Chicken Parmesan Meatballs.

Isn't chicken parmesan wonderful?  I think it's safe to say that it is my "go to" meal at Italian restaurants.  That being said, I make it more often at home than in a restaurant.  And I was excited when I saw a recipe for chicken parmesan meatballs because really, who doesn't love meatballs!? 

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

(Recipe adapted from Dinner - A Love Story)

1 1/4 pounds ground chicken or turkey (I actually used turkey because that is what I had on hand)

1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons dried onion
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic
1 egg, whisked
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 can tomato sauce

½ pound noodles (prepared)
¼ package fresh mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Using a mixer, mix together chicken, breadcrumbs, onion, parsley, parm cheese, garlic, and egg.  Shape into balls the size of a golf ball and place on a foil lined baking sheet.  Brush a bit of olive oil on each meatball.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix ¾ of your sauce with your noodles and place in an oven safe baking dish.  Remove meatballs from oven and set on top of the noodles.  Add a dollop of sauce and a slice of cheese.  Broil for 5 minutes. 

This is a pretty easy meal with a flair of fancy! 

And for those of you who follow us on facebook.  My husband did NOT use ketchup on these meatballs (and, yes, he often would even with the tomato sauce!)

Take Five Bars.

Happy Mother's Day to our mom, who inspires us every day and inspires us in the kitchen so much that we started this blog!  And Happy Mother's Day to all the moms who read our blog.  Thank you for trying our recipes and keeping us motivated here...even if there has been an 18-month hiatus...

But, the hiatus, was well worth it in regards to:

• First trimester of pregnancy = fatigue and no appetite = no reason to cook
• Second trimester of pregnancy = attempting to recover from the first trimester = limited cooking
• Third trimester of pregnancy = hottest summer record in a house without air conditioning = no oven usage
• Beautiful Baby Ella was born!
• Newborn with colic = baby cries all day, sleeps all night = momma tends to baby all day, sleeps at night = consumption of many apples with peanutbutter
• Colic ends...but...

Then there was the accident and surgeries:

• Friends and neighbors supply an abundance of food - thank you!
• Husband busy recovering = no appetite for him

And then there was trying to adapt to returning to work full time, being a mom, a wife, help on the farm as able, etc, etc, etc (something most of you moms have already figured out).

And now it is all finally jiving.  I couldn't be more excited to feel that I have found the balance that I've needed so badly the last few months!

That being said, I was looking to make a pan of bars to incorporate sweet and salty.  You know...to keep with the whole balance thing!  [And because I bought a few boxes of yellow cake mix on sale to find out that my husband doesn't like yellow cake].  Funny how he suddenly liked it when it was in bar batter and completed bar form.  :)

Take Five Bars.

(Recipe slightly adapted from Six Sisters Stuff)

1 box yellow cake mix

2 eggs (divided)

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons milk

2/3 cup crushed pretzels

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

4 ounces cream cheese (softened)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 heaping cup caramels (cut into quarters)

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together the cake mix, one egg, butter, and milk until combined.  Split dough in half - setting one half aside and mixing pretzels into other half.  Press the dough with pretzels into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake for 8 minutes.  Beat one egg, peanut butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar until well combined.  Spread over the top of the baked crust.  Sprinkle caramels and chocolate chips over the top of peanut butter mixture.  Lastly, flatten pieces of remaining dough over the top of the bars.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Cool and enjoy.

While I don't think these taste a whole lot like a take five candy bar, they are good and helped me to use up one box of yellow cake mix.