BBQ Lamb Meat Balls

 Thanks for sticking around for Lamb Lover's Month.  I almost forgot to post this recipe possibly due to the Horrible Monday that we had and the followup physical therapy that has ensued. 

As most of you know, I have been on a quest to learn to cook lamb this year and have been sharing my recipe trials with you during February, aka Lamb Lovers Month.  I had lots of different lamb chop "recipes" sent to me(Teriyaki Lamb Chops, Two Ingredient Lamb Chops and Lamb Chops in Simple Marinade), but not one for Lamb Meat Balls.  I attended the Women Managing the Farm Conference a few weeks back and thanks to my friends at Kansas Wheat I ended up sitting to this spitfire of a sheperdess at drinks on evening.  Kerri Ebert wear many hats around the Kansas State University campus including the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops as well as coordinating the AgrAbility Project. 

I met her brother in law when I attended the National Livestock Skillathon Competition back in November and heard all about how the Ebert Sheep Farm had humble beginnings in the  1950's.  Kerri graciously sent me two of her favorite ground lamb recipes.  My son actually packed the leftovers of this recipe for his school lunch this morning.  :)

Lamb Meat Balls — recipe from Iowa Department of Agriculture, courtesy of Carol Jean White, Oskaloosa, Iowa

2 lbs. ground lamb

2 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup fine cracker crumbs (I use Pepperidge Farm Herbed Stuffing Mix)

2 teaspoons dry parsley, crushed fine

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon rosemary, crushed

2 teaspoons dried onion

1 teaspoon of garlic powder (or a clove or two of minced garlic)

1 teaspoon of thyme. 

(Sometimes she substitutes in poultry seasoning for the rosemary and parsley. Just go with what tastes good to you)

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Shape into 1-inch balls. Makes 5-6 dozen 1-inch meatballs or about 2 dozen 2-2 1/2 meatballs. 

 

Cook in a non-stick skilled over low to medium-low heat until meatballs are browned on all sides.  (I used a 12 inch skillet to cook them all at once and have room to turn them.)  Remember my friend Chef Alli says browned is a flavor and NOT a color.  :)

 

 Drain well. (Draining fat is a important step. Lamb fat tastes terrible. Get rid of all of it.)

 

After draining the fat, pour about 2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce over the meatballs in the skillet. When Kerri uses store-bought BBQ sauce she usually dilutes it with a little water to make a runnier sauce. When she has time she makes her own BBQ sauce and can make it as runny or thick as needed.

 

 After pouring on the BBQ sauce, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Lamb Meat Balls
 — recipe from Iowa Department of Agriculture, courtesy of Carol Jean White, Oskaloosa, Iowa

2 lbs. ground lamb

2 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup fine cracker crumbs (Kerri recommends Pepperidge Farm Herbed Stuffing Mix)

2 teaspoons dry parsley, crushed fine

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon rosemary, crushed

2 teaspoons dried onion

1 teaspoon of garlic powder (or a clove or two of minced garlic)

1 teaspoon of thyme. 

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Shape into 1-inch balls. Cook in a non-stick skilled over low to medium-low heat until meatballs are browned on all sides. Drain well. (Draining fat is a important step. Lamb fat tastes terrible. Get rid of all of it.) Makes 5-6 dozen 1-inch meatballs or about 2 dozen 2-2 1/2 meatballs. 

After draining the fat, pour about 2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce over the meatballs in the skillet.After pouring on the BBQ sauce, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

The BBQ meatballs go great with a broccoli & cheese casserole. I can prepare the casserole and have it cooking while I make the meatballs. Fast, easy, and very few dirty dishes from preparation.

-A Kansas Farm Mom

Teriyaki Lamb Chops-W4DW

The first lamb recipe we tried was from one of my Kansas Farm Mom Facebook followers.   I like simple, easy recipes and it is even better if it comes highly recommended by more than one person.  Shawna sent me this, "My husband likes to put lamb steaks/chops in a teriyaki marinade overnight and grill them the next day. This is a fan favorite at the Missouri State Fair for all our camping friends!"

 

How could cooking lamb be that easy?  I hear how so many people just hate it and I couldn't believe that a simple marinade of Teriyaki sauce could make them great, but who am I to argue with all their friends at the state fair who have a wide selection of fair foods to pick from.  I just love this picture because it shows the true size differenc between lamb and beef.  On the left are rib eye steaks and the right are the same cut from the lamb with the bone still attached.  Talk about built in portion control.  The whole family loved the teriyaki for a marinade.  As you are grilling just be careful as the sugar in the marinade tends to burn easily.  

