Here's the lowdown on Matty's Legendary 'Secret' Meatballs. We ate these meatballs for many years in the Crine house. Sometime around 1970 our church published a cookbook made from local contributions. Within those pages was this simple recipe that my mom began using when entertaining. Matty got his great hospitality habbits from our parents, who were always finding an excuse to throw a party it seemed like. Birthdays, Christmas, New Years, 4th of July, whenever. I know memories of growing up get a little distorted as you get older, but it always seemed as though the food and booze was always freely flowing in the Crine house. As we got into our teens, our parents couldn't understand why we liked to party so much? Huh?

One great memory of mine is when my parents were having another summer get together and there was beer jammed into the basement fridge. Our older brother Jeff and some of the other kids were at the 'experimental' age of 16-17 and hankerin' to catch a drinkin buzz. Matty and I became the curriers of the beer runs. I would be the lookout, and Matty would smuggle beers outside to the kids in a baseball glove. It worked for a long time until the inevitable - the older kids were a little drunk and Matty got caught red handed with an incoming round. Funny stuff.

Anyhow, a little off topic - the bottom line is that the meatballs were as great back then as they are today. The best way to cook them is in a large crockpot for a long time, several hours. Even overnight. We used to make our own meatballs, which you can do too. I don't have a meatball recipe, but most any simple, no thrills meatballs will work - meat, bread crumbs, eggs, seasoning, a little onion. Frozen 'little' cocktail meatballs will work just fine too. The key word here is 'little' - only about 1-1.5 inches.

We always cooked the meatballs right in the sauce. So blend the sauce ingredients together and let it get hot in the cooker. Carefully drop in the meatballs, stir occasionally and just let them cook. The longer the better. Yum. Let me know when they're done and I'll be right over.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs - more simple than secret

5 lb meatballs
4 cans jellied cranberry sauce
4 jars chili sauce
6 T brown sugar
6 T lemon juice

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