Hamburger Meatballs with Ketchup Sauce -Slow Cooker Appetizer

The idea behind these Hamburger Meatballs with Ketchup Sauce is, they are for the gathering where burgers are -not- being served. This is a nice easy appy that starts with frozen meatballs and has a four ingredient sauce. The sauce is sweet and very similar to the topping some meatloaf recipes call for. And best of all, just toss it into a slow cooker (I used my Little Dipper Crock Pot) and let it heat up while you straighten up the house, or gather your team gear and get ready for the game. I say add a pizza and it's a party:@) The recipe below is specifically for the 2 Cup Little Dipper Crock Pot, you'd need to increase it as desired.

I had to chuckle, while on my bloggy break my son said the thing he missed the most were the different meatball recipes, here you go Jay:@) Football may be done for now, but March Madness is right around the corner and so is baseball season... Should be another fun year for the Phillies!

Slow Cooker Hamburger Meatballs

1/2 C ketchup

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp yellow mustard

1 Tblsp relish, I used sweet relish, didn't have dill on-hand

8oz-ish frozen meatballs (or enough to fill Little Dipper Crock Pot)

1. Add sauce ingredients to vessel, stir to combine.
2. Add meatballs, stir to coat. 
3. Put paper towel under lid, cook for 2 1/2-3 hours or until meatballs are hot.
4. Serve with fun food picks.

Snack Well and Have a Happy Day:@)

Bush's Best All-American Chili Recipe & Chili Round-Up

I've made several different Chili recipes over the years and think I'll continue on with trying the name brand ones when I find them... This Bush's Best All-American Chili is an easy recipe with minimal ingredients, and we start with a can of flavored beans. I found that the tomato paste makes this a nice thick stew with a robustly tomato flavor. It also calls for more green pepper than any other chili recipe I've seen. Of all the chili's I've had, I'd say this the least sweet, so if your crew is cutting back on sugar you might want to try it. Overall this is a nicely flavored, middle of the road chili that should appeal to most, and one that I might serve with hot sauce for heat lovers, and BBQ sauce for sweet lovers, on the side.

One last thing, I think there's enough sauce to stretch this a little further and add an extra can of rinsed beans of your choice. And I forgot the cheese again😕

The recipe I saw on Pinterest:

Easily cut in half...

📌My Beans for All Seasons Pinterest Board here.

Other Chili Varieties: Kansas City Style Pulled Pork BBQ Chili ~ Zucchini Chili Mac ~ Chili Mac Vegetarian ~ Sloppy Joe Chili ~ Wendy's Chili Copycat Recipe ~ White and Red Rotel Chili with Turkey or Chicken*very good*  ~ Pumpkin & Black Bean Chili  ~ Chalupa, Dried Pintos & Pork Chili*one of my all time favorite recipes*

Eat well and Have a Happy Day:@)

Simple Sloppy Chili -Three Ingredients with Options...

Once again I'm using Dollar Tree for inspiration, and it led to this Sloppy Chili... They had cans of Sloppy Joe Sauce, as well as pinto beans. So I cooked up some ground beef, drained the beans, tossed in the sauce and wa-la, lunch was served:@) I purposely kept this super simple, but there are tons of options... G-Mom-B would never serve Sloppy Joes without adding onion and green pepper while the beef cooked. One can of sauce is more than enough for one pound of beef and one 15 oz can of beans. Or if you want to cut back on the meat, maybe 1/2 lb beef and 28 oz beans. Feeding a crowd (or hungry teenage boys...) stretch it to 1 lb meat and 28 oz beans. Have an extra hotdog or two from the grill out? Yep, slice and toss it in too. How about all vegetarian, use all beans. And as soon as the gardens start producing... Maybe add in some diced zucchini as well. Lots-of-options...

Cooking for One Tip: Since I live alone I like to keep Walmart's Sam's Club Black Angus Burgers in the freezer. I use them as ground beef for anything, it's easy to cook and crumble a burger, but we can't turn a frozen pound of ground beef into burgers:@)

Simple Sloppy Chili

Up to 1 lb ground beef

Up to 28 oz canned pinto beans, drained & rinsed

14.5-15 oz can Sloppy Joe Sauce

~Cook beef, drain fat, add beans and sauce, heat through.

