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Hello from HEAB and HEABlet.

Have you tried the Hawaiian Baked Sweet Potatoes yet?

Finished mine off for breakfast. Great way to start the day!
And last night, I made a great meal to end the day…
Sweet Potato Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 pound grass fed finished beef
1 small baked sweet potato, sliced
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp thyme
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350℉. Pulse sweet potato, onion, celery, and garlic in food processor.

Add remaining ingredients and process until well combined. Roll into meatballs, and bake in a greased baking dish for 55 minutes.

Eat atop mustard stir-fry veggies and enjoy every bite!
Dessert was Jammin’…

The very thoughtful Mimi sent me some Jammies Jams, and they are nothing short of amazing. The Shanghai Blackberries contains organic wild blackberries, cane sugar, organic Meyer lemon juice, organic anise, organic cinnamon, and organic cloves, and here is the description for the Chocolate Pear from the Jammies website: Sweet Anjou pears are laced with Godiva Dark Chocolate in this special jam which harkens the onset of spring. Chunks of pear are floating in a Tahitian Vanilla scented syrup before cuddling in the jar with shaved 70% dark chocolate. Elegance in a jar. Jealous?
I ate both atop some oat bran with crunchy peanut butter.

The Shanghai Blackberries contains a wonderful combination of flavors. It isn’t overly sweet, and I love the spices, especially the cloves. As far as the Chocolate Pear goes, no words my friends, no words. Just re-read the description above and try not to drool. Thanks so much Mimi – I can’t wait to experiment more with my jams!
I’m on a bit of a jam kick these days, and I’m curious, what is your favorite jam or jelly?












