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Meatballs in Marinara Sauce – My Valentine’s Day Dinner

15 Sunday Feb 2015

Posted by Lori @ Tasteful Blessings in Dinners

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

blessings, garlic, love, marinara, meatballs, onion, parmesan cheese, tomatoes, Valentine's Day

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I have to admit that I did not cook this dinner!

My husband did! He cooked this wonderful Valentine’s dinner for me- now that is love! ♥

So I thought I would share this wonderful recipe he made for us. It is simple and delicious!

I was delighted when Chuck said he was going to cook dinner as his Valentine’s Day present for me. I’m quite happy to step away from the kitchen and let someone else take over! This isn’t the first time he has made me dinner, but since I like to cook he doesn’t have to make dinner too often. Usually on special occasions  like Valentine’s day, my birthday, or Mother’s Day he will pull a good meal together. So, today he chose to make Meatballs in Marinara Sauce in the crockpot. This came to creation based on the ingredients we had on hand. It is very cold and snowy here in the Northeast, so a good rib-sticking meal served with warm, buttered, crusty bread and red wine was a meal we both were craving!

Starting early in the afternoon so this would have time to simmer in the crockpot, he began with making the meatballs. He mixed almost 3 lbs of hamburger with a pack of onion soup mix, 2 eggs, water, panko bread crumbs, oregano, and lots of fresh shredded parmesan cheese. He mixed everything together and formed them into about 3″ meatballs. He baked them in the oven for about 40 minutes. Baking makes them cook evenly and eliminates the mess of cooking them on the stovetop. They get nicely brown this way. No turning is necessary.

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Next he added the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, and a little bit of red wine to the crockpot. Because the tomatoes were diced and the onion was chunky, he wanted a smoother sauce, so it was time to use a real kitchen tool – the immersion blender! Guys love to use tools! Even when they are cooking! Using the immersion blender smooths out the sauce to a nice consistency.

tomato sauce in crock pot

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Then it was time to add the meatballs. In they go, and now we wait while all the flavors blend together over the next few hours. The smell of these simmering meatballs in this garlicky tomato sauce is heavenly!! You just want to dunk a big chunk of crusty bread right into the sauce!

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On this Valentine’s Day, this verse comes to mind:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians  13:4-7

As we love one another these are good virtues to strive towards. Although they are not always easy to follow all the time, we know that God’s grace and mercy will always be there for us when we fail.  And God’s word is always there to show us how to love – Jesus tells us how throughout all the Gospels and it is also written throughout Paul’s, letters. When we remember to be patient and kind, put others before ourselves, say we are sorry, forgive and forget  to mention a few, then we will have hope and protection of our loving God.-a love that surpasses all love!

I hope you all had a blessed Valentine’s Day with the ones you love!

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Spaghetti 4

This tasted amazing! He served it on top of a bed of spaghetti with LOTS of fresh grated parmesan cheese! Served with a lovely salad and crusty bread, this was love on a plate! And to top it off, he got me flowers! I would say it was a very memorable Valentine’s Day and I’m very blessed to have such a thoughtful and loving husband!

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Blessings,

Lori

 

Meatballs in Marina Sauce

2 1/2 – 3 lbs ground beef

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

1 package of onion soup mix (you could use 1/2 onion finely chopped)

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 clove of garlic, pressed or finely chopped

1/2 -3/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix all ingredients together and form into 3″ round meatballs

3. Place in a shallow baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes.

Chuck’s Easy Marinara Sauce

3 – 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes

1/2 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped

1/2 – 3/4 cup of red wine

1 tsp oregano

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

Directions

1. Mix all together and simmer in the crock pot for 5-6 hours on low with the meatballs. Remove bay leaf before serving.

2. Serve over your favorite pasta with a salad and bread! Enjoy!

*Note – this sauce can also be made on top of the stove. Simmer on low for several hours. You can also used the crushed tomatoes and then eliminate the need to blend them smooth.

 

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Cookie Baking Time!

08 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by Lori @ Tasteful Blessings in Sweets

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

angel, baking, blessings, christmas, cookies, Jesus, Joy, sand tarts

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This weekend was the 2nd Annual Cookie Baking Event at my house! My niece and I made several different kinds of cookies together. It is always such a delightful time, as we prepare for the celebration of the birth of Christ!

We made our families cookie recipes – ones that have been passed down through the generations – made by our mothers and grandmothers. We made the buttery, thin and crisp, rolled-out Sand Tarts, the soft cake-like Sugar Cookies, rich and sweet Pecan Balls, and the typical but all-time favorite, soft and chewy Chocolate Chip cookies.

Family is a blessing, and it is such a joy to share the tradition of making cookies together at Christmas time. But it is more than just baking cookies, it is a time of bonding, reminiscing about the past, looking forward to the future, sharing the love of our Lord, and discussing the importance our faith has in our lives. There is as much talking going on as there is baking! Just ask our husbands!

