Sweet-and-Sour Meat Loaf

(from Taste of Home)

1 egg, lightly beaten

5 TBPS ketchup, divided
2 TBPS prepared mustard (i am pretty sure i used a spicy brown mustard)
½ cup dry bread crumbs
2 TBSP onion Soup Mix
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 lbs lean ground beef (i am sure it would work with ground turkey as well)
¼ cup sugar
2 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP cider vinegar

1)      In a large bowl, combine the egg, 2 tbsp ketchup, mustard, bread crumbs, dry soup mix, salt and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into an oval loaf.

2)      Place in shallow 1 QT microwave safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 10-12 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and is 160⁰. Drain.

3)      Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the sugars, vinegar and remaining ketchup; drizzle over meat loaf. Cover and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Yield: 4 servings

Ok folks, this is where i changed it up.....  

**I did not microwave mine. I used bread a loaf pan and baked in the oven at 350 for 35 minutes, drained out the grease, then poured the sauce over it and baked longer – about 10-20 minutes…until it reached 160⁰. I did let it stand for about 10 minutes before slicing.

** the only thing I wish I had done, was have more sauce as it sort of ran down into the pan and I wanted it to stay on top of the loaf like ketchup does LOL. Possibly next time I will double the sauce and reserve some to pour on top at serving. OR even try and cook the sauce and reduce it by half so it is thicker before I pour over the loaf…..not quite sure.

Jessica's Fresh Cilantro Salsa

The other day I had some of my husband's family over and each family brought something to share. Jessica brought the most wonderful salsa! I just must share it.....

5 medium tomatoes
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 sorreno pepper
juice from one lime
1/2 tsp cumin (because I LOVE cumin, I will put probably a tablespoon LOL i love it that much)
1/2 tsp salt

Throw all ingredients into your blender and once all blended....ENJOY with your favorite corn chips! I LOVED THIS SALSA!

Jenner's Version of Cowboy Caviar

1 15-ounce can mexi-corn

1 15-oz can black beans OR black-eyed peas

1 avocado diced

2/3 C chopped cilantro

1/2 -1 whole medium onion chopped

4 roma tomatoes diced

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C red wine vinegar

3 cloves garlic diced

3/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground pepper

2 TBSP ground cumin

Mix corn, black beans, avocado, cilantro, onion and tomatoes in a bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and cumin. Add to Veggies and toss to coat. Grab a bag of chips and enjoy! YUMM

Jenner's Italian Breadcrumbs

2 cups bread crumbs

3/4 cup Parm Cheese (i don't use the grated kind, i used the already "powdered" kind LOL it works better i think!)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp ground pepper

4-5 HEAPING tsp Italian Seasoning (one day i will go back and actually measure how much this is, but LOL that's all i did here)

mix all together and viola you now have made some yummy italian bread crumbs. yummmmmmm

sweetened Condensed Milk...how to make

3/4 C sugar
1/2 C water
1 C plus 2 TBSP Powder Milk

Combine, Heat to boiling. Cook until thick (about 15-20 minutes)

This equals 1 can sweetened condensed milk :)

Carmel

This year my sister Angi and I made Carmels for Christmas. HOW FUN! I enjoyed this so much! AND I enjoyed eating these little carmels WAY too much!!!

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups Karo Syrup

1 can Eagle Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 Squares Margarine

Cook for 20 minutes stirring constantly in heavy pan on lower heat. Pour into greased 9x13 pan.

Rice Pudding

4 cups rice (I use minute rice)

1 cup sugar

3-4 eggs

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1/2 cup to 1 cup raisins

once rice is cooked, just cover with cold milk to cool the rice, add beaten eggs and stir. Add sugar and cinnamon and raisins. Continue stirring until thickened.

YUM!

Stout's Texas Fudge Cake

1/2 lb margarine

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

4 Tbsp cocoa

1/2 tsp slat

2 cups flour

2 well beaten eggs

1/2 pint sour cream

**if you do not have sour cream, take 1 cup milk and mix with 1 Tbsp vinegar)

1 tsp soda

Heat and stir margarine, cocoa and water until boiling. Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients. Use large, flat pan - very large cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Ice while warm.

Icing:

1/4 lb margarine

6 Tbsp milk

4 Tbsp cocoa

1 lb powdered sugar

1 cup nuts or coconut

1 tsp vanilla

Boil first 3 ingredients, remove from heat, add rest of ingredients and beat with spoon. Pour over cake.

I just had to have this recipe and my brother in law makes it several times a year. His mother Naomi Stout put this in her ward cookbook one year. As of yet, I have not made this with the nuts or coconuts, this is a wonderful and very moist cake. LOVE IT! Thanks Joe for sharing!

Home-Made Biscuit Mix

You know those recipes that call for "this much" biscuit mix.....well what do you do if you do not have any Bisquick handy? I came across this home made mix and I don't mind this recipe!