Have you tried to cook lamb or ever considered it?

-A Kansas Farm Mom

Lamb Chops in Simple Marinade

The boys have been showing lambs for several years and we have never eaten lamb until this year.  Something sparked an interest in eating lamb, so after the show season was over our freezer was filled with a lamb to eat.  I am really glad that The Farmer's cousin has a wife who likes to get her boys to try new things, because she bought the other lamb for their family and together we are learning to cook lamb and so far we are all very happy with the results.  Here is the recipe she tried the first week.  It is so good and very easy with ingredients that are typically in most kitchens.

Lamb Chops in Simple Marinade

4 lamb loin chops
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons crushed peppercorns
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine all ingredients and marinate at least 30 minutes.  Broil or grill to desired doneness.

That's it and they are soooo good.  We typically cook the chops to Medium doneness and make sure we trim the fat.  The boys have been enjoying the chops and are looking forward to me trying to cook the leg of lamb next.

-A Kansas Farm Mom

W4DW-Crock Pot Blackberry Cobbler

We are going to take a break from #ProjectPotRoast this week to bring you a dessert recipe for the slow cooker!  I tried this recipe for The Farmer's birthday and was amazed at how good it turned out!  I was planning to make a Cherry Cobbler, but got out a bag of frozen blackberries instead.  Ooops!  Have you ever had to adapt on the fly after the wrong ingredient was thawed out?  The boys didn't seem to mind and were excited I was using the berries they had picked in the pastures.  I guess I will try a Cherry Cobbler in the Crock Pot next time.  :)

Crockpot Blackberry Cobbler

1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon orange peel, optional

Combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Combine eggs, milk and oil into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Spread batter evenly onto bottom of a greased 5 quart slow cooker.  In a saucepan, combine berries, water, orange peel and remaining sugar; bring to boil.  Remove from heat and immediately pour over batter.  Cover and cook on High for 2-2.5 hours or until a toothpick inserted into the batter comes out clean.  Turn cooker off.  Uncover and let stand 30 minutes before serving.  Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.  Makes 6 servings.

-A Kansas Farm Mom

Pepperoncini Shredded Beef

I have to say that even my husband has been enjoying my #ProjectPotRoast.  We have tried a number of recipes that you have all sent us from near and far.  This is one of my favorites so far maybe because it is oh so easy or that is has just the right kick for a cold winter day.  This recipe comes to us from Darcy who last year shared a bit about the history of cattle working facilities and how they have changed over the years.  

Here is what she sent me.  "My favorite is a 

beef roast, with 

a jar of pepperoncinis and their juice poured over the top, 

with a tablespoon of dried Italian herbs added in.  (If you want extra "sauce", add a can of light beer.) Cook on low for 8-10 hours and you have the best shredded beef!  We serve over rice with parmesan, but it's also great on rolls with sliced cheese."

I did add the can of beer and it was amazing! Thanks for sharing Darcy!

-A Kansas Farm Mom

Pork Roast in Apple Cider Gravy

Before Thanksgiving, I read a post from the people of Certified Angus Beef stating that 23% of consumers have never cooked a roast and 34% only cook one a few times a year.  What?!  A roast is one of those easy, peasy meals in my book.  Throw it in the crockpot and forget about it.  After speaking with some friends, I found the struggle to cook a roast is real for some.  I asked several of my fellow Kansas Farm Mom's to help me out and they were happy to join in the Pot Roast Project!  The boys and I are testing the recipes for you and trying to remember to take pictures.  :)

Our first guest recipe is from Jenny Burgess.  She shares about her family farm at Burgess Hill Farms on Facebook.  Jenny also writes a blog called Farm Wife Transparency.  They have a very different story of how their farm began than ours and awhile back she shared a very personal story on the struggles she has to deal with.  Here is her recipe for a Pork Roast in Apple Cider Gravy.

Pork Roast in Apple Cider Gravy

1 pork roast or pork loin roast
2 medium apples 
2 small onions 
Salt & pepper 
2 c. Apple cider 
1 Tblsp of cornstarch 
 Directions ~ Slice apples and onions. Put half of apples and onions in the bottom of crockpot. Slice deep into roast & about 1 in apart. Insert other half of apples and onions amongst slices. Place roast on top of 1st half of apples and onions. Salt and pepper roast on top. Pour 2 cups of cider around roast. Cook on high 5 to 6 hours, or on Low 8 hours. Once done take out roast and tent with foil. Strain cider out of crockpot into saucepan. Whisk in cornstarch and cook until bubbly and thick.

