Thursday, December 31, 2009

Tangy Cranberry Meatballs

I love this recipe!  Serve over baked potatoes with your veggie of choice and it makes enough for 2 meals + some leftovers! I've made some modifications from the original recipe, here's my (better) version.  Lovely spooned over baked or mashed potatoes.

Tangy Cranberry Meatballs
400 degrees - 16 minutes

2lbs lean ground beef (or turkey, or a combination)
1 pkg stove top stuffing mix (I like the whole wheat)
1 cup water
2 large eggs

1 bottle (16 oz) barbecue sauce
2 cans whole berry cranberry sauce

In a large bowl, combine meat, stuffing mix, eggs and water.  Roll into 1-1/2" balls and place on foil-lined, greased (spray olive oil) cookie sheet.  You should have about 60 meatballs.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 16 minutes.

While meatballs are baking:
Combine in large pot or saucepan the cranberry sauce and bbq sauce over medium heat, stirring well to melt the cranberry jelly.  When meatballs are cooked, remove from oven and stir into sauce in pot.  Serve hot.

Saving a batch for later: (possibly my favorite part of this recipe)
Reserve half of the sauce and half of the meatballs before combining in sauce.  Put sauce in a quart freezer bag, lay flat.  Place cooled meatballs in gallon freezer bag with sauce bag on top.  To serve: Thaw sauce and meatballs then combine in pot.  Cook over low-medium heat until warm.  Serve.


Friday, December 18, 2009

A Return To Slavery...

One Progressive Step at a Time

Interesting blog post you might check out. 

-Strip away the rheteric, boil it all down; forcing one person to do something for the benefit of another = slavery.  Makes you cringe, right?

-Punishing the young.  Not typical; watch out young people.  Oh, yeah, and you rich capitalist buggars too- but then, you're accustomed to being in the government's sights.

Contact your Senator or Congressional Representative now.  Tell them you don't want their idea of health care reform.  (personally, I'm for tort reform and allowing insurers/policies to travel across state lines instead of this comprehensive hooey - if after 5 years of reform we still don't see improvement, then consider a complete government run overhaul)  See, I'm in that 70% that works for a company that provides really great insurance - and I wouldn't have accepted their offer unless it did.  It's call choice.  Use it or lose it...
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Free eBook - What Matters Now

Thought you might enjoy reading this eBook.  What Matters Now

It's a bunch of 1 page musings on what matters now (Vision, Generosity, Ease, Meaning, Dignity, Fear, Enrichment, 1%, Excellence, etc.) by people like Seth Godin, Jessica Hagy, Hugh MacLeod, Elizabeth Gilbert, Chris Meyer, and a whole host of other big thinkers.  And well, if you don't enjoy it, no loss - it was afterall free! 

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Cranberry Apple Compote

This is AMAZING over french toast (egg-nog or other) and has become a staple for Christmas brunch.

Cran-Apple Compote
2 c apple cider
6 t light corn syrup (you could also use maple syrup)
2 T dark brown sugar
6-8 T unsalted butter

3 apples, diced
2 c cranberries, washed and picked over
1/2 c granulated sugar

1/2 t vanilla

Whisk apple cider, syrup and brown sugar in heavy saucepan over high head until reduced to about 1 cup (about 15 minutes).  Add half of butter and whisk until melted.  Remove from heat.

Melt remaining half of butter in large skillet over medium heat, add apples, sauté 2 minutes.  Stir in cider mixture, boil until syrup consistency (about 6 minutes).  Stir in vanilla.  Serve warm.