{ 95 comments… read them below or add one }
What a cute little baby picture! And of course I love her onsie! Those meatballs look interesting. Do you think they are worth making? I am curious to try making them!
Kjirsten,
Yep, definitely worth making. CD and I thoroughly enjoyed the recipe. Hope you do as well if you try it.
I would love to try those meatballs one day in the kitchen, hehe. And awww, Summer is so adorable, as well as her outfit of course. You weren’t kidding when you said she would have enough clothes for a year (or more)
As far as my favorite jam goes, I think my favorite is probably strawberry. Don’t really know about the brand, but I’m partial to all or any that uses very few ingredients to make it. I’ve been on a peanut butter kick these days too! I just bought the Heat Is On Peanut Butter the other day and omigod… Phew, all my other peanut butters better watch out
Sylvia,
I think that is the one and only PB & Co. flavor I haven’t tried. I’ll have to pick some up for myself soon. I bet it would be really good in savory dishes.
Love Summer’s picture, too cute!!
I am not a fan of jams and jellies… although I would like to try that pear chocolate one, the description does make me drool! I like the idea of your meatballs with sweet potatoes.
Ana
Summer is so cute! You are killing me with all of the sweet potato posts…I need more time in the kitchen! Have a great weekend Heather!
What a sweet picture! The pear chocolate jam is really intriguing…I never would have thought of those flavors as a jam! I recently had a really delicious blood orange jam that had pieces of the rind in it; wonderfully delicious! I think my favorite jam is either plain old raspberry or apricot!
Perfect, I have been looking for something new to do with sweet potatoes! These will make a great addition to my weekend menu.
Loving the pictures of Summer, so cute!
She always looks so zen (along with the obviously adorable)! Is she?
Fabulous-looking meatballs—does it change the texture a lot to have the sweet potato in there?
S,
Yes, Summer is quite zen-like. Since she’s our first baby, I really don’t have anything to compare her to, but she’s pretty easy. She only cries when she’s hungry or needs a diaper change, and she calms down very quickly. My mom keeps telling me she’s such a good baby, and since she had 3 kids, I’ll take her word for it.
P.S. The sweet potato made the meatballs more moist…sorry, hate that word, but it’s quite appropriate when describing these balls.
What a cutie pie! She is adorable!
What a cutie your little one is! It doesn’t get much better than a really good jar of jam. Check out my recipe…it’s so delish if I may ever so humbly say so
http://meghantelpnerblog.com/2010/07/16/raspberry-jam-homemade-sugar-free-healthy-jam/
HEABLET! my does that onesie suit you so well
fav jam= homemade raspberry jam! barely sweetened, thick, and tart! runner up would be strawberry jelly – love the reduced sugar one from TJ’s.
Felicia,
Love the TJ’s reduced sugar preserves – strawberry is my fav!
Bilberry jam! (Bilberries are wild blueberries).
I think I can see that cute little HEABlet has grown the last few pictures?
Hanna M,
Yes, Summer is 4 weeks old today. I can’t believe it!
i love apple butter!
and your heablet is absolutely precious! :*)
Thanks Junia.
Oh my goodness Summer looks adorable! I just want to pick her up and cuddle! The Shanghai Blackberries Jam sounds amazing! I may have to work on a sugar free version. I love cloves and anise!
OMG, Summer is so CUTE! You’re giving me serious baby envy and my youngest is almost 13. I’m too old for this!
I’m loving the blog extra hard this week. Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods. I’m making those meatballs this weekend. Thanks for the recipe!
Beth,
You’re welcome. Enjoy.
Summer is so adorable! Love her onesie as well
I’m always on a peanut butter kick.. my current favorite is PB & Co. cinnamon raisin swirl! So good! I also love apple butter, good ol’ fashioned grape jelly, and orange marmalade.
The meatballs look delicious! I will definitely be trying them soon!
she is just too cute
i need to make those sweet potatoes!
yum ‘sweet-balls’ haha i love blackberries and i am so longing for berries to be in season again
frozen just doesn’t come close!
Awesome meatballs! I made some with butternut squash (a la Polly)… the recipe that kicked off the blog actually!
And I am super jealous of your awesome sounding jam! I love blueberry jelly, and peach!
Jam all the way.
Although I was spoiled growing up. My Grandma would pick her own berries (blueberries, raspberries, huckleberries, high and low bush cranberries) and make her own jams and jellies. Now I tend to prefer the really high end jams because its the closest I can find to Grandma’s! (My husband isn’t as picky.)
Kate,
Cranberry jam – never had that. I bet your grandma’s was delicious!
I am a huge fan of strawberry jam. I know it’s very popular and obvious, but I love it!
Meatballs sound awesome! I’ve never tried adding goat cheese and sweet potato to mine before – mmmm.
