BBQ Meatballs

Meatballs are no stranger to any family.  For our family, these are the only ones!  My mother's friend in Wheaton, IL shared this recipe with her and it has been a favorite to make, bake and take to many friendly gatherings.  When my kids get home from school and smell the BBQ wafting through the house they immediately know it's going to be a great supper.  I serve these scrumptious morsels with potato salad, baked beans and a wedge of watermelon.  Hope your family enjoys these as much as mine!

3 lbs hamburger

2 cups quick oats

1 can evaporated milk

2 eggs

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. pepper

Shape into balls with hands.  Cover with sauce.  Bake 1 to 1 1/2 hours at 250.

Sauce:

4 cups Ketchup

1 cup brown sugar

4 Tablespoons liquid smoke

2 tsp. garlic salt

Make balls and put in pan (I usually get 60 meatballs).  Put half of BBQ sauce on raw meatballs and bake.  When they come out of the oven - toss meatballs in rest of sauce!  

These freeze great!  I usually double the recipe and freeze the leftovers.

Coconut Praline Toast

Nothing screams "It's going to be a great day" like waking up to this simple special treat!

Growing up I had three favorite breakfast delights. Number one would have to be my mom's biscuits and gravy.  Number two - Monte Cristo, and number three was Coconut Praline Toast.

She made this for first day of school, home from college mornings, when company was staying over, or even holidays.  I am glad I did not know how simple it was to make - because I might not have felt so special.  What felt like an extravagance was really 5 ingredients thrown together. 

What you will need:

4 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 Tablespoons light cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup flaked coconut

8 slices of bread

Melt butter in saucepan.  Remove from heat and add sugar, cream, vanilla, and coconut.  Mix well.  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Toast bread in toaster.  Slather with mixture.  Enjoy!

This is a great side to eggs and bacon.  You can make this a day ahead and put in frig.  In the morning just microwave and put on toast!  Great for Bagel topping or pound cake as well.

Hint: If you don't have cream in the house - we always substituted our powdered coffee cream.

We use 4 Tablespoons hot water to 2 Tablespoons of CoffeeMate.

Try it on your family - You'll be treated like a Queen for the day!

"Egg-cellent" Egg Cutter

How fun is this?  My mother bought an antique egg cutter in a shop in Ferndale N.Y.  She gave it to me because she knew it would have a good home among my other 1067 kitchen gadgets.   July 4th was the perfect day to give it a twirl - and I mean that literally!  You hard boil an egg, peel off the shell, stick it in the hole in the middle and TWIST!  Out comes an egg - ready to be filled with yummy deviled egg "innards".  To make it even cuter - I piped in the "innards" with a pastry bag and made it look like little chicks.   Paprika eyes finished this appetizer!  Bon appetite!