I thought I would share some recipes and recipe blogs I found online that are super yummy.

A year of crockpottingis by a very funny lady who is bent on using her crockpot everyday for a year.  She shares her recipes and will even tell you whether it was so awful she threw it away, or whether it was edible enough for her family.  I love getting new crockpot recipes to make my life easier, so this is such a great site.

If you haven’t discovered The Pioneer Woman Cooks, you need to check her out.  I’ve made this butternut squash puree and Marlboro Man’s sandwich and they are simply divine.  She’s not afraid of butter or cream, so beware.  Of course, neither am I which accounts for my too tight jeans.

I love Recipezaar for trying to find recipes for a particular foodstuff in the pantry.  I just plop it into the search feature and it finds a whole bunch of recipes that I can make.  It also lets you save recipes you find interesting and allows the users to rate them and give suggestions. 

The Beans Blog is a great site for healthy recipes, and has many different ladies contributing.  I haven’t tried very many of their recipes yet, but that is on my to-do list.

I made this chicken satay with peanut sauce recipe this past week and it was YUM.  I used my little George Foreman grill and grilled three kabobs at a time.  Meanwhile I put the rest in the oven just to keep them warm.

Happy surfing!

On a side note, I just have a question as it relates to meatballs.  My mom always made homemade meatballs, so do I, and it seems like a lot of people actually buy them…in the store all premade!  Is this a widespread phenomenon??  Meatballs are basically just meatloaf balls, and so easy to make.  Well, it is a little messy, of course.  Our kids love meatballs with ketchup, that I usually end up frying on the stove and making in a gravy.  I fish theirs out before I put the rest in the gravy.

Basic Meatball Recipe:

1 lb hamburger
1 egg
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
Seasoning (I use Montreal Steak seasoning, but really anything you want to use will work – salt and pepper being a basic one)

Sweet/sour Gravy:
2-3 TBSP flour
1 can beef broth
1-2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
1-2 TBSP Brown sugar

Clean your hands really well and take off any rings.  Mix with hands – yes it is the best way to incorporate everything.  Make into little balls, about 2-3 TBSP each.  Wash hands really well and replace rings before Kitty finds them. 

Put some olive oil in a heated pan and put in the meatballs.  Use the largest pan you have.  Cook them on all sides, which will take 15-20 minutes if the pan is really full.  Make sure they don’t burn and cover them.  When they are all done, take out of the pan. 

Add the flour to the pan and cook in the juices/oil left in the pan.  If you used really lean meat and not much olive oil, put a pat of butter in there darn it!  Cook the flour for a minute or so and then slowly pour the broth into the pan while whisking with flour.  This is not a time for your children to bother you – you need precision whisking to get a no-lump gravy.  When all incorporated together, add the sugar and vinegar.  Start by adding a little bit of each and taste to your liking.

I serve this with mashed potatoes and another veggie. 

If you want a lower fat, no frying way of making them, bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  I usually use this method if I am going to put them in a sauce in a crockpot for an appetizer.

This is comfort food, People!