Eat well and Have a Happy Day:@)

Garlic and Thyme Marinade for Beef & Broiler Grilling

I couldn't wait to do some grilling out and decided to treat myself to shish-ka-bobs... The thyme in the raised bed was beautiful and in need of a little trimming, so I tried this Garlic & Thyme Marinade for Beef. This is a good one folks, although it will be thick, so be sure to massage it into all of the meat:@) I could taste every ingredient, and it was nice to use my home grown thyme. Please give yourself lots of time for marinating, the longer the better for a big burst of flavor, even when meat is cut to kabob size. Did I fire up the grill? Unfortunately Mother Nature literally rained on my parade and added in gusting winds as an explanation point. So the cooking method was on to Plan B... 

As for broiler grilling, it works well, but we do need to be prepared for some smoke in the house. I heated the broiler to 525 degrees and placed the rack into the highest position (as close to the broiler as possible). My kabobs went onto a heavy duty sheet pan. I would loosely use these times: About 3 minutes each turn, turning the kabobs three times for rare. About 3 minutes each turn, turning the kabobs about four times for medium/well. My best tip: You might want to have a piece of meat on the pointed end of a few kabobs to easily pull off to check for desired doneness.

📌All of my Pinterest Boards here.

Garlic & Thyme Marinade for Beef-from Beef It's What's for Dinner

1/4 C olive oil

3 Tblsp red wine vinegar

3 Tblsp chopped fresh thyme -or- 1 Tblsp dried thyme

2 Tblsp sweet or smoked paprika

3 tsp minced fresh garlic

1/4 tsp ground red(?) pepper-I used black pepper

1. Add marinade ingredients to zip top bag.
2. Salt and pepper your beef, add it to bag. 
3. Marinate for at least 6 hours in refrigerator, turning occasionally, you can marinate overnight. 
4. Grill as desired.

Eat well and Have a Happy Day:@)

Snow! Soup Recipes-Fast or Long Simmer & Barbie Crochet Hooded Scarf Free Pattern

We’re anticipating our first snow of the year on Sunday, maybe not much here north of Philly, but talking about it sure puts a buzz in the air... I thought I'd share a couple of my all time favorite soup recipes, one that's a quicker meal and one in case you saved the ham bone from Christmas and want to smell something hearty simmering on the stove for a couple hours. Sound good? Great:@) And you can always find more ideas on my Soup and Stew Pinterest Board here.

Hamburger and Vegetable Soup

Quick and hearty.

Ham, Navy Bean and Tomato Soup

Dried beans and a ham bone.

And 10 years ago I created a simple little Hooded Scarf for Barbie that crochets up in no time, and is a great beginner project for the kids too. Maybe whip up a few in different colors, and let's keep Barbie feeling toasty this winter:@)

❄Stay warm and Have a Happy Weekend:@)

ReView: Bottle Cap Spiders, Cheeseburger Chowder & Barbie Ornaments

As we look forward to Halloween and begin decorating... Maybe you're looking for an easy craft for the kids, or need a few more ornaments for the Halloween tree. These Bottle Cap Spiders are a quick project that looks cute:@) Simply save a few caps from water bottles and glue on pipe cleaners for legs. Full tutorial and suggestions here.

If you'd like to try a nice, stick to the ribs, hearty soup, I think you'll like this Cheeseburger Chowder:@) As I mention in the original post, it might not be the prettiest soup, but it sure is good! Perfect as the days begin to get a little cooler.

And one of the things I love looking for at thrift stores is Christmas ornaments that can be used as Barbie toys or diorama props. Had to grab this wooden guitar for $1 the minute I saw it:@) The strings are wire and there's a ton of detail. The dolls are enjoying the nice weather and a quiet moment at Cousin Rube's Peace and Pancakes Farm...

Here's another one that's 2 for $1.25... While I do understand these ornaments are intended to resemble harps, I just love the scale as a guitar for Barbie. All I did was hot glue a strap to the back of the instrument and wa-la we have a fun toy for Barbie play.

 The ornaments I used:
I did rub some glitter off of two spots on the back before I glued the ribbon trim on.

🎃Happy Early Fall!

Have a great weekend:@)

Wendy's Chili Copycat

I'll be honest folks, I've never been to Wendy's, even though they are plentiful here north of Philly. ~But~ I am aware that their chili is quite popular. We just had a chilly rainy weekend, so I decided to test out a Copycat Wendy's Chili recipe. It's very good! This is a nice middle of the road, flavorful chili, that will probably be liked by most (which is probably why a restaurant makes it:@) Perfect for crowds, and leftovers are great... Serve with hot sauce on the side for heat lovers. 

I made a half batch,

so only used one can of kidney beans.

The recipe calls for pintos too.

Serve with a ladle to get lot's of broth.

I just spooned mine out for the pic.

