Because of Connie, crockpot meatballs

                                         Crockpot MeatBalls
                            Because of Connie

This dish is SOOOO easy to make and ALWAYS a crowd pleaser!

You can use store bought meatballs.
I don't, only because we could never get meatballs in some of the places we lived.
So I'd just make them, and now I can buy them easily I don't.  I've been making them for so longer I just do :)

Years ago we spent Christmas with a very special family.
The whole time was wonderful! It was a real family time christmas :)

On Christmas Eve, we went out to  ours friends parents home for their annual party
This is where I first tasted these meatballs.
Well We were hooked!
To me this was another one of the wonderful Connie's masterpieces.

Have they ever tasted as good as Connie's? NO!!!!!!
Not even when I could get the right ingredients!

I decided there and then when I grew up, I wanted to be just like Connie!

What you'll need 

ground beef ~ around 2lbs/1kg
oregano ~ 1 teaspoon
chili powder ~ 1/2 teaspoon
salt ~ 1/2 teaspoon
black pepper ~ 1/2 teaspoon
smoked paprika ~ 1 teaspoon
dried onion flakes ~ 1 tablespoon - optional 
apple cider vinegar ~ 1 teaspoon

Bottle of classic BBQ sauce ~ 1 bottle
mixed fruit Jam ~ 1 jar

In a  bowl add all the ingredients and mix well
cover and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour. The longer the better!
Roll take a small amount and roll into balls and place on a baking tray
Bake at 180/350 degrees for around 25 minutes

Place in a crockpot/slowcooker

Then mix the BBQ sauce and jam and pour over the meatballs
cook on low for at least 2 hours
Your basically just warming the dish through

***
The onion flakes I add for a little extra but if you don't have them no problem
The The Jam I had in the house had seeds in so I sieved the jam to remove the seeds
***

Mint Chocolate pavlova kisses

                             Mint Chocolate Pavlova Kisses
                                   Gluten Free

Well it's coming to that time of year .........Cookie Exchanges :)

I'm always looking for different ideas and this is a hit!
These just melt in your mouth.

While these aren't cookies, they are great for something different


Mine don't always look great, But They always disappear VERY QUICKLY!

What you'll need

egg whites ~ 2
cream of tartar ~ 1/4 teaspoon
salt ~ 1/8 teaspoon
fine white sugar ~ 1/2 cup
mint extract ~ 1/4 teaspoon
Green food colouring ~ 4/5 drops
Chocolate for melting ~ 100g ( I used normal milk chocolate)



Heat preheat oven to 200/100 degrees

Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. 
Add the cream of tartar and salt and keep mixing
Add the sugar a little at a time.
Add the mint extra and FOLD in DON'T whisk.
Add the food colouring and again fold in.

You'll know its ready when you can turn it over in the bowl and it doesn't fall out!!!

In a piping bag or piping decorator
add your pavlova mix
line a oven tray with baking paper or a silicon mat and pipe little kisses onto the paper/mat
place in the oven and bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes.
Turn off the oven and leave to cool.

Melt the chocolate and dip the kisses into the chocolate or use a small plate knife and smooth a little of the chocolate on the bottom of the kisses

Leave to set ( I placed them in the fridge for 10 minutes)

Enjoy!

Fall/Autumn Sugar cookies

                                             Leaf     Sugar Cookies
                                 For Fall/Autumn

I wanted to make something different, I also wanted to make a sugar cookie that wouldn't need decorating.
So decided to make these fall/autumn sugar cookie leaves.

They are so easy  much easier to make than you think

This makes 4 dozen cookie

What you'll need

butter (room temp) ~ 1 cup
sugar ~ 1 cup
eggs ~ 1
milk ~ 2 tablespoons
vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons
all purpose flour ~ 2 /2 cups
baking powder ~ 1 teaspoon

few drops of red, yellow and orange food colouring

Cream together the butter and the sugar,add the egg, milk and vanilla extract
and mix well

Add the flour and baking powder and mix well.
Until the dough has come altogether

Split the dough into 3 , add a few drops of food colouring to each dough and mix well and each dough is coloured right through.
You can do this by hand or use the mixer.

Wrap each dough  in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 3 hours (the longer the better)
Then using half of each dough (PLACE REMAIN DOUGH BACK IN THE FRIDGE!)

 Roll dough into to balls and place together and and roll into one piece.
using a cookie cutter cut out leaf shaped cookies.
Bake at 400/190 degrees for 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and put on a cooling rack.

Enjoy