Tag: brown sugar

Crockpot Asian Meatballs

And just like that, another year is almost over! As it turns out, my mother was on point when she told 13-year-old Amye not to wish her life away. I turned around, and a another whole year has flown by!

Do most of you celebrate New Year’s Eve in a big way? We never really have. We typically prefer to keep things relaxed and low-key on New Year’s Eve. We have camped in the past, which was always fun. Winter camping is my absolute favorite because there are no bugs! And, occasionally, we have friends over. But no matter where we are or how we celebrate, we never have a sit-down meal.

We will prepare appetizers and hors d’oeuvres for the evening. And after all of the Christmas cooking, the easier and quicker the recipe is, the better!

These Asian Meatballs could not be easier! Dump everything in the crockpot, set it for 2 hours, and wait. They are yummy, with the addicting flavor of soy sauce and ginger, with just a touch of sweet heat that you can customize to your taste! My grandson can clean a plate of these in no time! Adults will be thrilled to have these as well.

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Crockpot Asian Meatballs

Course Appetizer
Author Amye Melton

Equipment

  • crockpot

Ingredients

  • 1 (48-oz.) pkg. fully cooked homestyle frozen meatballs
  • 1 cup hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • sriracha sauce optional, to taste
  • sliced green onion for garnish
  • sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

  • Add meatballs to a crockpot.
  • In a bowl, mix hoisin, soy, honey, vinegar, garlic powder, ginger, brown sugar and sriracha. Pour over meatballs and mix.
  • Cook on LOW 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Check after 2 hours.

Notes

If you prefer a thicker sauce, you could thicken with cornstarch.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And just like that, another year is almost over! As it turns out, my mother was on point when she told 13-year-old Amye not to wish her life away. I turned around, and a another whole year has flown by!

Do most of you celebrate New Year’s Eve in a big way? We never really have. We typically prefer to keep things relaxed and low-key on New Year’s Eve. We have camped in the past, which was always fun. Winter camping is my absolute favorite because there are no bugs! And, occasionally, we have friends over. But no matter where we are or how we celebrate, we never have a sit-down meal.

We will prepare appetizers and hors d’oeuvres for the evening. And after all of the Christmas cooking, the easier and quicker the recipe is, the better!

These Asian Meatballs could not be easier! Dump everything in the crockpot, set it for 2 hours, and wait. They are yummy, with the addicting flavor of soy sauce and ginger, with just a touch of sweet heat that you can customize to your taste! My grandson can clean a plate of these in no time! Adults will also be just as thrilled to have these. 

Print Pin

Crockpot Asian Meatballs

Course Appetizer
Author Amye Melton

Equipment

  • crockpot

Ingredients

  • 1 (48-oz.) pkg. fully cooked homestyle frozen meatballs
  • 1 cup hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • sriracha sauce optional, to taste
  • sliced green onion for garnish
  • sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

  • Add meatballs to a crockpot.
  • In a bowl, mix hoisin, soy, honey, vinegar, garlic powder, ginger, brown sugar and sriracha. Pour over meatballs and mix.
  • Cook on LOW 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Check after 2 hours.

Notes

If you prefer a thicker sauce, you could thicken with cornstarch.  

Apple Bran Muffins

My parents’ newfound freedom after we kids moved out led them on a culinary adventure. My mom cooked delicious home-cooked meals for most of my childhood. But, with no kids, they started going out to eat…a lot! They had their favorites and knew the specials on any given day. The kids and I would visit them often during the fall while Greg was hunting. So, we ate with them at these favorite establishments, too.

One of their favorite breakfast spots had a wonderful apple muffin for breakfast. I have not been there in years. My dad passed away 20 years ago, and I’m not sure my mom and I ever returned.

I’m no a scientist, but I believe food and scents are linked to our memories and emotions. When I smell the sweet scent of gardenias, I immediately think of my grandmother. When I eat homemade ice cream, I remember the many ice cream gatherings at my grandparent’s house when my cousins and I would run around catching lightning bugs. And for some reason, I needed to find this muffin recipe, if only to feel close to my mom and dad again for a while.

