Yes, I Just Said Spinach Balls

Christmas Tree Bird Assault Status: Cat: 1 ; Bluebird of Happiness, 1
'Game On' called on 12/6/14 when bird was placed in tree. Points earned by cat removing bird or bird staying in tree overnight.

Oh my gosh, I am exhausted. Mentally and emotionally, I'm just about cooked! And, due to that state of being, I didn't even consider running this morning as I needed the sleep!

My night ended at the same time when today officially began (which is a really long way of saying 'midnight), but I wouldn't have had it any other way. Pit Crew #2 and I were up way past our bedtimes pondering life's lessons and discussing strategies by the light of the Snoopy Tree. We giggled, we had some tears, we became a little loopy. 'Sounds pretty perfect to me even though neither of us have the energy to do that all the time!

When I finally got to a point to actually focus on something today, I decided to try out a new recipe that came through my Facebook feed the other day ...

Mighty appropriate ... bwaaa-ha-ha ...

They're called Spinach Balls! (Yes. Yes, I do think that's funny.)

There they are right out of the oven before anyone tasted them.

The recipe appealed to me because I love spinach, but most recipes involving it also involve a whole lotta other yummy ingredients that kind of defeat the purpose of it being in there in the first place amiright? I was also hoping for another veggie option just to keep things interesting!

First thing's first ... THE VERDICT ...

This is what went to the center of the table:

And, this is what came back:

Participating in the Spinach Balls take-down was all 4 of us!
I was totally surprised ... and, stoked!

And, in case you are wondering how to make them, here's the recipe as I made it (click here for the original; I tweaked very little):

24 ounces of frozen chopped spinach (each bag I found was 12 ounces, so it was the best I could do)
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/8 cup melted butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped cashews
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray.

Take thawed spinach, and strain/dry. The drier the spinach, the easier it's going to stick together later.

Put spinach in large bowl with all other ingredients, and mix well. I used my hands, and I'm certain it worked better than using any utensil, but do what works for you.

Mixture should be moist. Make balls about the size of a small bouncy ball (about and inch or so in diameter). Bake for about 20 minutes. Balls should be slightly browned and firm when done.

They were sooooooo good!! I already can't wait to make them again! And, when I do, there will be a slight adjustment in that the recipe calls for no salt, and we felt it does need it. I'm thinking half of a teaspoon should do it. Tonight, we sprinkled it on top, but most of it fell off because there's really nothing it could have stuck to.

Other than that, we couldn't come up with room for improvement! Mmm ... mmm ... MMM!! Aaron's exact words after tasting the first one: "I will eat the crap out of those!" And, there you have it.

Enjoy whatever you are doing to wind down your weekend, and I'll check in after the morning run!