Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Recipe courtesy Janice Baumgartner 2002 for FoodNetwork.com's Game Day Grub Championship Cook-Off Competition

1 pound hamburger
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
2 T. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
(This recipe is a great base for meatballs, hamburgers and meatloaf--just season to your liking by adding ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, etc. for variations. I made a master mix with 5lbs of ground beef and split it into essentially 4 different meals by changing/adding one or two ingredients. It's a great time and money saver.)

Sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 T. cornstarch (or 2T Flour)
1-can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained (save juice)
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 small green pepper, cut into julienne (or 3/4c. chopped or 1 c. frozen)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix first seven ingredients together and form into 1-1/2-inch balls. Place on cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20 -25 minutes until done. Then, place in a slow cooker on low. (or put cooled, baked meatballs on a tray and freeze them separately, then bag them, for a quick dinner later in the week)

Place vinegar, pineapple juice, soy sauce and brown sugar in sauce pan. Stir in cornstarch and bring to boil. Pour over meatballs. Carefully stir in pineapple and green pepper. Keeps well in a slow cooker for several hours.

I usually skip the slow cooker and do this all on the stove top for a quick meal. Please be advised if you are doing the slow cooker for convenience that the sauce will still be tasty but much thinner.

**All text in italics are substitutions and suggestions that I have added.**

A Good Day

So far so good. I went to the Mt. Timpanogos Temple with a new friend of mine, Elisa, to do iniatories this morning. My friend Elisha watched the boys and we went out to lunch together when I got back.

The boys are down for a good nap and I am taking some much needed "time out for Me" time.

This evening Jason and I will be doing an endowment session for our date this week (with dinner at the temple cafeteria). I'm looking forward to feeling so much peace and receiving revelation. I Love the Temple! Well, I'm going to read a good book now and rest a bit. Hope your day is as good as mine (at least occasionally).

So, I actually got a good nap in this afternoon. We ended up doing sealings instead and enjoyed our dinner/dessert together. We actually saw the Fairfield CA Institute director, Brother Celaya and his wife at the temple (For those who don't know, the institute of religion is where Jason & I met and fell in love & friendship together). One of the sealers asked how long we have been married. When I said, "five years in August," he said, "Oh, you two look like newlyweds." To which Jason replied, "Good. We should." It was so wonderful to be there and to be reminded of our covenants and our love for the Lord and each other. We've come a long ways in the last five years.

The boys had fun at our friends house and are just now going to bed. Jason will be up bright and early tomorrow, on his official day off, to help demo my parent's deck. And later we'll be going to an unofficial "block party" BBQ and maybe swimming. Hope your holiday weekend is fun and meaningful to you all.