Porcupine Meatballs

1 c. uncooked rice
1 c. water
2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. celery salt
1 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. pepper
2 lb. ground beef
2 cans tomato soup
2 t. chili powder
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. water

Water, rice and spices

Mix

Add 2 lbs. beef

Mix up and make in to evenly sized meatballs, a scoop makes this a cinch!

One meatball

Heat up a big frying pan ready, add oil

Fry the meatballs in several batches, it is easier than all at once

Brown the meatballs, don't completely cook through.
I still haven't figured out how to get the meatballs to stay round,
they always end up flat on one side

Worcestershire Sauce, Tomato Soup and Paprika,
plus more water for the sauce.

Mix up and pour over browned meatballs.

You could finish them in the Crock-Pot if you want to make this ahead of time, cover with the sauce and I would say cook on high for a couple of hours

Otherwise, just return all of the meatballs to the big frying pan, add sauce and simmer for 20-30 minutes

I am sorry, we were hungrily eating up the meatballs for supper and I forgot to take a final picture.

Chocolate Cake

This is my favorite dessert, super moist chocolate cake. You can't beat a good homemade cake, MMmmmmmmmm.

2 c. flour, I add an extra 1/2 c. to this, just for a bit more firmness, but don't overbake if you add this extra flour
1 t. salt
1 t. b. powder
2 t. b. soda
3/4 c. cocoa
2 c. sugar
1 c. canola oil
1 c. hot coffee
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
Mix or sift dry ingredients together and then add oil, milk and coffee. Mix on high for 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, mix for another 2 minutes. Pour batter into two greased and floured 9-inch rounds. Bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Optional:
Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. butter
2 c. powdered sugar, more or less
1 t. vanilla

I frosted the cake with Creamy Chocolate Frosting, for an extra chocolaty dessert, but you can use what you like.

Creamy Chocolate Frosting

2 3/4 c. powdered sugar
6 T. cocoa
6 T. butter
5 T. evaporated milk
1 t. vanilla

Cream butter, add cocoa and powdered sugar, and gradually add evaporated milk. Blend in vanilla. Adjust consistency as needed by adding more sugar or more milk. One batch is enough to cover the top of a 9x13, I doubled the batch to cover a double layered 9 inch round cake.

Crock-Pot Baked Beans

1 lb. dry great northern beans
5 1/2 c. boiling water
1/3 c. molasses
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 onion, chopped
10 strips of bacon
1 T. mustard
1 t. salt

Spray crock with nonstick spray or use a liner. Rinse beans in a strainer. Fry up bacon, reserve 1/2 grease and saute chopped onion until translucent. Chop up bacon strips and put all ingredients into crock-pot. Pour boiling water in last and stir. Cook for 13-14 hours, on low for 10 hours and on high for the last 3. That is what worked best in my Crock-Pot, stir occasionally throughout cooking time and once an hour at the end. Adjust cooking temperature and time to suit.

This recipe is great for making baked beans from scratch! You can get it ready a head of time, it doesn't take up oven space and you don't have to worry about the beans when you are preparing the rest of the meal!

Cherry Muffins

2 1/2 cups flour
(I used 1 c. whole wheat flour , 1/2 c. corn flour and 1 c. all-purpose flour; this got a little wild, I think they would have been better with just the whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 - 21 oz can of cherry pie filling

Mix dry ingredients together, add remaining ingredients and stir. I did not use a mixer, since this would break up the cherries. Fill muffin tins and top dough with coarse sugar.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm, with butter. Makes about 18 muffins.

Hot Cocoa

This is a great simple recipe for powdered hot cocoa I found and thought I would share it with you all on this cold and blizzardy night. Most recipes I found called for nondairy creamers or Nesquick, this recipe has only REAL ingredients!

Hot Cocoa
1 c. cocoa
2 c. powdered sugar
3 c. powdered milk
1 t. salt
1 T. cornstarch

Blend ingredients together, I put them all in a ziplock plastic bag, it makes mixing them up a lot easier and a lot less dusty.

To serve at 2-3 heaping spoonfuls of mixture to a cup of hot water. Add marshmallows on top. Enjoy!