicken in pan. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Cook chicken till no longer ping. Add in frozen broccoli, soup, sour cream OR Miracle Whip and milk. Heat up on med-hi heat until it starts to bubble. Place cooked rice in a large bowl. Once chicken mixture begins to bubble, pour over rice and add grated cheese. Mix together well and place in a 11x13 casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 20- 25 min. (Add crushed crackers or corn flakes the last 10 min.)


SPICY CHEESEBURGER SOUP

I got this from one of my favorite magazines, Taste of Home. My boys loved this soup! We don't like spicy so I omitted the jalapeno, but if your family has the mouth for spicy...GO FOR IT!!!

• 1-1/2 cups water
• 2 cups cubed peeled potatoes
• 2 small carrots, grated
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
• 2-1/2 cups milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces process American cheese, cubed
• 1/4 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

• In a large saucepan, combine the first nine ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Stir in beef and 2 cups of milk; heat through. Combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; stir in cheese until melted. Add cayenne if desired. Top with bacon just before serving. Yield: 6-8 servings (about 2 quarts).

FANCY RAMEN

I'm almost embarrassed to print this; however, my 7 year old begged me because he loves it! So Colton, this one is for you baby!!

• 1 pkg. Ramen (any flavor!!)
• diced ham or shredded cooked chicken
• chopped bell peppers
• diced green onions
• sliced cooked eggs
• Sesame Seed oil

Cook Ramen according to directions. (Like ANYONE needs to read directions for Ramen!!) Once it's done, let the kids add whatever they want to the noodles. Great way to get some veggies in with that boring package of noodles!!

APRIL FOOLS DINNER

I didn't go all out this year like I have in the past, but thought I would still share some of the fun things I have done. A lot of these you can find online and kids love them. Just make something DECENT for you on the side!!

FROG EYE SALAD

1 C. sugar
2 TBS. flour
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 C. pineapple juice
2 eggs, beaten
1 TBS. lemon juice
3 quarts water
1 TBS. oil
1 (16 oz) pkg. Acini Di Pepe pasta
2 (11 oz.) cans mandarin oranges
2 (20 oz.) cans pineapple tidbits DRAINED
1/2 jar Maraschino Cherries
1 (8 oz) container whipped topping
1 1/2 C. mini marshmallows
1 C. shredded coconut

In a sauce pan, combine sugar, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pineapple juice and eggs. Stir and cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat; add lemon juice and cool to room temperature.
Bring water to a boil, add oil, remaining salt and cook pasta until al dente. Rinse under cold water and drain.
In a large bowl, combine the pasta, egg mixture, mandarin oranges, pineapple and whipped topping. Mix well and refrigerate overnight or until chilled. Before serving add marshmallows and coconut. Toss and serve.

GORILLA POOP
You've probably made these before! I have a neighbor that decided to give them a different name. So when I made them and told the kids I was making "Gorilla Poop" my kids grossed out; until they saw what it was! APRIL FOOLS!! (Thanks Jaydan!!)

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter OR Butterscotch chips

Combine sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a saucepan. On medium heat, bring to a boil for one full minute.

Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter (optional), vanilla and oatmeal.

Drop by spoonful onto wax paper. Let cool for at least 30 minutes.