I love homemade raspberry jam the best.
Anything with strawberry. Also apple butter-jam.
I hope your piling on the mustard! I guessed that giant tub end-date by the end of January!
Aww Summer is sooo adorable!!!! Those jams look absolutely delish!!
Never been a big fan of jam – though that pear and chocolate one sounds amazing!
Love the heablet shirt
Too cute!!!
Sweet potato meatballs – yum!!!
Cutest. Onesie. Ever. Plus, I’m in love with her hair!
Heather,
I just wanted to say HOW CUTE HEABlet is! OH MY!
Everytime I see you post about meatballs, I am like must. make. meatballs. And then I forget about it until the next time you post. Unfortuneatly I just set my crockpot to low with my Cajun Pumkin chilli for tonight. So, its going to happen again.
Can I request that you post these every day until I get my butt in gear?
Katie,
If it was up to CD, we would eat meatballs every night. I’ll do my best…although I could go for some of that Cajun Pumpkin chili right about now. Sounds heavenly.
Summer is so adorable.
I’m a strawberry jelly/jam fan!
Fig – I like that it’s chunky!
Such a sweet baby. Hope the nursing is going okay.
Allison,
Nursing is going. I’m still not producing enough milk, but trying everything to make it happen.
Chocolate pear?! Be still, my heart.
My favorite is either blueberry or fig jam!
Love the onsie Summer is wearing! That is too cute!
My favorite jam has to be strawberry or blackberry – WITH the seeds!
Oh my goodness! Chocolate Pear Jam! Are you kidding me???!!!
Those meatballs sound fabulous too….
Faith,
Completely serious. That stuff is amazing.
p.s. boysenberry jam is my fav
I never tried Hawaiian sweet potatoes. Not even when we lived in hawaii. It was always rice, rice, and rice. I gotta tag this recipe.
I am an apricot jam lover all the way.
LC
P.S.
Summer is getting bigger each day, so cute. Hoping the nursing is going well.
Lindsay,
I know. She’s 4 weeks old as of today! Nursing is going…still working on it. Thanks.
Looks adorable in her Heablet onesie–from Meghann?
And my favorite jam as of late is a raspberry from a local market here called Straubs!
Clare,
Yep, a gift from Meghann. Summer loves it.
Summer looks like she’s grown so much already!!
My favorite is Crofter’s Apricot, or Wild Blueberry. Lately I’ve been putting a blob of jam on everything I put nut butter on.
Corey,
She has – she’s 4 weeks old today. I can’t believe it!
ahhh summer is too adorable! keep the pictures coming
Helllooo, HEAB and HEABlet!
Those meatballs look fantastic- potatoes AND meatballs? Sounds like my kind of meal! We all know how I feel about food in ball form.
(ie, it’s always a good idea.)
Megan,
Big fan of balls myself.
sweetest sweet potato of all. (the picture at the top of this post)
XOXOXOXO
Where do you get your grass-fed beef? Do you have a local farm that you get it from or do you find it in the store? I have trouble finding it in stores around here; I probably need to look into a local farm. I don’t eat all that much of it, but the husband loves his beef!
Maryea,
Yes, we buy our ground beef in bulk from this local farm: We buy 50 pounds at a time, and for $10 they deliver it to our house. It’s some of the best beef I’ve ever eaten. We love it!
I’ve been all about the apricot jam lately.
That beef/potato/cheese dish would be great with the addition of avocado and hummus. Perfect.
You can mash potatoes with any kind of meat (beef or fish) along with butter. Then fry them in a frying pan. You can make “beef cakes” or “fish cakes”. I’ve made them in bigger forms than a meatball.
Summer looks like your husband in that photo to me.
TS,
Beef + Butter. Those beefcakes have my name written all over them! CD’s as well.
Is it the sweet potato that makes these stick together? Is it possible to make meatballs/patties etc without an egg, breadcrumbs or mashed potato? If you just smoosh ground meat together with flavourings, will it stay together?
Is it obvious that I only just started eating meat again after five years?
Laura,
Yes, the meatballs stuck together beautifully, and I’m thinking it was probably the sweet potato. I haven’t had much luck with them sticking together without an egg, but I bet from flax seed gel would work just as well. You could also try grinding up some walnuts to make walnut meal – that might work…or almond flour.
I am all about the fig jam right now. It’s expensive but sooo yummy, and I love that the seeds add a tiny bit of crunch. Spread that with some almond butter on ezekiel toast and I am one happy gal.
I love how you still call Summer the HEABlet! Haha!
I grew up in a house where my mom and grandma canned everything. And made jam and jelly. Everything from rhubarb jam to peach and apple jelly to canned apricots…pretty much there isnt a jam or canned fruit/fruit preserve I dont enjoy
Fruit + sugar is always a winner for me…lol
These jams look awesome! And you are the sweet tater recipe queen!
And little Summer…awhhhh, soooo cute! And she’s growing!!! Give her a big kiss for me!
