My little Bean adores books.
So naturally I was delighted when, just a few weeks ago, I was able to track down a family favorite. A series my mom’s mom read to her, and that my mom then eagerly shared with my older sister and I: The Faraway Tree Collection by Enid Blyton.
Just saying “the faraway tree” conjures up sweet memories of whimsy and wonder and mysterious lands at the tippy top of a magical tree.
My parents, hubby and I have taken turns ploughing our way through the chapters (these are her first chapter books) and have just finished the second of the three books, pausing only upon the discovery of other favorites lost in the book pile; 101 Dalmatians, You Are Special, and The Lady and The Tramp.
It was the latter that inspired a certain spaghetti and meatball encounter, a dinner-creation first for me.
I’m not sure why I’ve dragged my feet in the meat rolling department…with my love for making cake pops, meatballs should be a natural savory option, right?
Right!
So break out some ground beef (or in our case, venison) and get rollin’!
Meatball Mania
Ingredients:
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1 pound of lean ground meat (beef, venison, turkey)
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1 teaspoon of sea salt
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1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
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1 large onion, minced
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3 cloves of garlic, minced
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1 1/2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
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1/2 teaspoon of oregano
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3/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
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1 dash of hot pepper sauce (like Frank’s Red Hot)
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1 1/2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
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1 egg, lightly beaten
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1/3 cup of milk
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1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
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1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
Directions:
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Preheat oven to 400*
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Mix meat, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, seasoning, pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce well together in a large mixing bowl.
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Add milk, egg, parmesan cheese and bread crumbs and mix until evenly blended.
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Form into 1 1/2 inch meatballs and place on a baking sheet.
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Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center.
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Make your pasta, heat your sauce, adding the meatballs when ready, and then work your magic on your very own lady and the tramp moment.
Feel free to pull your eyes taut and sing “we are Siamese if you please” in your best, nasally feline voice while enjoying this meal.
We did.
