Aunt Marie's Meatballs

When we host the Buckley family for a party, I like to use my crockpot for a dish. Not too long ago, I made meatballs in marinara sauce. Jenny's Aunt Marie suggested another sauce recipe for crockpot meatballs. This year for Easter, I decided to give Aunt Marie's meatballs a try. These meatballs were a hit. The sauce is a bit like a sweet and sour sauce. The meatballs work as a great addition to the family buffet or could serve as an appetizer or easy dinner.

Aunt Marie's Meatballs 

• 38 ounce bag frozen Italian Meatballs
• 8 ounce Russian or French Salad Dressing
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 12 ounces apricot preserves

Place all ingredients in a crockpot. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours. While cooking, mix occasionally to keep meatballs covered with sauce. Enjoy!

Protein Balls

Recently, Rich and Christen hosted a family party for the kids' birthdays. They served these Protein Balls, which are meatless and delicious. So this year for Easter, I made the Protein Balls. They were a hit. And this Easter we had great weather and a visit from Noah's fire truck.

The Protein Balls are quite simple to make. The ingredients can be mixed and the balls formed in advance, then just refrigerate them until ready to bake. The recipe calls for the sauce to be put on the balls while baking, but it is not necessary, especially when some kids prefer having the protein balls with ketchup, instead of the fancy sauce. The meatballs would also be great with BBQ sauce or mustard. Also, as a shortcut, I used onion powder and garlic powder, which worked out fine.

Protein Balls 

• 1 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup ground walnuts
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 finely chopped onion
• 1/2 Tbsp. sage
• 3/4 cup grated cheese
• 1 1/2 pressed garlic clove
• 1/8 cup minced parsley
• 4 eggs

Mix together all ingredients. Form into walnut-sized balls and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, turning the meatballs at least once. If desired, cover with sauce halfway through the baking process or serve sauce on the side.

Sauce

• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 3/4 cup apricot jam
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. grated onion
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 3-4 drops hot sauce

Mix together all ingredients. Refrigerate sauce until ready to use. 

Country Fried Steak

This recipe makes a hearty and delicious meal. Country Fried Steak is an American version of schnitzel, in which the meat is breaded and pan fried. Then, for the American version, the pan drippings are used to make the milk gravy. This recipe is easy to make but does take a bit more time. Because it simmers for an hour, it is good to make when you can get it started, take care of something else, then get back to it to finish it.

When I made this recipe, I pounded the steak a bit to make in thinner, but this recipe works fine with a thicker cut of steak. Also, my gravy turned out a bit thicker than usual, probably because I used too much flour in the gravy. You can add more seasonings to the gravy, such as paprika, chili powder, or garlic powder.

Country Fried Steak 

• 1 pound boneless round steak
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 c. oil
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 cup milk

Cut steak into four pieces. Coat with flour, salt, and pepper. Dip steak into egg, then into the seasoned flour (reserve remaining flour). Heat oil in skillet over medium heat; brown steak on both sides. Add water and onion, cover; simmer for one hour. Drain excess fat. To make gravy, remove steak from skillet, add 1/4 cup seasoned flour with milk. Stir until mixture comes to a boil; continue stirring until gravy is thickened. Serve gravy over steak. Enjoy!

Baked Cauliflower

While I am off sweets until Easter, I search through Mom's recipe box for recipes I might otherwise overlook when I am seeking out delicious brownies, cookies, and cakes. I found this baked cauliflower recipe that sounded interesting, and it makes a good side dish that is quite easy to make.

When I made this recipe, instead of starting with raw cauliflower, I used frozen riced cauliflower. This short cut was worthwhile, but I think I might have enjoyed this dish with larger pieces of cauliflower. Instead of using a jar of pimento, I used some sweet peppers that I had on hand. I think that this dish would be delicious using broccoli instead of cauliflower, or a mix of vegetables.

Baked Cauliflower 

• One head of cauliflower or frozen riced cauliflower
• 3 beaten eggs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 jar (2 ounce) pimento, drained
• 2 Tbsp. minced parsley
• 1 cup milk or half and half
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 cup bread crumbs 
• 2 Tbsp. melted butter

If using fresh cauliflower, cut into flowerets, place in pan, and cover in water. Bring to a boil; simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and chop finely. Combine eggs with 1/4 cup melted butter, pimento, and parsley. Mix in the cauliflower. Add milk, salt, and pepper. Turn mixture into a buttered casserole. Top with bread crumbs mixed with melted butter. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until it is set. Enjoy!

Meat Loaf (Sandy's)

I found this recipe among Grandma's recipes. Based on Mom's name in parentheses, I assume Grandma got the recipe from Mom. In childhood, I mostly remember Mom making a different meat loaf recipe. Because meat loaf is an easy dish to make and the flavor can be easily changed with different seasonings, it makes for an easy meal. This recipe will have to make it into my rotation.

When I made this recipe, I used about three pounds of ground beef, but then the pan was slightly overflowing, so I recommend using two pounds of ground beef, unless you plan to use more than one loaf pan.

Meat Loaf (Sandy's) 

• 3 eggs
• 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 2 tsp. minced onions
• 2-3 pounds ground beef

Mix together all ingredients. Pack the mixture into a loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Allow to cool for about ten minutes. Enjoy!

Hominy Stew

We recently came back from a trip to Arizona. My favorite restaurant there is Fry Bread House in Phoenix. As its name suggests, fry bread--a Native American bread--is its specialty. Fry bread is a comfort food that is best served fresh out of the fryer. I am not sure that I can replicate fry bread at home, so instead, I decided to replicate the delicious Hominy Stew that we had there.

Hominy stew, like Mexican Posole, is made with hominy, a specially processed corn. For that reason, I was able to easily find canned hominy at a local Mexican grocery store. The stew can be made with any type of meat. I used beef because that was what we had at Fry Bread House. I also used mild green peppers, but you can use a spicer pepper, if you prefer more of a kick.

Hominy Stew 

• 2 Tbsp. oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 pounds stew beef
• 2 cans (29 ounce) hominy, drained
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 can (7 ounce) chopped chili peppers
• fresh cilantro for garnish

Place oil, onion, and garlic into Dutch oven. Heat on medium. Cut beef into one-inch chunks. Add beef to pot and cook until beef has browned. Add hominy, broth, chilis, and oregano. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until meat is tender or about 30 minutes. Drain any excess fat. Serve topped with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

Valentine Cake

This recipe is a delicious cherry sponge cake. It is called Valentine Cake, which makes it a perfect cake for Valentine's Day, or just any day because it is so tasty. The cake uses a jar of maraschino cherries. I had a ten ounce jar and used the entire jar, even though the recipe calls for just a four ounce jar. The outcome was extra cherry.

The recipe called for using a heart-shaped pan, but I do not have one so I used a tube pan. Any type of pan could be used, just adjust the baking time, as needed. I think cupcakes would be especially good. The recipe also calls for frosting, but does not include a specific frosting to use. When I made this cake, I just sprinkled the cake with powdered sugar. Many frostings would be delicious, including a buttercream or a fudge frosting.

Valentine Cake 

• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• Syrup from one bottle maraschino cherries
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 oz. jar maraschino cherries
• 1/2 cup nuts

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Put remaining ingredients except cherries and almonds into a blender. Cover and process at blend until smooth. Stop blender; add cherries and nuts. Cover; blend on chop only until cherries and nuts are chopped. Pour over dry ingredients; mix well. Pour into greased and floured pan. Bake for 35 minutes at 350. Cool in pan for ten minutes. Remove from pan; cool thoroughly. Fill and frost, if desired. Enjoy!