My favorite jam? Um, I’ve never had it or heard of it but obviously the Chocolate Pear! The description just made me drool outside of my mouth a little bit.
Chocolate pear jam sounds completely amazing. I am going to have to try to make my own or get my hands on a jar of the Jammies! My favorite jam has always been a tie between fig and raspberry, but I think chocolate pear will easily take both of their places.
Girl, you cease to amaze me! Sweet potato meatballs?! My list of recipes to try is getting HUGE!
I absolutely love fig preserves! Last time I went to the Farmer’s Market, I bought a jar of FROG preserves (Fig, Raspberry, Orange, and Ginger). I haven’t opened it yet since I have 3 jars open in the fridge now, but I can’t wait to try it!
Heather,
FROG preserves? Yum, I must find some of that!
That picture of Summer is ADORABLE! (well, they all are)
Jam? Hmmmmm it’s been a long time since I’ve had jam….I guess I’d say I’m boring since my favorite kind is raspberry. But then again, I’ve never tried any of these fabulous flavors above. This must change soon.
Happy Friday!!
I haven’t made them yet, but can’t wait!!! I made your Sweet Potato Cottage Pie last night and it was SO Delicious!!!! I added some peppers and sprinkled some crumbled goat cheese on top! Plan to make many more times
J.Flo,
So happy to hear you enjoyed the cottage pie. I’m so adding goat cheese to the top the next time I make it as I loved it in the meatballs. Added great flavor.
I love seeing photos of Summer! Thanks for posting another one- I was going through withdrawals
I’m still working my way through my sweet potato curry from earlier this week! SPW is passing me by and I’ve only made one dish!
Melissa, If it makes you feel any better, I still have several more SP recipes to try, and so we could always extend SPW.
Chocolate pear? Sign me up!
My favorite jam these days is apricot.
Ooo yum! Definitely putting those meatballs on my list for the week!!! I LOVE sweet potato (almost as much as I do butternut pumpkin……but not quite
)
Summer is just gorgeous. I love her Heablet outfit. Too cute!
In that photo, I think Summer looks like an exact smush of you and your hubby!
Kristen.
“Smush” Love it.
HAHA- seems to me like you are having your pregnancy cravings POST pregnancy!
Meagan,
I know! My cravings and appetite are still out of control. I’m guessing it’s all the nursing.
Summer is so adorable!! She is totally a mix between you and CD:) My appetite is crazy when I’m nursing….eat up and enjoy:)
a little off subject
but I just had to thank you for showing me that eating lots of healthy fats really does help you to lose weight. It really worked for me. Also I’ve been dying to try your coconut butter recipe. I found Bob’s Red Mill finely shredded unsweetened coconut and took a chance on burning out my blender
The blender made it and OH MY GOSH!! This stuff is amazing! I had it in oatmeal yesterday and I just had it on pumpkin pancakes. Thanks again for your inspiration!!!
PS Summer is adorable!
Colleen,
I’m so you’re doing well and feeling good. Enjoy your coconut butter – reminds me I have some in the cabinet that needs to be eaten. Love that stuff!
You’re so welcome and just so you know, “eating lots of healthy fats” is never off subject here at HEAB.
Always looking forward to seeing Summer photos
!!!
Aww, Summer is so cute! And I’m so glad you liked the jams! Hehe, being a mom’s hard work–random blobs of chocolate or blackberry sweetness are a good thing!
Thanks again Mimi! Poured the chocolate pear over my oatmeal this morning. It was heavenly.
That is THE cutest onesie I’ve ever seen! Summer is beautiful.
Thanks Lee.
I make a huge batch of habanero jelly every fall and then give away little jars to friends for Christmas. I make mine suicide hot but a little on top of goat cheese with a rye crisp is a taste explosion.
Michelle,
That sounds amazing. I’m loving on some pepper jellies lately. Never had them until recently. So yummy.
I can’t wait to see Summer fill out the onesie, a full-grown HEABlet!
I have been enjoying cranberry jelly on everything, ’tis the season.
I don’t know if you’ll see this, but I made these for our dinner tonight (I changed them ever so slightly, used celery salt instead of celery because I didn’t want to buy a whole bunch we wouldn’t eat, left out the goats cheese, added an egg and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and left out the tomato sauce-lol, sorry maybe more than a little bit). I just had to tell you though that they are sensational! My kids polished off a HUGE 6 each!!! They were beautifully tender in the middle and had just a tiny hint of sweetness to them thanks to the sweet potato (plus, bonus points for getting veggies into my kids without them complaining
).
So thank you for a wonderful recipe! It’s definitely going in the favourites folder to be made again and again!
Amy,
So glad the whole family enjoyed the meatballs…and that the kiddos got in some veggies. Thanks for letting me know.