Swedish Meatballs- A Warm Meal for a Confused Spring Day

 

 

One day of 70 degree weather spoiled me.  It is now 35 degrees and spitting snow. 

I know spring is coming. I can’t be fooled!  While I wait I will just be thankful for a few more days of cool weather to cook up some of our favorite cold weather meals. Before long I won’t even want to turn on the oven.

With the continued cold weather there’s nothing to do but,  bake up some crusty homemade bread and a dish up bowls of steaming comfort food.

 

 

 

 

Venison Swedish Meatballs

3 slices whole wheat bread, torn into small pieces

1/2  cup milk

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1/2 small onion, minced

2 lbs.  Venison or ground burger

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1  teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 Tablespoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon fennel, crushed

2 large eggs

 

Mix bread and milk and let sit.  Mix together meat, seasonings, and eggs.  Sauté onion in 2 Tablespoons of butter until transparent. Squeeze excess milk out of the bread.  Add the onions and the bread to the meat mixture.  Mix well.  Shape into meatballs.  Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Brown meatballs on all sides.  Place the browned meatballs into a greased hot crock pot.

 

Gravy:

2 Tablespoons butter

1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried parsley

3 cups chicken stock or broth

1/2 cup half-n-half

Melt butter in saucepan.  Wisk in flour until paste is formed. Add the chicken broth and stir until thickened.  Add the salt, parsley, and half-n-half.  Mix well.  Pour the gravy over the meatballs.

 

Cook on high in slow cooker for 2 hours or until meatballs are cooked through.

Just for a Moment

It’s almost 60 degrees out this morning.  The windows in our house are open wide, letting in sweet spring.  The birds melodious notes are floating on the cool breeze and the froggies down at the pond are chirping to their mates.  It’s glorious!

I yearn to hang out multiple loads of laundry, but there’s an undulating rain heading our way (again).  My oldest son pointed, dejectedly to the computer screen to show me a huge bunch of green with turquoise bands of snow behind it.  In his next breath he stated with much remorse that  he wouldn’t get to enjoy this brief taste of spring because he had to do school.  I glanced at him and said, “Go! You have an hour to enjoy this!” 

In a flash all four of them scurried out the door.

 

 

We’ll do school later.

 

 

 

 

Spring seems long coming this year.  We disked the garden and then it rained.  Actually more like poured.  It has done that off and on for two weeks.  There has been no gardening activity since.  I long to get my lettuce, spinach, radishes, turnips, and kohlrabi into the ground, but that’s just not going to happen any time soon.  So, I garden on an old card table set in front of our sliding glass doors.  It will suffice for now!

 

 

 

 

Such anticipation I have for long warm days when I can sink my fingers into sun warmed dirt, sit back on my heels and be shown again and again how Awesome my God is!

Until then I will praise Him for the beauty that is shown in His creation even on these in between days!

 

 

Scavenger Hunt~ 04/14

Glow

 

 

 

Old

The old disk my husband uses to get my garden ready for spring planting.

 

 

 

Shadow

It has been so cloudy here lately that I wasn’t able to get a shadow shot, but when I was out one evening this week, as the sun began to sink below the horizon everything was thrown into shadow.

 

 

 

Spring

No flowers are up in my garden yet, and just a few crocuses here and there in other peoples yards, but the Pussy Willows behind my house are in full fluff!

 

 

 

 

Smile

I pulled this one from my February archive. I had so much fun taking photos of my nephews and nieces. And every time I see this photo I break out in a big smile!

 

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An Itty Bit of Spring

 

 

 

 

Yesterday evening, right before dusk, I was blessed with a few free minutes.  I grabbed my camera and headed out the door.  The wind was coming in chilly gusts and the conditions weren’t perfect for trying to capture nature in photos.  I spent a lot of time waiting between gusts.  Focusing was difficult  with everything moving, but I had seen the Pussy Willows from my kitchen window earlier in the day.  I wanted to capture them as the sun went down.  I spent about 45 minutes outside a good portion of that just waiting for the right moment.

By the time I got back inside my toes were going numb, my fingers were stiff, and my nose was running, but it was well worth it!

 

 

 

 

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I used Kim’s textures KK_minus43 and KK_1402magic for this photo.

 

Imagine

 

 

 

Breathing in and savoring this day.  Holding close all His blessing for me. Resting in His grace and mercy.  Seeking His beauty in the every day and finding it. 

I can’t even begin to imagine my life without my Savior.

He is more than enough, for me.

He’s the ONE!

 

 

 

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Sleepy

 

 

 

 

I glanced across the room and saw my sleek gray, Sneakers dozing.  The sun was streaming through the sliding glass doors in huge shafts, casting a hazy afternoon glow.  The whole scene shouted, “REST, quit rushing.  Doesn’t this look heavenly?”

That’s what I have been missing lately.

I need to rest.  Not so much as in, on the couch with a soft pillow and old comfy quilt, however that does sound rather dreamy right now.  It’s more like: take a breath and quit pushing.  There is so much I want to accomplish.  I’ve wanted desperately to write.  To spill out words that encourage and words that move.  But, my mind has been sleepy and dull in those respects. And my days keep pushing me. Not enough hours, not enough inspiration, and not enough peace.

I know that God is calling me to rest.

I need to grasp within my heart what I know in my head. 

If no words come for me to place upon a new, blank page, it is okay.  I need to just rest.

If I pick up my camera and inspiration seems to elude me, it is okay. He will show me beauty in time. I need to remember to rest.

If I feel in over my head and the pressure weighs heavy.  It is alright, as long as I remember to hand it over to Him and just REST.

He never asked me to carry this on my own.  He has, however, called me to rest in Him. 

 

 

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.  Psalm 62:5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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textures used:

kk-partings

kk-1402magic