Copycat Wendy's Chili-from Taste of Home

1 medium green pepper, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

1/2 C celery, chopped

1 Tblsp oil-I didn't use this

2 lb ground beef, low fat

2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice-petite diced ideally

8 oz can tomato sauce

1 C water

2 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce

1-2 Tblsp chili powder-I used full amount

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

16 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

16 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1. Sauté peppers, onion, celery and ground beef.
2. Add everything else, bring to boil, reduce to light simmer. Cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Tamale Pie -Retro Jiffy Cornbread Recipe

I've wanted to try a Tamale Pie for a while, found a box of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix in the cabinet and decided to put it to good use:@) The beauty of this meal is, you can mix and match and add anything you'd like to. The only constant is the cornbread. Most use ground beef, some sub chicken, vegetarian options call for black beans and sweet potato. I've seen recipes calling for creamed corn, and some, including the one on Jiffy's site, bake the cornbread first, then top it with the meat and cheese. I like the look of the cornbread on top.

I used a disposable regular size lasagna pan, 

worked well with plenty of room for more additions:@)

To stretch the version below, add a can of drained black beans.

I used two ears of fresh corn.

Tamale Pie

1 lb ground beef-can cut back or sub some beans

1/2 large onion, chopped

1/2 large green pepper, chopped

14.5 oz can sweet corn, drained -or- up to 2 C frozen corn, thawed -or- 2-3 ears fresh corn

10 oz Rotel, drained, hot or mild-you know your crowd

1 envelope taco seasoning, or up to 3 Tblsp your favorite blend

8 oz tomato sauce

1 tsp sugar

S&P to taste

up to 1 C cheddar cheese, shredded-optional

1 box Jiffy mix

1 egg

1/3 C milk

Serve with sour cream, salsa, or hot sauce.

1. Cook ground beef with onion and peppers until no longer pink. 
2. Add corn, Rotel, taco seasoning, tomato sauce and sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for a couple minutes. 
3. Pour into 9x13 baking dish.
4. Sprinkle top with cheese.
5. In separate bowl combine Jiffy Mix, egg and milk. Pour over cheese.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until cornbread is done.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Old US Army SOS Recipe for Breakfast

I have made, and eaten, a lot of SOS for breakfast in my time. Loosely interpreted, it stands for, um, *Stuff* on a Shingle. In my mind that references the fact that it can basically be made with any meat, and especially ~leftover~ meat. When I was in the Air Force, I kinda remember sausage being added on some days, and it's a great way to use up day old bread... So I was tickled when I happened to see this military recipe on Pinterest, (no link back for credit). Maybe I should just thank Uncle Sam:@) The main difference between this version and mine, I add onion, and the bouillon cube is new to me. So I thought we'd try it, and yep, it's a very tasty way to start the day! SOS can be served over anything, but the traditional shingle is a piece of toast. Biscuits or leftover hamburger buns work well too...

I can only imagine how many folks this recipe has fed...

Army SOS Recipe-from Pinterest

1 lb hamburger meat

1/4 C A/P flour

1beef bouillon cube

3/4 tsp salt

pinch of ground black pepper

2 1/4 C milk

1. Brown beef, stir in flour, bouillon, and S&P.
2. Saute, mixing well, 5 minutes or until flour is absorbed.
3. Stir in milk, simmer a couple minutes until thickened.
4. Serve over toast.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Bar-B-Joes -Barbeque Sauce Sloppy Joes

My favorite way to eat hamburgers off the grill is with bar-b-que sauce, raw onion and either dill pickles or pickled jalapenos. Yep, good stuff folks:@) But our weather is still a little iffy here in Philly so I haven't fired up the grill just yet... These Bar-B-Joes were a wink and nod to burgers, and made a great sandwich. Super simple, add what you like in burgers, cook it up, the BBQ sauce acts as a loose binder, add a cold drink, and wa-la... I can almost feel the sunshine!

Bar-B-Joes

No real recipe folks, add what you like:

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 large onion, diced

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

a few hearty shakes of Montreal Steak Seasoning

BBQ sauce, your favorite brand

hamburgers rolls and pickles for serving

1. Cook meat with onion, peppers and Montreal Steak Seasoning. Cook until no longer pink.
2. Stir in BBQ sauce, make it as saucy as you like-you know your crowd:@)
3. Serve on rolls with dill pickles or pickled jalapenos.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

Cheeseburger Inspired Appetizers & Barbie Football Crafts Round-Up #1

Happy Super Bowl Weekend Everyone!!! It's finally here and we're out of our minds crazy ready for the game in Philly:@) I though I'd put together a little round-up of ideas for folks that love, but won't be serving, traditional cheeseburgers at their party. 

