I played with my food tonight!!

LOL I played with my food tonight!!! I made Baked Meatballs & homemade sauce!! I normally cook my meatballs in the sauce but was short on time today. So I googled & found this recipe & it's a keeper!!!

http://cookwithhoney.blogspot.com/2012/04/jens-incredible-baked-meatballs.html

Jen's Incredible Baked Meatballs:

1 pound hamburger, grass-fed if possible
2 eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup panko or bread crumbs
1 small onion, minced or grated (1/2 a large onion)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil

Mix all ingredients with hands. Form into golfball sized meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Tip #2: If you have a leftover piece of rind from the Parmesan, let it simmer in the crock pot with the marinara sauce or save for another soup recipe. This will add a great flavor boost to most any sauce or soup. 

Basic Marinara Sauce

http://www.formerchef.com/2009/09/01/how-to-make-basic-marinara-sauce/

2  yellow onions, peeled and diced (about 2 cups diced)
2 Tbsp olive oil
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced (about 2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp dried herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, etc)* mixed, total
1/2 cup red wine***(left out)
12 cups peeled and seeded fresh ripe tomatoes** (I didn't de-seed them all)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, heat up the olive oil. Add the onions and cook slowly, on medium heat until they start to caramelize. They should be evenly brown and soft. Cooking them this way brings out the natural sweetness in the onions. Add the garlic and dried herbs and cook for 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the 1/2 cup of red wine and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and their juice and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook on low, stirring occasionally for at least 2 hours, or longer depending on the water content of the tomatoes. The sauce should be thick with much of the water evaporated to concentrate the flavor (sometimes I let it cook 4-5 hours over a very low flame)(I have elec. range). Add salt and pepper to taste. 

My changes are in red

Good Monday morning!

So the craft show was a big disappointment :(
I took some pictures of the parade. I love that little pony!

And this is my tables, notice how close the tent is from my neighbors? They were a non profit group & they kept coming out the side of the tent to poach people looking at my stuff. I finally had to say something, I took all I could LOL

DH worked yesterday, spraying a couple of ceilings LOL

So I made after church
Black bean soup w/ wasabi avocado salsa & ciabatta rolls with rosemary

this is the bread recipe I used plus added the rosemary to it

Boy I'm tired!

I worked yesterday for one of the girls at the old salon shampooing. She called at 7 am she did something to her back. So I said yes I would come help her out! While I was there another friend called she was booked for Saturday & the other girl she works with had taken the day off. So could I come work with her Saturday?? So of couse I said yes!! I made some extra money yippiee!! While I was waiting I looked at a Southern Living & wrote 3 recipes down I found 2 on there site, but I can't find the 3rd??? And of course I can't find what I did with the paper I wrote it on??? Agggghhhhhh!! LOl I want to try these!


Beekeeper's Jezebel Sauce

Prep: 10 min., Cook: 4 min. This sweet-and-spicy sauce is delicious served with pork tenderloin and grilled chicken or as a dipping sauce for fried shrimp. It also makes a great savory spread for biscuits or roast beef and turkey sandwiches.

Yield
Makes about 1 1/2 cups (serving size: 1/4 cup)

Ingredients
1 (15.25-oz.) jar apricot preserves
1/4 cup fat-free chicken broth*
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons horseradish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
Preparation
1. Whisk together all ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, 3 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated and sauce is a pourable consistency. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week.

*Vegetable broth may be substituted.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Polaner All Fruit Apricot Spread.

Note: To make a spread, prepare recipe as directed, omitting chicken broth. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container up to 1 week.


Zesty Honey-Lemon Dressing
Prep: 10 min. Serve this dressing over fresh garden greens or drizzle over steamed green beans, asparagus, or broccoli.

Yield
Makes about 3/4 cup (serving size: 1 tbsp.)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
Preparation
1. Whisk together chopped fresh parsley and next 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 5 days. If chilled, let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Whisk before serving.

The other one was for a balsamic rice with black eyed peas side dish. Sounded really good & something different!
Than I found a different biscuit recipe on TOH that sounded really easy! I might try it tomorrow!

Butter_Dipped Biscuit Squares

These are the easiest and best biscuits I've ever made. They are light and
buttery and go well with virtually any meal.

2 cups self-rising flour*
2 T. sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes) , melted
All-purpose flour

In a bowl, combine the self-rising flour, sugar and milk; mix well. Turn onto a
floured surface; sprinkle with all-purpose flour. Pat dough to 1/2 inch
thickness. With a sharp knife dipped in flour, cut into 3 inch by 2 inch pieces.
Pour butter into an ungreased 13x9x2 baking pan. Dip one side of each piece into
melted butter. Carefully turn to coat. Bake, uncovered, at 450� for 10 minutes
or until golden brown. Yield: 15 biscuits.

*Editor's Note: As a substitute for each cup of self-rising flour, place 1-1/2
t. baking powder and 1/2 t. salt in a measuring cup. Add all-purpose flour to
measure 1 cup.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY...

Women are like phones:
They like to be held, talked to, and touched often.
But push the wrong button and your ass is disconnected.

Yummy Dinner!!

Hi all!!
Been a busy day here, we got firewood from my neighbor.
She had a tree cut down & we went over & cut it up some more, than threw it over the fence.
Did 2 loads of laundry & hung them outside.
Harley got a bath too.
Than we both took showers & went to Big Lot's, looking for a spatula. Mine broke:( I want a solid metal one this time!
Than made these for dinner & my DH is not a salmon eater & he ate 2!! They are OMGosh good!!
Fresh Salmon Cakes
2 cloves garlic; minced
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 dashes Tabasco (or 1 teaspoon Old Bay)
1 egg yolk (or egg white)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons real mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (less if table salt)
fresh ground pepper to taste
2/3 cup coarse white bread crumbs
1 pound fresh salmon 1/2 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
In a small bowl, combine garlic, onion, Tabasco, egg, parsley, mayonnaise, salt and pepper; set aside. Remove skin and bones from salmon and cut into small cubes (about 1/2-inch); place in a medium bowl and gently stir in bread crumbs. Gently fold egg mixture into salmon and bread and refrigerate at least 2 hours before shaping into 4 patties. Carefully coat the outside of each patty with Panko crumbs. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot and add salmon cakes. Fry the cakes until brown, about 4 minutes on each side turning only once. Serve with lemon wedges or your favorite tarter sauce. *May substitute cracker crumbs or bread crumbs for the Panko

This was posted with it but didn't make it no cucumber. Next time!! Cucumber Dill Sauce:
1 cucumber; unpeeled
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dill (if fresh use 1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Cut cucumber in half and scoop out the seeds. Shred cucumber finely along with the peel and combine with remaining ingredients. Chill to combine flavors. Serve with your favorite grilled or baked fish. Also good with salmon patties or crab cakes.