This is a family favourite

This is not - and never has been - a homemaking blog, but I do have some ideas to share once in a while! Since I work during the day now, I don't have the time I used to have to prepare weekday meals. Dinner prep time is at a premium and my family likes a nice, sit-down meal for supper. Every supper. Ask anyone who's seen us - we are all big supper eaters. Canned soup and crackers is just not going to cut it for this family.

I have developed a repertoire of fast meals that are acceptable to my family. One of our favourites is sweet and sour meatballs on rice with boiled carrots. It's a very tasty combination. Actually, many of our favourites have meatballs so I make them often in large batches and freeze them for later use. They're handy to have around and there are lots of different meals that you can make with meatballs: spaghetti and meatballs, meatball and sauerkraut soup (Ok, so maybe YOU won't be making that one, but we like it!), meatball stroganoff, etc. etc.

Here's how I get sweet and sour meatballs on the table in under 30 minutes:

1. I get a pot of rice going in the microwave first because it takes the longest. (I cook rice in the mic instead of on the stove.)

2. Then I put a bag of frozen meatballs in a big pot. I empty a can of pineapple chunks with the juice into the pot and turn it on low. While those are heating up a bit I fill the empty can half full with water and add in some ketchup, garlic powder, vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. I mix in about 2 tbsp. on corn starch and add it to the pot and let it simmer while I make the carrots.

3. Then I peel about 6 or 7 large carrots and run them through the food processor so they are sliced nice and thin (they cook faster like that). The carrots go on the stove to boil.

4. While the carrots are boiling, I chop up a green pepper and add it into the meatballs.

5. By the time the carrots are finished cooking, the rice is finished and the meatballs are done.

6. Serve the meatballs over the rice with the carrots on the side. Quick and easy!