 Doesn't this sound great?  Do you fear roasts or cook them all the time?  If you are looking for another pork loin recipe, try Christy's Not So Famous Pork Loin and if you like the apples, you might like Caramel Apple Pork Chops.

If you have a great recipe you would like to share, send it to me and I will be happy to share it with everyone else!

-A Kansas Farm Mom

W4DW Guest Post Steak Bites

What's for Dinner Wednesday?  Steak Bites with Glazed Carrots and Creamed Peas and Dumplings all made in under 30 minutes.

Those of you that follow me over on Facebook probably know that we had a heifer that tried to give me heart failure.  She concerned me so much that I drove her to the Oklahoma State University Vet Hospital.  Miss Melinda of Bastian Show Calves was my person to vent to during the ordeal because she knows cattle and she happened to be where we bought her from.  Melinda has raised 2 boys that need some good hot meals to keep them going, so I am excited she shared the recipe with all of you this week.  Be sure to check out Melinda's blog, Farm Livin' is My Life or follow them on Facebook.-KFM

My work schedule has changed yet again and so I'm home on Fridays now.  I took full advantage today to make a good lunch for my guys.  And while I'd like to tell you I spent hours slaving over a hot stove to prepare this meal but in all honesty, nothing took more than 30 minutes to prepare.

Steak bites were the main course.  I had a sirloin steak thawed in the fridge and sirloin really is the best steak for these bites.  Trim the steak and slice into bite sized pieces.  Be sure to remove the silver and the excess fat.  Once you have it chopped into small pieces, sprinkle Cowboy Rub over it for seasoning.  Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter in an iron skillet until completely melted and sizzling good.  Add the meat to the butter and cook stirring once or twice until no longer pink inside.  In the meantime, slice and chop a red onion, a yellow onion and a couple of bell peppers.  I also like to add a can or two of mushrooms or some fresh sliced mushrooms.  Once you have all the meat cooked, add more butter to the skillet and saute the veggies.  A little trick for the farm families out there, I used my little crock pots to keep the steak bites and veggies warm until the guys were ready for lunch.  Worked great without drying out the meat.

 

So, now we need some sides.  My guys really are meat and potato type of men.  I popped 6 potatoes in the microwave to partially cook and hit the baked potato button on the microwave for 4.  Once they were done, I slipped the skins off and chopped the potatoes into medium sized chunks.  Now, the skillet from the meat still had a little butter left in it so I added more and fried the potatoes in that skillet.  Really, they just needed a little crispiness on the outside as they were just about done from the microwave.

Chris is a fan of glazed carrots.  In order for this to be a quick meal, I grabbed 2 cans of carrots out of the pantry, heated them up in a little water, added 2 tablespoons of butter and about 3 tablespoons of brown sugar.  Wa la....glazed carrots.

Mike is a fan of creamed peas and dumplings.  I hadn't made them in a while, but dug out the dumpling recipe and whipped it up for him.  A pack of frozen peas with enough milk to cover them plus just a little was put on medium heat while I did the dumplings.  The dumplings called for 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 1/3 cup milk, parsley to taste, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon salt.  Mix it up and when the milk is hot and peas are just about cooked, add dumplings by the spoonful and cook until dumplings are floating.

So there you have it.  A nice home cooked comfort meal on a busy spring day.    

A Farm Wife's Meal Planner

Summer is coming.  Right?!  Farmers will be busy if it ever warms up and kids will be playing sports and yard work will need to be done.  Schedules will be crazy for every one especially moms and wives who want to feed the family and not run through the drive thru.

I was struggling with a new blog post idea this week with all this cold yucky weather, I don't have the nerve to post pictures of our sprouting corn while others are fighting flood water and then one of my friends posted the following on my Facebook wall with the words," Here's a challenge for you, Nicole."

Considering ALLLL of the wonderful "farm/ranch wife/fiance/girlfriend, et. al." blogs and websites with tips and recipes, where is the one with a recipe tab titled:

"Meals that can sit for hours while you wait for him to come home (fingers crossed) by 9 pm during harvest/planting/calving/shipping/receiving season"

or...

"Super suppers that still look and taste great after multiple reheatings" (Did I just make up a word?)

or what about...