Chill your mixing bowl and beaters!

5 cups flour

2 1/2 Tbsp baking powder

1/4 cups sugar

2 tsp salt

1 cup chilled shortening

cut in shortening just until it resembles course crumbles. The less handling the better! you can just use two knives if you don't have a mixer or pastry blender. Using a fork would actually mash it together too much. I personally used my mixer and just made sure it was all combined well. it took no time at all and the crumbles were fairly fine.

Store in airtight container. Unrefrigerated this will keep for 10-12 weeks. Refrigerated will keep for up to 8 months.

To make biscuits mix 2 cups biscuit mix and 1/2 cups milk. Bake 450 for 10 minutes. Makes 8 biscuits.

German Apple Cake

Can I just say YUMMMMMM! This is one of the best cakes I have made and eaten! It is a pure slice of heaven! :)

4 cups diced apples

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

3 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs beaten

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees. Combine apples and sugar. Stir until mixed well and set aside. Add beaten eggs. Once eggs are stirred in, add all remaining ingredients. (this was easy enough to mix I could just stir together with a spoon)

Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Poke holes in cake with fork for sauce.

Sauce:

1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cups white sugar

2 Tbsp flour

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

Cook sugars, flour and water until clear and slightly thickened. Add butter and vanilla. Pour sauce over cake while it is still hot. Serve Hot. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle with cinnamon or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. ENJOY!

** I have also made this with splenda and what I have noticed when using splenda is that the recipe is much dryer than when made with regular sugars. If I were to make this recipe again using splenda, I think I would probably cut the splenda in the cake in half probably. I could not taste a difference in the sugar vs splenda cakes.

Garlic Mashed.....Cauliflower

Lately I have been faced with the dilema of being more diabetic aware and have been trying to adjust some of my recipes accordingly. One of the sides I love is Garlic Mashed Potatoes. We all know that they turn into sugars as your body breaks them down. I came across this recipe online at a few sites and hooooray it is also a fat burning dish.....

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
2 medium to small heads Cauliflower steamed or boiled until tender
1 Onion chopped
2-4 cloves garlic chopped
1/4-1/2 cup margarine
olive oil

pour about a tablespoon of oil in a pan and cook the onions until tender. Add cooked cauliflower and cook another 5-8 minutes. Transfer to blender or food processer and cream with some butter or margarine. If needed, add just a touch of milk to help attain the creaminess desired.

Add a touch of oil to the pan and cook garlic until browned - but not burned. Stir into the mash and serve.


Ok....I knew I wouldn't like this recipe! That is how much I love cauliflower. However, I had made some gravy and aside from being a little bland (so experiment, add seasonings i.e. french onion chip dip or ranch dip instead of milk and cut down on the margarine) this was really not a bad dish. I will make it again. My father in law loved it so much he had 3 helpings of the garlic mashed cauliflower! YAY for another successful recipe.

Grilled Chicken with Plum Salsa

Did you wonder what to do with all of those yummy little plums in your Bountiful Basket? Well...here is one idea. Now, having never really had plums, and I am not sure I am a huge fan to just sit and EAT one...this recipe was WONDERFUL!!!

My husband wasn't too sure what to think of it, so only timidly took some of the salsa. Once he took a bite, he reached for the salsa bowl and scooped another spoonful onto his plate! This was so good!

4 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1) heat 2 tsp veggie oil in a grill pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat.

2) combine first 4 ingredients. Rub chicken with brown sugar mixture.

3) add chicken to pan and cook until done.

Plum Salsa (or peaches, nectarines, pineapple)

1 cup chopped ripe plum

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

2 tsp cider vinegar

1/4 to 1/2 tsp hot sauce (your preference)

1/8 tsp salt

Combine in a bowl. Serve with chicken.

Enjoy!!

Spiced Apricot Jam

5 C blended apricots (or peaches)
1 tsp butter
1/4 C lemon juice
1 box pectin - (I used Surejell pectin)
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnoman
1/8 - 1/4 tsp annise extract
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg

prepare Jam per the pectin instructions - Adding these spices adds so much to this jam you will not believe it!

Serving ideas:
*on bread with butter and jam of course!
*glaze on a ham
*glaze over cooked carrots
*disolve a Tbsp into a cup of hot water for a yummy cup of spiced tea
*cook in a crockpot over meatballs and veggies, serve over rice
The possibilities are endless! Be creative!

Cherry Clafoutis

What to do with all of those cherries?!!! Well let me tell you about one idea that I came across. Cherry Clafoutis "cla-foo-tee". The only thing that would have made this recipe prep easier is if I had a cherry pitter. (my fingers seem to be died a dirty red color LOL)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a blender, blend on high for 1 minute:

1 1/4 C milk

1/3 C sugar

3 eggs

1 TBSP vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1/2 C flour

pour 1/4 inch of batter into a pie plate or baking dish. If a pie plate is used, make sure it is a deep dish! Set the dish on your stove top on a medium heated burner for 1 to 2 minutes to allow to set just a bit.

