Have you ever felt like you’re multitasking too much?  I know, it goes against everything I stand for to say that but… for the first time in a while… I am feeling a bit stretched thin.  It’s the holidays, people!  We find ourselves hustling and bustling and second-guessing everything we’ve bought and done, and usually forgetting what the whole holiday is truly about.  The other day I heard something interesting on the radio.. they asked if Christmas was about finding the perfect gift that YOU wanted FOR someone, or the perfect gift that THEY wanted.  These can be two very different things, and can stress someone like yours-truly out.  It was an intriguing thought, to say the least.

In the end, I guess, I personally hope that everyone is smiling.  Many years back I bought my husband-to-be a gift that was horrifying to my parents, ridiculous to others, and probably just plain silly.  However, he smiled, and I will never forget that reaction.  I suppose that is a lot of what the holiday means to me.  It’s about making others that you love smile like the best thing on the planet has just happened to them.

So, here’s to you… and yours.. and their great-big smiles.   I hope that your holiday is filled with smiles that fill all of 2012.  So happy cooking, happy multitasking… and happy everything to you!

Ah yes, and a recipe.. I can’t leave this post without that, can I?  So here is the “copycat” version of Ikea’s Swedish Meatballs that I just loved!  Throw it in a crock pot and serve it at you holiday cocktail party… I promise you’ll get raves (and smiles!).

Almost-Famous Swedish Meatballs
courtesy of Food Network Magazine
Yields: 45 Meatballs

For the meatballs:

1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup minced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound lean ground pork
1 large egg plus 1 egg white, beaten
Vegetable oil, for brushing

For the gravy:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Lingonberry jam, for serving (optional)

Make the meatballs: Put the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Pour the milk mixture over the breadcrumbs and stir to make a thick paste; let cool. Add the beef, pork, egg and egg white to the bowl and mix until combined.

Brush a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Roll the meat into 1-inch balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the meatballs until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Make the gravy: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth. Whisk in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the cream and meatballs. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving dish; sprinkle with the parsley and serve with lingonberry jam, if desired. (*Note – I was missing Lingonberry jam, which I’m not a fan of anyway but my husband is, and I substituted cranberry jam instead!).

~M