Baked Meatballs

Al and Cathy haven't had eggplant lasagna and were game to try it the other night when they came over for dinner and games.  In case they didn't like it I figured I better have lots of other foods they could fill up on hahaha - so I made these meatballs, red sauce, buttered noodles, roasted broccolini and green beans, and garlic bread. Fortunately they liked the eggplant, unfortunately we had ALOT of leftovers! I didn't serve the meatballs in the sauce, so I made swedish meatballs the next night. I think this will be a good go-to meatball for any sauce, they turned out really good and even tho this looks like a lot of ingredients it's really mostly just seasonings - so change that up as you wish. I changed just a couple things from the original recipe I found here. 

• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup finely-chopped fresh parsley
• 1/8 cup grated yellow onion (grate with box grater or microplaner)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning 
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper  
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the panko and milk. Set aside to soak for a few minutes. 

2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together using your hands until evenly combined, be careful to not over-mix. 

3. Using a medium-sized cookie scoop or a spoon, roll the mixture into 2-Tablespoon balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Put in the fridge until ready to bake.

4. When ready, heat oven to 425'. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cooked thru to 160'F. Serve immediately. 

makes approx 38 meatballs

8.22.21: 🔥 week 34

8.22.20: amish friendship bread

8.22.19: MSIH: zucchini pizza boats

8.22.18: buckeye brownie cookies

8.22.17: diy chip clip by Brooke

8.22.16: directional sign

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 34)

Dear Campers ~

Here's a quick recap in case you missed anything at camp last week:

Posts ~

8/14: 🔥 week 33

8/15: baked walleye

8/16: tip-sy tuesday: things to toss

8/17: yard sign

8/18: sautéed chicken breasts in cream sauce

8/19: snackle box (portable charcuterie)

8/20: ambassador shirley temple

What's Cooking ~

• tacos, queso dip (warm in crockpot), make your own salad bar
• grilled salmon, white rice, beet/spinach/goat cheese salad
• steak, sautéed whole button mushrooms, potato salad, caesar salad
• grilled thin cut chicken, spinach/goat cheese/beet/garbanzo bean salad
• eggplant lasagna, meatballs, buttered noodles, roasted broccolini
• swedish meatballs, buttered noodles, mixed veggies

Funny story - went to a party at my sis's house and played a super fun game that required reading a card and then doing whatever it said and stacking up blocks into a tall tower, whoever knocks over the tower loses and has to do a shot (drinking game but wouldn't have to be haha). Anyway, one question on a card was add a block to the tower for every book you've read this year - well I just finished the 'In Death' by JD Robb series so I've read 50+ books hahahahaha. And there's only 30 blocks total in the game. And the highest we were able to stack is 25 blocks LOL. Oh yeah, I lost that round!! 

That's it for this week - stop back often for more crafts, recipes, tips, whatever I think of to make at camp next week! Bye :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor 

8.21.21: chocolate peanut butter layered pie

8.21.20: cricut baby onesies 

8.21.19: crustless mini quiche

8.21.18: t-shirt rag quilt

8.21.17: ceiling light decoration

8.21.16: stuffed cabbage rolls. 

Ambassador Shirley Temple

Last week I posted a recipe for 'dirty shirley's' - I came across another recipe that is a little different and also includes 2 recipes to make grenadine so I thought I'd share another Twisted Shirley Temple idea. Actually you can omit the alcohol and just have a different spin on a Shirley Temple.  The  ginger beer instead of sprite or ginger ale is a fun swap - as is the luxardo cherry garnish, I love them!

AMBASSADOR SHIRLEY TEMPLE

combine all in a tall glass over ice:

• 1 1/2 T. (3/4 oz.) lime juice
• 1 1/2 T. (3/4 oz) chile grenadine, homemade grenadine, or store-bought grenadine syrup
• 3 T. (1 1/2 oz) silver tequila (optional)
• 4 to 6 ounces ginger beer, chilled
• Luxardo cherry for garnish

GRENADINE

• 16 oz. 100% pomegranate juice
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 T. lemon juice

Combine the ingredients in a medium pot and cook over medium heat until the edges of the liquid begin to bubble and sugar is fully dissolved. Do not let it boil.

Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour into a bottle and refrigerate. Syrup will last for about 1 month in an air-tight bottle in the fridge. 

CHILE GRENADINE

• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 pasilla or guajiro chile, seeded and crushed

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cover and let steep 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and chill before using. Makes 1 3/4 cups. 

recipe found here

8.20.21: banana cream pudding pie

8.20.20: sushi tower

8.20.18: Marcia's green chili frittata

8.20.17: potato squash gratin

8.20.16: chopped competition

Snackle Box

Look at how fun this is - Mickey made this portable charcuterie box and sent pics, my sis said 'it's a snackle box' which is hilarious and I said I was blogging it for sure. Jen then said she didn't make up the name, she saw it on FB and didn't want me to credit the genius name to her LOL. So - whoever came up with a 'snackle box' gets all the credit, and Mic gets all the credit for making it look gorgeous and yummy. She even has a salami rose which is one of my favorite charcuterie additions (click here to see how to make a salami rose).

Meats, cheeses, crackers, berries, goat cheese topped with fig jam - all in a (obviously) clean divided plastic tackle/craft box. Love this so much!!!

8.19.21: personalized mimosa glasses

8.19.20: gingersnaps

8.19.19: shadow box memory collage

8.19.18: 🔥 week 33

8.19.17: twisted frozen grapes

Sautéed Chicken Breasts in Cream Sauce

LeDonna shared this recipe and photos with me, how great does this sound and look? Maybe I'm really hungry as I'm writing it up, but I bet the cream cheese sauce is delish. Can't wait to make this for us very soon! Thanks for sharing, L!  

I typed the recipe out exactly as written, I'd make a couple changes - use butter not margarine, dice the celery 'cuz I don't like big slices, and I'll probably use Italian seasoning instead of the individual ones listed. I don't know what 'whole chicken breasts, split' means and will just cook enough regular ol' chicken breasts that will be enough for dinner. It looks like LeDonna added shredded cheese over top, and why not?! 

2 whole chicken breasts, split, boned, skinned 

2 T. margarine

1 1/2 cups mushroom slices

1 cup celery slices

1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/2 r. pepper

1/2 t. dried basil leaves, crushed

1/4 t. dried chervil leaves, crushed

1/8 t. dried thyme leaves, crushed

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, cubed

1/3 cup milk

2 1/2 cups (8 oz.) tri-colored corkscrew noodles, cooked, drained 

Cut chicken into strips. Melt margarine in large skillet; add chicken, vegetables and seasonings. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 10 min. or until chicken is tender. Add 2 T. wine; simmer 5 minutes. Combine cream cheese, milk, and remaining wine in saucepan, stirring over low heat until smooth. Place noodles on serving platter, top with chicken mixture and cream cheese mixture. 

4 to 6 servings

8.18.21: oreo rice krispie treats

8.18.20: tip-sy tuesday: measuring sticky ingredients

8.18.19: 🔥 week 33

8.18.18: scrambled eggs and toast 'chick'

8.18.17: school hairstyle by Brooke

8.18.16: 30 day ab challenge 

Yard Sign

My sis had a bunch of leftover yard signs from Brooke's open house and gave me the idea to turn them into a sign for Dave's ukulele meetings in our side yard. For the past few years he's put out a garden trellis with my handwritten sign and balloons attached showing where the meeting is - now it's so much better looking and practical because it can stay out in the rain unlike my old paper sign! We left battery-operated twinkle lights on the trellis left over from the open house to draw even more attention to the sign incase people miss the big ol' L.A.U.G.H sign hahah. 

