Hirschi Family: July 2012

Monday, July 30, 2012

National Balloon Classic

Every year they have tons of hot air balloons in this show, it is fun to go and watch.

Meatball Recipe (Hayes' Favorite Meatballs)

Yes, this recipe is actually called Hayes' favorite meatballs. My family got it from my Kindergarten teacher and her husband's name is Hayes. We can just pretend it's a family recipe I guess!lol!

2 lbs hamburger
1 cup crushed saltine crackers
1/2 cup milk
2 TBS minced onions
Salt and Pepper

Combine in a bowl and form into balls. (sometimes it's easier to just mix it with your hands from the beginning.) Put them into a glass cake pan.

In a large saucepan combine:

2 cups ketchup
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 TBS minced onion
Salt and Pepper

Pour sauce over balls in sauce pan. It might seem like a lot of sauce but we like to have extra to put on our baked potatoes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Raspberry/Blueberry Freezer Jam

I made a couple of changes to this recipe because I wanted more raspberries in it than what it called for. I also didn't use as much sugar. I think that you don't have to be exact on everything and it will still work out. We love it!!!

4 cups crushed blueberries
3 cups crushed raspberries (The original recipe only calls for 2 cups but I ended up doing more like 3 1/2 cups)
4 cups sugar (It calls for 5 cups in the original recipe but I didn't want too much. You could even try doing less if you wanted to I just don't know about having it set up)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup water
1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin (I don't think it matters what one you use.)

In seperate bowls crush the blueberries and raspberries. (I used the Cuisinart smart stick because we had one from our wedding and it took about 1 minute to mix each. I also use it when I'm doing salsa and lots of other things. I love it!!!) Measure them and combine in one big bowl. Stir in sugar and lemon juice. Let stand for 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring water and pectin to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add to fruit mixture; stir for 3 minutes. Pour into jars or freezer containers. Cool to room temperature; about 15-20 minutes (mine was at room temperature right away but maybe that's because I tripled it. I still left it alone for about 15 minutes though to make sure it was all mixed in and the sugar was dissolved.) Pour into jars and cover. Let stand overnight or until set but no longer than 24 hours. Refrigerate for up to three weeks or freeze for up to a year.

Grilled Stuffed Zucchini

Ryan and I had this Saturday and this is a really really yummy and healthy recipe. Dad might be able to eat this one.

2 medium zucchini (about 10 inches long)
1/2 tbl olive oil
salt & pepper for season
4 ounces Italian turkey sausage
1/4 cup diced red onion (we just used a regular onion)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 medium tomato diced (1/2 cup)
1tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2/3 cup cheese
1 tbl. Italian bread crumbs ( we made our own put a slice of bread broken up with Italian seasoning and little oil in oven 400 degrees until they are crunchy)

1. Slice zucchini in half lengthwise. Be sure to leave the ends on.
2. Scoop out centers, saving them in a bowl. Sort out 1/2 cup of best parts of the scopped out zucchini (avoid seeds if possible), dice, set aside. This will go in your filling
3. Drizzle zucchini's with oil and use your hands to rub it on all sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Preheat the grill to medium
5. Remove the sausage from the casing. Brown the sausage, then add the onion, garlic, and diced zucchini. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add the tomato, basil, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Place the zucchini hollow-side down on the grill. Grill for about 5 minutes on medium heat. They should have nice grill marks and look tender on the inside. Remove from heat.
7. Add the bread crumbs to filling mixture and divide filling mixture among the zucchini and top with your 2/3 cup cheese.
8. Place them back on the grill filling-side up. Close the grill lid and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Larger and thicker zucchini will take a few minutes longer to cook.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Crock pot Chicken, Ham, and Swiss

This recipe is from my neighbor Tiffany and I love it :)

Crock pot Chicken, Ham, and Swiss

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

8 slices of Ham

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 C. sour cream

4 slices of swiss cheese

2 C. rice

Spray or grease bottom of crockpot. Layer 4 slices of ham on the bottom. Put chicken on top. Put another layer of ham on top of the chicken. Mix sour cream and cream soup together and pour on top. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. 30 min-45 min prior to serving put swiss cheese on top. Serve over cooked rice.