Two recipes my Mom keeps on hand. Anytime she gets in from the garden a bit late, she pops them on the stove and dinner is ready before the rest of the family is there.

Her trick: prepare a whole pan full on one cooking day, then enjoy for 4–6 meals.

Recipe #1 — Barbequed Meatballs

She makes these every year for our Appreciation Day, and people tell me they drive all the way to the farm for these meatballs.

Meatballs

• 3 lb. ground meat (Beef or lamb is our favorite, but turkey or chicken is also good)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups quick oats
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 tsp. chili powder (optional)

Mix well and shape into balls. Put in a single layer in a baking dish.

Sauce

• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1/2 cup sugar or maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. mustard (optional)
• 2 Tbsp. liquid smoke
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped

Cover meatballs with sauce and bake for 1 hour at 350°F.

Recipe #2 — Honey BBQ Wings

“These outwit Apple Bees or Chick-fil-a (in my opinion, plus the pride of making them yourself! :)”

These are the boneless kind — you cut chicken breast into pieces, so you get all the sauce and none of the bones.

Ingredients

• 5 lb. boneless chicken breasts
• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs

Breading

• 6 cups flour
• 3 Tbsp. salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional

BBQ Sauce

• 3 1/2 cups ketchup
• 2/3 cup white vinegar
• 3/4 cup molasses, or 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
• 3/4 cup honey
• 2 tsp. liquid smoke
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 3/4 tsp. onion powder
• 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional

Instructions

1. Cut chicken into small pieces.
2. Whisk together eggs and milk; set aside.
3. Breading: mix together all breading ingredients.
4. BBQ Sauce: stir everything together in a saucepan; simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
5. Dip chicken pieces into the milk and egg mixture, then into the breading. Repeat again so the chicken gets double coated.
6. Heat oil in a skillet to 375°F. Deep fry the chicken about 5–7 minutes. Lay on a dripping rack to dry a little.
7. Put in a roaster in layers: chicken, then sauce, chicken, sauce, and so on.

Hint: if you don't have all the seasonings, don't worry. You're good if you have salt and pepper.

One Cooking Day, A Week of Suppers

• Monday — meatballs over noodles
• Tuesday — Wings. Already made. You walk in at 7:45 and supper is hot
• Wednesday — meatball subs
• Thursday — the last of the chicken over rice
• Friday — empty any meats in the fridge with the leftover BBQ sauce
• Saturday — by now the kids will be asking for more BBQ Wings 😉

What You Need From The Farm

Ground Beef for the meatballs, and Chicken Breast for the Wings. The seasonings you most likely have at home already.

Our beef is grassfed and our chickens are raised without soy, which is most of why the meat tastes like something before you ever put a sauce on it.

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Many blessings to you!
—Gideon and my family