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Soft Sugar Cookies

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Sand Tarts – our grandma’s recipe

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Pecan Balls – lots of butter and finely chopped pecans, first step, baked in the oven…

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then rolled in confectioner’s sugar, twice

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The joy of this event, led me to the verse below from the book of Luke 2:10.

“But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people”

This is what an angel said to the shepherds in the field on the night of Jesus’ birth. The good news is JESUS – who brings joy to ALL people!

I hope in this season of such busyness, sometimes stressfulness, and maybe illness or even sadness, you can find the great JOY of our Lord in moments throughout your day. Whether it is when you are shopping, at holiday events, family and friend gatherings, or baking cookies together! Think of Jesus and believe in Him! The greatest gift we can receive is in the mystery and wonder of the Holy Child sent from our Father in Heaven. He brings us joy, and He is the reason for celebrating Christmas!

The Angel

The Angel

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 Happy Cookie Baking!

Blessings,

~Lori

Grandma’s Sand Tarts

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

3 1/2 cups flour

1 egg white

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar until creamy; add eggs. Beat for 2 minutes. Add vanilla. Mix in salt and flour until a dough forms and all ingredients are incorporated. Form dough into a ball and chill for several hours. Remove dough from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough until VERY thin. Cut out with your favorite cookie cutters. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with colored sugar, or cinnamon sugar, and/or finely chopped peanuts. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Makes 8-10 dozen

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Other recipes available upon request. Just let me know!

Cranberry-Sage Sausage Stuffing

24 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by Lori @ Tasteful Blessings in Dinners

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

blessings, cranberry, God, sausage, stuffing, thankfulness, Thanksgiving

 

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The stuffing steals the show! This is my favorite side dish at Thanksgiving. It is practically a meal within itself – the meat, the bread, the veggies, what more do you need? We have actually had the sausage stuffing as a main dish in the past, served with a side salad. It really can stand alone. But for Thanksgiving dinner, this dish accompanies the rest of the meal very well. Especially when it is topped with the turkey gravy! Oh my, I can hardly wait for the big day!

I wait all year for this fabulous feast! Not eating turkey all the months prior, just so I can build up anticipation for this special day. And it is very much appreciated!

A few years ago, my son, Shane, started the tradition of making sausage stuffing for our Thanksgiving meal . Everyone loved it, so the tradition carries on. I modified his recipe just a bit by adding fresh sage and dried cranberries. I really like the sweet with the savory together. It is a perfect combination.

This recipe is really very simple. You must give it a try.

Start with browning the sausage in a skillet. When completely cooked through, remove from pan onto a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the extra fat. Set aside.

Chop the onions, celery, and sage.

Sauté the onions and celery in butter. Add the chopped fresh sage. This is an amazing aroma!

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Add the cranberries and chicken broth, and bring to a boil.

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Mix the cubed stuffing mix and sausage together in a large bowl.

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Add the onions, celery, sage, chicken broth, and cranberries mixture to the stuffing and sausage and toss until blended.

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Place into a 9×13 casserole dish. Cover. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until completely heated through.

This recipe is so moist and flavorful! I made this in advance for Thanksgiving day, but we ate half of it as soon as it came out of the oven, because it smelled AMAZING and tasted so delicious! So, I guess I will be making a second batch. It is THAT good!

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“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.”   Psalm 136:1

Thanksgiving is a time to gather around the table with loved ones and friends, remember our blessings, and share all that we are thankful for. A family tradition at our Thanksgiving dinner is we individually proclaim what we are thankful for. Of course there are many things to be thankful for in our lives, such as our families and friends, good health, our jobs, delicious food, and lovely homes, etc. We are SO blessed! But we must always remember to thank our God, whom has made ALL these things possible! He is the Creator of everything. And He IS good! Psalm 136 reminds us of all the things the Lord has done and why we should give him thanks. The more you are aware of God’s presence in your life, the more you realize his amazing grace and his good blessings! Therefore, he deserves all the thanks and the glory!

This year I am certainly thankful for my wonderful family and friends, my good health, my job, my home, and delicious food, and for YOU, for taking time to read this! But I am most thankful for my God for providing them all! I hope you can see all the good things in your life, and realize that ultimately, God has provided them! Give Him all the thanks on this Thanksgiving and He will bless you!

I wish you all a safe and blessed Thanksgiving!

~Lori

Cranberry-Sage Sausage Stuffing

1 medium onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 stick of butter

2 1/2 – 3 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 16oz tube ground pork breakfast sausage – regular flavor or sage flavored

1 12oz bag of cubed stuffing

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown sausage in a skillet. Drain onto a paper towel covered plate. Set aside.

Chop the onions and celery.

Melt butter in a skillet. Add chopped onions and celery. Saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped sage, salt, dried cranberries. Pour the chicken broth into the mixture. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Put the cubed stuffing mix into a large mixing bowl. Add the sausage. Mix.

Pour the chicken broth mixture into the stuffing and sausage. Mix until well blended.

Spread into a greased 9×13 casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy!

 

 

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