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs

Cheeseburger Stuffed Jalapenos or Sweet Mini Peppers

Cheeseburger Dip-Slow Cooker

And I also thought we'd gather a few Football Crafts to help Barbie cheer on her team...

Cheerleader Pom-Poms for Barbie.

Two of my favorite ideas,

#1 Fan Foam Finger and No Hem Team Logo Tank Top

And we all need football munchies...

How to make a crock pot of meatballs here.

Walmart and stores that specifically sell team merchandise all have these peel and stick logo tattoos... They are the perfect scale for Barbie crafts. I took a Mattel baseball cap, painted over their design and simply added a sticker... Wa-la, team merch:@)

No-Sew Pocket Scarf for Barbie or Ken.

On my way to work,

I pass a house with one of those 12' skeletons in the yard...

Have a great weekend, and...

🏈GO E-A-G-L-E-S!!!

ReView: Spanish Rice Dip & Barbie says Let's Go Eagles!!!

So... Folks here in Philly are just a tad excited for Sunday's football game... Yep, just-a-tad:@) And what does football require? Munchies. I wanted to share one of my favorite dips today, so I scrolled through my Dips Pinterest Board and this Skillet Spanish Rice jumped right out at me! What I like about it best, it's substantial and filling. You know, just in case there are some adult beverages at your football party... It's also perfect for lunch or as a side dish. 

And in Barbie's world... Barbie and Ken decided to have a few friends over for the Eagles vs San Fran football game on Sunday. They decorated the porch in team colors to show support for their Birds:@) And what party would be complete without balloons and festive lights! Barbie is all about the little details...

Catching someone's eye to open the door:

Ken brought his world famous meatballs...

And of course here in Philly...

Team gear is a requirement!!!

Gotta show your colors😎

Details and DIY's:

Ken no hem team shirt  ~  Team hat embellishment

Crock Pot of Meatballs  ~  1:6 Scale Pillows

Wreath is a team pin with pipe cleaner embellishment

Door backdrop from Dollar Tree

Pinterest Boards: 

DIY Barbie  ~  Meatballs  ~  Eagles Football Fun

The story behind my Barbie Eagles Jersey:

Some folks have asked me where I found the neat Philadelphia Eagles jersey for my Barbie. I saw it on Ebay and my understanding is, years ago it was a give-away from Burger King (believe it or not). There is a cute story behind it though... I asked the lady selling it if it fit a Barbie. She told me she had three sons, not a doll in the house... So she drove to a thrift store to try the shirt on a doll! Said there she was, standing in the isle of the thrift store and had to pull the head off of a doll to get the shirt on, but it fit:) Cha-Ching! She dropped it in the mail to me the next day:@)

Have a happy weekend:@)

🏈And GO BIRDS!!!

Beef Enchilada Stuffed Peppers -Barbie House Renovation Update & GO EAGLES!

First, please allow me to start this football Saturday with a big ole GO EAGLES!!! This has been a fun season and all of Philly will be tuned in tonight:@)

It's cold out folks, so how about kicking back at home and trying an excellent dinner that requires a few steps to prepare. These Beef Enchilada Stuffed Peppers were very good and made the house smell amazing! I've even included a recipe for homemade enchilada sauce. Use your pepper of choice, but I will say the poblano peppers were gorgeous at the store last weekend.

And in Barbie's world, the dollhouse renovation continues... I've added an update on the kitchen, cute! Why don't you pour a cuppa and pop on over for a look:@)

🏈Have a great weekend:@)

Ready for Some Football??? Favorite Snack Recipes & Barbie's too...

Well folks, you already know I am thrilled it's football season:@) Even though the Phillies are giving us a fun year, nothing is like football! So I thought I'd gather three munchies my crew thought were very good, and all very different... 

Sweet Hot Honey Mustard Chicken Wings

Whimper worthy ~easy~ homemade sauce!

Dilled Oyster Crackers-No Bake, Less Oily

A nice easy to pop into your mouth favorite, 

that's just a tad healthier than other versions.

Spanish Rice Dip

Different and ~substantial~ in case there will be adult beverages at your gathering.

I picked up a Mini Brands Series 3 toy and just in time for football, it had Kraft Ranch Dressing, Velveeta Cheese and Kraft Cream Cheese... Barbie says, sounds like dip season! 

Classic Velveeta Chili Dip

16 oz Velveeta cut into 1/2" chunks

15 oz can chili, with or without beans

Mix both in microwavable bowl 5 minutes on high, stirring half way through, 

or until cheese has melted.

Serve with chips and/or veggies.