"5 minutes to feed a crew"?

Well, since I am usually with my farmer all day everyday, I have a lot of these in my cooking arsenal, so here goes nothing.

Let's start with:
"Meals that can sit for hours while you wait for him to come home (fingers crossed) by 9 pm during harvest/planting/calving/shipping/receiving season"

One of my farmer's favorites (and the kids, too) is this Mexican Skillet Dinner 

and my friends at H&K Farms like this Mexican Hamburger Skillet.  

There is also Kyle's Easy, Cheesy, Beefy Burritos.  

Now if you have extra steaks that have been grilled the Steak and Pasta Salad is always good on a hot summer night 

or the Mediterranean Steak Salad from the Kansas Beef Council.

Now, on to:
"Super suppers that still look and taste great after multiple reheatings" (Did I just make up a word?)"

One of our absolute favorite meals to have in the freezer and warm up again and again is this French Dip that the meat slow cooks in the crock pot all day long.  

The Barbecue Meatballs that Julie from In Between the Sunsets of Life shared with us are always good.  

We love the Steak Roll Ups (with bacon in the middle) and they can cook in the crock pot all day while I help him in the field.  

Another Crock pot favorite that freezes and reheats well is Pork Chalupas.

 
"5 minutes to feed a crew"? That is just about all of my recipes as long as you let the crock pot do the work.  Christy's Not So Famous Pork Loin is absolutely amazing and virtually no prep time at all.

  My Mom's Disappearing Beef Stew can be made in little time and set in the crock pot or oven to do it's magic or just cook the meat and no veggies.  Serve the meat over egg noodle and my kids are super happy. 

My friend Shirley loves their Spicy Sausage Skillet from when her kids were little and they had a lot of pork sausage to use.  

I love the Cheesy Enchiladas from the Kansas Wheat Commission and they freeze well, too!  

Of course, I love my Lasagna recipe.  It takes a bit longer than 5 minutes, but you don't have to boil the noodles and it will feed a crew and if you are into Lasagna my friend Sue shared her Overnight Lasagna recipe.  

One that has a different taste, but seriously takes less than 15 minutes is Dairy Carrie's Favorite Pork Recipe.

If my farmer is getting tired of sandwiches, which if it ever dries up all the farmers will be eating lunch in the tractor cab on the move, I like to make Kat's Corned Beef to give him a little variety from the usual bologna and ham sandwiches.

Hope this helps you in you meal decisions!  Let me know which one is your favorite.

-A Kansas Farm Mom

Scrumptious Side Dishes and Salads

I am one of those bad moms that gets totally wrapped up in the main dish of a meal and at the last possible minute thinks, hmmm....I guess we should have something to go with this.  I am really trying to do better.  Vegetables and salads are becoming more common at our table.  I am thinking if I put my pathetic list of some of my favorites here, maybe it will remind that I need to fix more side dishes and more vegies for my growing boys.

What are some of your favorite sides?  Feel free to share them with me, because I need all the help I can get. 

Don't have a link and would like to share?  Contact me and I will let you share your recipe here on my blog. 

Bacon Broccoli Salad
Baked Beans

Cherry Tomato Salad
Country Barbecue Potatoes
Freezer Coleslaw
 Mediterranean Steak Salad
One Step Mac and Cheese
Steak and Pasta Salad
Sweet corn cooked in the microwave

Breads:
2 Cheese Braided Wheat Bread

Sweet Treats

If there is one thing most farm and ranch wives can make, it is dessert.  We all have hard working husbands, sons and daughters that calories don't seem to matter.  I on the other hand am slowly learning that I don't have to eat as much or as often as they do.

Here are some of my favorite desserts to make for the family.  If you prefer a pictoral view of the recipes, check out my Pinterest board called Sweet Treats.

30 Minute Oatmeal Pecan Squares
Cherry Cheese Pie
Chocolate Chip Cranberry Milk Bars
Cinnamon Roll Muffins
Cream Cheese Snickerdoodles

Daiquiri Pie
Frozen Apple Rolls
Grandma Jessie's Zucchini Cake

Hello Dolly Bars
Henry Ford Chocolate Chip Soybean Cookies
Jodi's Amazing Brownies

Modern Day Tin Can Ice Cream
Nut Free, Gluten Free No Bake Cookies
Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

Pecan Pie
Pecan Pie Cheesecake
Pecan Rolls

Trail Mix Bars
Whole Wheat Angel Food Cake
Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies