Stuffed Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 lb hamburger meat
1 lb Italian sausage
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan
1 TBSP Italian seasoning
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh parsley
8 to 10 cheese sticks cut into 4 even pieces

Directions:

Mix 1st 11 ingredients together, form in to 2 inch balls and then stuff with 1 piece of cheese stick, making sure to seal cheese inside of meat ball.

2 different ways to cook:

1.  Place a cooling rack onto a foil lined cooking sheet, and place meatballs on rack, then place in the oven and cook at 350 degrees  for 20 minutes.  Heat your favorite marinara sauce on the stove and put cooked meatballs in the sauce or place meatballs on a hoagie bun and then cover them with sauce, mozzarella and bake until cheese is melted.

2.  Place raw meatballs in crock pot, and cover in your favorite marinara sauce cook on low for 7 - 8 hours.

Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients:

1 lb pork sausage
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 lb jalapenos, halved lengthwise and seeded

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.  Cook sausage until no pink is left, drain and place in medium size bowl, add cream cheese and cheddar cheese, mix until well blended.  Spoon about 1 tablespoon of mixture into each jalapeno half, arrange stuffed halves on a baking sheet, and bake 20 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Fruit Salsa w/ Cinnamon Chips

Ingredients

Salsa:
1 pkg fresh strawberries, finely chopped
1 medium navel orange, peeled and finely chopped
3 medium kiwi, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium pineapple, peeled/cored and finely chopped
1 medium apple, peeled/cored and finely chopped ( I used a honeycrisp apple.)
1 small lemon

Combine first five ingredients, and then squeeze the juice of lemon over the top of the fruit mix stir together, put in an air tight container and refirgerate until ready to serve. 

Note:  I doubled this recipe and I tasted each fruit as I was putting this together, all the fruit was already naturally sweet so I did not add any sugar.  The original recipe I used called for 1.5 tablespoons of sugar to be sprinkled over the top with the lemon juice and then mixed together.  So if your fruit needs an added sweetness then I would do this.  The orginial recipe also called for canned pineapple, I preferred the fresh pineapple.  I would also totally leave out the pineapple if I made it for my Mom as she hates pineapple.  You could sub all sorts of different fruit, I will try it with pears, and when peaches are in season I will try it with those.  

Cinnamon Chips:

10 flour tortillas (8 inches)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon ( I did 2 tsp. I like more cinnamon)

Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl, brush tortillas with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Place on ungreased baking sheets, bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes or until chips are crisp.

Yeilds 80 chips and approximately 2.5 cups salsa.

Sweet Granola

2 cups quick oats
1 cup raisins ( or 1/2 cup raisins, and 1/2 cup dried cranberries)
1/2 cup nuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and place on a lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally until golden brown