Barbie and Ken are hosting the first football game of the year, Eagles vs Lions. They're making sure they have all of the food and munchies under control. Slow cooker of meatballs, cheese and crackers, dip ingredients, and...

Ken's taste testing the tacos, you know...

To make sure they're perfect😉

Taco from felt and beads: Fold circle of tan felt in half, glue green yarn in center, glue on red, black and gold beads to mimic tomatoes, olives and cheese.

How to make a 1:6 scale Crock Pot from Play Dough container.

Yep, Barbie and Ken are a *T-E-A-M* when it comes to party prep😎

Looking for more football munchie ideas?

You can find my Dips and Cheese Ball Pinterest Board here.

Meatballs Pinterest Board,

and my Football Fun Pinterest Board here.

🏈Make something just for fun and have a happy day!

Go Eagles!!!

Skillet Tacos -With Six Serving Options

I've been going through a bit of a taco seasoning phase, trying to use it in different and new (to me) ways... One of the things I made was this Skillet Taco Meal, think of it as deconstructed tacos. What I like best is the serving options: It can be served in the skillet by stirring in cut or torn tortillas, in bowls as pictured, or with a Fritos crunchy topping, spooned into hard taco shells, wrapped in flour tortillas, or as a dip with chips. It also freezes beautifully, making it perfect for work lunches or a quick appetizer for unexpected guests. Use whatever beans you would like or have on hand. I chose the recipe I started with simply because I happened to have a can of tomato soup in the closet, it worked out well. Don't hesitate to try this folks, I think it will appeal to most:@)

~Zucchini Season~

Have a zucchini to use up?

Small dice and add it right in.

My only suggestion, 

you may want to use a low sodium taco seasoning if that's better for your diet.

One Skillet Taco Meal-adapted from Kroll's Korner

1 lb ground turkey-I used ground beef

2 Tblsp olive oil-I omitted

1/2 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 1/2 C salsa

15 oz can beans-black, kidney, pinto, etc, drained and rinsed

10 oz can tomato soup

5-10 tortillas, either torn for stirring into meat, or whole for wrapping the meat

Alternate: hard taco shells, tortilla chips for dipping, or Frito type corn chips as a crunchy topping

Taco toppers: cheese, lettuce, black olives, pickled jalapenos, sour cream, etc, for serving

1. Brown meat in olive oil if using, drain any excess fat.
2. Add onion cook for a few minutes, add garlic, cook for a couple more minutes.
3. Add taco seasoning, salsa, beans and soup, mix well. Heat through for 10 minutes.
4. At this point, depending upon how you'd like to serve this, you can stir in the tortillas. But I suggest folks do that at the table. That way, leftovers stay nice. Maybe some want to save a few calories and omit the tortillas, serve in bowl topped with lettuce, etc.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

I'm Joining:

Creative Muster

Leftover Frozen Hash Brown Potatoes Au Gratin Casserole with Ham & Peas

Whether you happen to have half a bag of frozen hash browns in the freezer, or would like to make a smaller casserole, this Leftover Potatoes Au Gratin Casserole is a nice meal, with many options. I had some ham and peas in the freezer, so that's what I added. But any cooked meat would work. Like bell peppers? Toss some in. Use any cheese you have on-hand, but cheddar is a natural. I was very pleased with this meal, don't hesitate to give it a try:@)

While I wrote this up as a leftovers meal, 

and obviously opted for easy clean-up...

It's good enough to maybe sub some asparagus for the peas, use a pretty baking dish,

 and make it for your Easter or Mother's Day Brunch:@)

Good stuff folks!

Leftover Frozen Hash Brown Potatoes Au Gratin Casserole-Adapted from Ore-Ida

Approx 14-16 oz frozen hash browns, thawed if possible-I used the cubed ones

1 1/2 Tblsp butter

1/2 C onion, diced-can add celery, bell pepper, etc

1 Tblsp A/P flour

1 C milk or Half and Half

S&P

Up to 1 C meat, cubed-I used less

1/2 C frozen peas

1 C cheese, shredded-I used less, and used up cheddar and mozzarella

1. Cook onion in butter for about 5 minutes.
2. Add flour, stir well for a minute or so.
3. Add milk, bring to boil, reduce heat and cook for a minute or so until thickened.
4. Add S&P to taste.
5. Fold in potatoes, meat and peas.
6. Pour into sprayed baking dish, mine was about 8x8".
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until heated through.
8. Optional: Place under broiler for a couple minutes to brown the top. I did do this.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

I'm Joining:

Creative Muster

Wonderful Wednesday

A Morning Cup of Joe

Handmade Monday