After buying apples a few weeks ago, I aimed to figure out how to make the muffins. I researched to see what the ratio should be for muffins and came up with a recipe. I used my apple butter, and the muffins were okay, not great, though.

I needed to find a new recipe fast to use my North Georgia apples. This time, I searched all of my cookbooks, and I have a lot, and the internet. I finally ran across a recipe that sounded like the old muffins I remembered, and they are delicious! So moist, flavorful, and delicious with my homemade apple butter and cream cheese. At first taste, the memories of having breakfast with my parents flooded my mind, and they were right there with me for a few minutes, even if it was just in my memories.

They have shredded apples and raisins that I plumped before adding to the batter. Chopped pecans would also work great in this recipe. Wheat bran is an ingredient in one of my favorite bran muffins, so I knew I wanted it in these muffins. It adds a slightly nutty taste and is an excellent source of fiber. You will most likely not find wheat bran on the cereal aisle in most stores. I ordered a big bag from Amazon, but you can also find it in many whole food stores.

 

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Apple Bran Muffins

Course Breads
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 6 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 1/2 cup wheat bran
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shredded apple
  • 3/4 cup raisins plumped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with silicone or paper liners; set aside.
  • Heat some water in the microwave. Add raisins to a bowl and pour water over. Let stand while you prepare other ingredients.
  • In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, egg, buttermilk, melted butter, molasses and honey; set aside.
  • In another bowl, add wheat bran, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; give it a stir.
  • Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix. Drain the raisins well. Stir apple and raisins into bran mixture.
  • Scoop batter into liners, almost filling. Bake for 17 to 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overtake!

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

I love painted furniture. I know it’s not for everyone, but our house would be filled with painted pieces if not for self-control. They fit into our little country house well.

I have painted several pieces over the years. Most of which is in our house today. One of my all-time favorites is our old entertainment center. At one time, everybody that was anybody had an entertainment center. But like everything else, their day in the sun ended.

We ended up removing the center section that held our television. Greg pulled the backing from the other two pieces and added barn wood from the farm instead. Then he connected the pieces, making one long piece, and I painted it a beautiful Annie Sloan Old White. It served as a coffee bar in the kitchen for a while but has finally found a home in the dining room as a beautiful display for all my blue and white treasures, some of which I inherited from my mom.

The furniture pieces I love the most are those I painted in neutral colors. In fact, everything I painted in other colors has either been painted over, or I no longer own them, which leads to my dilemma.

I have been trying to get my mom’s dark cherry China cabinet moved to my house for over a year. Her favorite color was blue, and I planned to paint the cabinet a beautiful blue with white or cream on the inside. This would be a great way to honor my mom with a piece she loved. But now that I have it here and am ready to work on it, I’m starting to doubt my choice.

I’m afraid it will be too much. I’ll get it painted, and it will simply be more than I want. I don’t know why I am second-guessing myself. Stay tuned for future developments. I will share pictures of the pieces I have painted and get your opinions.

One thing I am not second-guessing is these incredible peanut butter bars from www.houseofnasheats.com. I loved these and am not even a huge peanut butter lover. I recently took two trays of these bars to a church luncheon, bringing both platters home empty! That’s a good sign!

These delicious bars are called Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars, and they taste like the tasty treats I remember having at school. Back when school lunches were actually good.

This recipe makes a large 13 x 18-inch pan and bakes quickly. In fact, because the first dessert I made was not good, I started these at 11 PM, and by placing the pan in the freezer to cool, I was in bed at a decent time.

The peanut butter bars are soft, chewy, and incredibly addictive!