Add halved and pitted cherries to the top of the batter in pan, then sprinkle with 1/3 C sugar. Pour remaining batter over cherries and sugar. Smooth top and bake for about an hour until it is puffy and browned. Clafoutis is done when knife in center comes out clean.

Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping. YUMMY

Bounty...

This week's Bountiful Baskets was incredibly wonderful - AGAIN!!! I volunteered this time and was surprised at how fun it was. My brother in law went with me and we helped sort produce into the baskets then were asked to stay and help traffic people as they came to get their bounty. It was so much fun! Standing and stooping sure made my rear end sore LOL it is the good pain though. For volunteering, we were able to pick some extra items to add to our loot. YAY! So this is what I had in my basket - including what my extras were...I will mark with an * which included extras...

3 Cantaloupe *

2 bags red grapes *

2 bags cherries *

1 bunch broccoli

2 heads Romaine lettuce *

1 bag baby carrots

16 plums

3 tomatoes

13 peaches

2 avocados

small brown bag full of green beans

6 bananas

I am super excited to get busy and make some yummy dishes with my bounty this time. Stay tuned for more. :)

Enchilada Casserole

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 onion

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 Tbsp Chili powder

1/2 to 1 tsp cumin (I like cumin so I used the full tsp)

1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)

1 small can chopped olives (optional)

1 can diced chili peppers (small can)

6 flour tortillas

8 oz grated Mexican blend cheese

1/2 c water

Preparation:

Brown burger and onion until meat is browned. Drain. Stir in salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, olives, tomato sauce, and peppers. Bring to boil.

In greased 2 1/2 Qt casserole dish, alternately layer tortillas, meat mixture and cheese, ending with cheese sprinkled on top. Add water and cover with lid or foil. Bake 400 for 30 minutes. Top with olives, green onions and fresh chopped tomatoes.

ENJOY!

Heavy Cream Substitute

Ok, here is another tip that my little sis shared with me...if you don't have Heavy Cream that is called for in the recipe and you don't want to go to the store...try this.....

3/4 C milk
1/3 C butter (or margarine works as well)

Preparation:
1. melt the butter
2. Pour into the milk and stir
3. Use in place of one cup of heavy cream.

Tip: if you use low-fat milk, add a TBSP flour to the mixture to thicken.
*can not be used to make whipped cream (cooking or baking only!)

Buttermilk Substitute

Have you ever wanted to make a recipe and then find that you aren't going to be making THAT one because you don't have all of the ingredients? Well I found myself doing that with a couple of recipes this week. My little sister is so resourceful, she was kind enough to share a couple of substitutes for some ingredients:

Buttermilk Substitute...

Milk (just under one cup)
1 TBSP white vinegar or lemon juice

Preparation:
1. Place a TBSP white vinegar OR lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid to the one cup line.
3. let stand for five minutes. Then use as much as your recipe calls for.

TADAAAAA ~ HAPPY COOKING

Jenner's Yummy Apple Crisp

Every time my In-laws come over and want a desert, or when my DH is craving something sweet... most of the time, this is what they request ... Enjoy this yummy version of Apple Crisp.

1/3 C all-purpose flour

1/2 C packed brown sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided

1/2 C butter, melted

1 C rolled oats

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

6 large apples peeled and chopped

1/2 C granulated sugar

* Pre-heat oven to 375. lightly coat 9x9 pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, melted butter, oats, salt and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, combine apples, granulated sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon; pour into pan. Cover evenly with topping, pressing firmly onto apples.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm with whipped topping or vanilla ice cream.

ENJOY!!

Oriental Bok Coy Salad

*Recipe courtesy of a FB post as well as from Cooks.com with a little twist of my own :)

1/2 C butter
2 T white sugar
1 oz sesame seeds
2 pkgs Ramen noodles crushed - do not use flavor packets
10 oz coarse chopped pecans (you could also use sunflower seeds or slivered almonds)
2 lbs bok choy lettuce chopped coarsley
5 green onions chopped tops and all
Mandarine Oranges

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sesame seeds, noodles, pecans and sugar. Stir constantly until lightly browned. This mixture will burn quite easily - so constant stiring is necessary. Poor into another dish to cool to room temperature.

Toss bok choy and onions together and chill until ready to use.

Dressing:
3/4 C vegetable oil
1/4 C red wine vinegar
1/2 C white sugar
2 T soy sauce
Mix well and chill until ready to use.

Just before serving, break up the crunchy mixture and add to bok choy. Pour dressing over, mix and enjoy!

Some fun additions to this yummy salad could be: Blue Cheese or Feta cheese crumbles, strips of chicken or pork, fried wontons, craisins - be creative!

We all enjoyed this salad and I am quite excited to make it again in the future.