I turned 2 open house signs over and used the blank white backside to stick on cricut-ed letters and an arrow. The 2 signs weren't exactly the same size so I trimmed them to match, put them together with the open house graphics on the inside, poked holes in the corners and attached it to the trellis with zip ties.  Easy and look how good it looks ;)

8.17.21: tip-sy tuesday - fruit filled crescent rolls  

8.17.20: painted letters and an engagement cake

8.17.19: grape and broccoli salad

8.17.18: morse code bracelets 

8.17.17: caprese salad (tomato mozzarella salad)

8.17.16: chocolate peanut butter layered dessert

Tip-sy Tuesday: Things to Toss

I posted this list of things to get rid of back in '17 - I've been on a purging mission lately so when I came across this old post I thought I'd remind us of it again, pretty useful guide. I'm not getting rid of all of these things someone else deems not useful, but am guilty of a lot of these obvious things hahaha. 

original post:

Saw this list of 116 things to throw away (or recycle, give away, sell...) and think it's a good reminder to pay attention to the little things that accumulate - you don't have to overhaul the closet or pantry to free up space and get rid of clutter. Check it out and see how many things make you go "oh, I totally need to do that" like I did! Wait, except #2 - we all know I'm totally keeping them (click here to see how I keep them organized tho!).

1. The other side of a pair of lost earrings
2. Scraps of wrapping paper
3. Cards people have given you with no sentimental value
4. Receipts you don't need
5. Ticket stubs
6. Socks with holes
7. Old t-shirts
8. Leftover change
9. Dried flowers
10. Magazines
11. CDs
12. Hair elastics that have lost stretchiness
13. Hair accessories you don't use
14. Shoes that don't fit or that you don't wear
15. Extra photo prints
16. Little knickknacks (designate a bowl and fill it)
17. Kitchen things you don't use
18. Cooking utensils you have two of
19. Tired bras
20. Scarves you never wear
21. Clothes that don't fit
22. Gifts you don't like
23. Old towels
24. Old makeup
25. Old toiletries
26. Old or unused hangers
27. Expired or sample-sized toiletries
28. Extra buttons
29. Expired sauces
30. Toys your pets don't play with
31. Expired medication
32. Dried-up nail polish
33. Bills you don't need to keep
34. Expired coupons
35. Old paperwork
36. DVDs you don't watch
37. Snacks your pets don't eat
38. Damaged clothing you can't mend
39. Stained clothing you can't clean
40. Old prom dresses
41. Scratched nonstick cookware
42. Old underwear or swimwear that's losing its stretch
43. Outdated electronics
44. Rusty jewelry
45. Stockings with runs
46. Pens that don't work
47. Clothing you've outgrown
48. Necklaces and bracelets with broken clasps
49. Cables and wires you don't use
50. Worn-out sheets and bedding
51. Empty or near-empty bottles of cleaning products 
52. Old mending buttons for clothing you no longer have
53. Worn-out bath mats
54. Broken electronics
55. Purses you never use
56. Flatware, plates, and glasses that don't match the rest of your collection, plus dingy children's plates you no longer use
57. Old pillows
58. Worn-out shoes
59. Wedding invites
60. Save-the-dates
61. Wedding favors you don't use
62. Old wallets that you don't use
63. Broken kitchen equipment
64. Spare furniture parts you don't need
65. Furniture manuals
66. Boxes
67. Unused vases
68. Extra tupperware you don't need
69. Old mail
70. Junk mail
71. Travel brochures
72. Bobby pins
73. Old crayons or art supplies, plus markers that have run out of ink
74. Random containers and jars
75. Unused stationery, stickers, and sticky notes
76. Ripped denim
77. Old artwork or old children's artwork
78. Used and ripped envelopes
79. Broken or old iPhone cases
80. Old unused batteries
81. Extra and unused coffee mugs
82. Old spices
83. Address labels for your old house
84. Wrinkled ribbon and bows for gift wrap
85. Cards or gifts from exes
86. Frequent shopper cards you never use
87. Matchbooks
88. Old shopping bags
89. Old calendars
90. Old folders
91. Magnets
92. Clothes that are outdated or from college
93. Broken Christmas decorations
94. Christmas lights that don't work
95. Frayed towels
96. Expired food
97. Computer cords, firewire cord, etc. that you don't use
98. Old and outdated software
99. CDs for old computer programs
100. Old cell phones
101. Hand-me-downs that you're guilt-tripped into keeping
102. Freebie or promotional t-shirts you never wear
103. Old fortune cookie fortunes
104. Old bank statements
105. Old planners
106. Delete email subscriptions from sites
107. Delete emails you don't need
108. Delete unwanted music from your iTunes
109. Extra buttons that come with newly purchased clothes
110. Games that are missing pieces
111. Old schoolbooks you'll never use again
112. Papers you have backed up on the computer
113. Books you've already read and don't want to display
114. Cell phone covers you're over
115. Old manuals to electronics
116. Cell phone accessories you don't use anymore