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Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

Course Dessert
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

BARS

  • 1 cup salted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter divided
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour scooped and leveled
  • 2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt

FROSTING

  • 1/2 cup salted butter softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a half-sheet baking pan (13 x 18-inch) pan with a rim, with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and 1 cup peanut butter in a mixer until creamy and light.
  • Add eggs and vanilla extract, then beat again, scraping the bottom and sides of bowl.
  • Add the flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Mix just until combined. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan with spatula.
  • Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and barely set in the center. DO NOT OVERBAKE!
  • Remove from oven. While bars are still hot, melt the remaining 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter in the microwave for 1 minute. Drizzle over the top of bars and spread into an even layer. Cool completely. (The freezer helps!)
  • Make the chocolate frosting by beating the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, milk and vanilla with an electric mixer, until smooth. Spread in an even layer over cooled bars. Cut into squares.

Apple Crumb Cake

apple crumb cake

We are on the brink of my favorite time of the year. With a few cooler days, I am already itching for sweater weather! My first pot of chili has already been made. Now I’m all about pumpkins and my favorite fall fruit, apples!

I love a good apple, and cooking with them takes the flavor to a whole nother level! From apple pies and cakes, applesauce and apple butter,  to this wonderful apple crumb cake. They are simply perfect!   

Choosing an apple to cook with can be a bit baffling. There seems to be a new variety every season. Granny Smith, Fuju, Golden Delicious, and Jonathan are always perfect for baking, but I tend to use Honeycrisp if I have made a trip to the apple house for Mutzu.  With over 2500 types available in the US alone, many will work well for cooking and baking.

apple crumb cake
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Apple Crumb Cake

Course Breakfast
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • Streusel:
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  • Cake:
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 stick cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  • 3/4 cup full fat sour cream
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 2 cups peeled and diced apple

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. Prepare baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or paper liners in muffin tin sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
  • To make the Streusel: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the flour with brown sugar and salt. Add the butter pieces and mix at medium-low speed until the mixture resembled coarse meal; continue mixing the streusel until very small clumps form. Transfer the streusel to a large plate and refrigerate until it is well chilled, about 10 minutes.
  • To make the cake: In the mixer bowl, combine the flour with granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add the butter pieces and beat at low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the sour cream and beaten egg and beat until the batter is smooth. Add the diced apples and beat just until incorporated.
  • Pour into baking pan or scoop in muffin tins. Press the streusel into clumps and sprinkle on top. Bake in pan for about 45 minutes and muffins for about 30 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving.

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

 

I feel I need to warn you that I am a little nostalgic this morning. As I sit down to choose the wedding photo of my son and his precious wife that I want to hang on my wall, memories flood my mind of when my kids were little. I quit work to be a stay-at-home mother, but I still feel like I did not have enough time!

I can remember when my kids were home during the summer break from school. The break never seemed long enough. There were always things I wanted to do with them that we just never got around to doing before it was time to go back to school again.

I know that many of you are thinking this will be a LONG summer. Kids have already been home for weeks, and it’s not even time for summer break. I know there is stress involved with raising children, but this too shall pass, and you will undoubtedly miss it. Don’t stress about the pile of laundry or the sink full of dirty dishes.

We have all been given the blessing of time right now, so no matter where you are in your walk of life, try to enjoy it!

This cookie recipe is a great recipe to have the kids help you make. I found this fabulous recipe on a blog I just found and am enjoying, dearcrissy.com.  These cookies come together in a snap and are deliciously soft and chewy. You do not even need to drag out a mixer, which is a huge plus!

This is a great cookie base, so start there and play around with the recipe to make it your own. You can always use fewer chips and add a few chopped nuts, use M&M’s instead of chips, or chopped maraschino cherries. Have fun with this recipe, and make sure you tell me about your fabulous creations.

 

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Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Course Cookies
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter barely melted but not too hot
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • Coarse sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and salt, set aside.
  • In a large bowl beat together the butter, sugars, vanilla and vinegar until smooth. Beat in the egg.
  • Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in the chips.
  • Using a large scoop drop dough about 3-inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until they start to brown around the edges and the center looks undercooked. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle each cookie with a tiny bit of sea salt. Allow to stand on baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.