I found this list on Pinterest here

8.16.21: personalized drink cups

8.16.20: 🔥week 33

8.16.19: tuna avocado egg salad

8.16.18: sloppy joes

8.16.17: s'more pie

8.16.16: mashed cauliflower

Baked Walleye

I don't always love fish so don't tend to make it very often (unless it's grilled tuna, swordfish, or mahi mahi - I like the firmer, meatier texture)  but Dave asked me to bake some walleye fillets he got at Costco so I did a simple coating of Kentucky Kernel Fish Fry seasoning and he hasn't stopped raving about how great it is so I thought I'd share a very easy recipe. Oh, and I had a piece and have to agree with him, I really liked it coated and baked in the seasoned mix!

Brush or spray the fish all over with olive oil, dip in the seasoning mix, lay in a single layer on a parchment paper covered baking sheet (or spray the sheet with non-stick spray) and bake at 450' for 10 minutes, flip over and bake for about 4 minutes or until the fish is cooked thru. (Or follow the package directions, this is just what I did). Done. Easy, right? 

8.15.21: 🔥 week 33

8.15.20: mini succulent shadowbox

8.15.19: cheeseburger shepherds pie

8.15.18: zucchini bread or cake

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 33)

 Dear Campers ~

Here's your weekly recap in case you missed anything at camp last week:

Posts ~

8/7: 🔥 week 32

8/8: painted knife block

8/9: TT how to dice a mango

8/10: healthy black bean salsa/salad/side dish

8/11: salted caramel chocolate ice cream cake

8/12: candied almonds

8/13: dirty shirley

What's Cooking ~

• pork tenderloin, roasted potatoes, grilled asparagus, broccoli/cauliflower, make your own salad (thanks again Al and Cathy!)
• chicken, cherry and apple sausages, orzo with tomatoes and mozzarella balls, steamed broccoli
• steak, caesar salad
• grilled tuna, sticky rice, roasted broccoli

That's it for this week, hope you'll stop back often for more projects, crafts, recipes, whatever else I can think of to make at camp next week! Bye :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

8/14.21: buffalo dip

8.14.20: mason jar lunchable

8.14.19: chocolate chip cookie ice cream cake

8.14.18: tissue paper flower gift topper

8.14.17: make a personalized shopping bag

8.14.16: quebec chicken

Dirty Shirley

I haven't made this yet but I'm going to a party at my sis's later and I'm going to bring this as my byob - I'll add a pic later! Thought I'd share now so I don't forget (after I've had a couple of these LOL).

To make a Dirty Shirley, pour 1 ½ oz vodka (or your spirit of choice), ¾ oz grenadine, and 4 to 6 oz soda or ginger ale in an ice-filled glass. Stir and top with a cherry (or two).

According to Juli Hale, senior culinary specialist in the Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen, the traditional Shirley Temple recipe includes lemon-lime soda or ginger ale, grenadine, and a maraschino cherry. The Dirty Shirley just adds a shot of booze. Often it's vodka, but you can opt for tequila, rum, or gin. "Choose your white spirit," Hale advises. Another plus to adding alcohol (on top of the obvious): It helps tone down the excessive sweetness.

article found here 

PS: Happy Birthday to my sissy!!! 

8.13.21: taco cake

8.13.20: notebook paper frame

8.13.19: TT - opening a can

8.13.18: framed travel coins

8.13.17: chicken tortellini salad

8.13.16: copycat purple drink