My Favorite Meatloaf

Growing up, meatloaf was never my favorite, but after finding this recipe and most of all, ditching the loaf pan, I've discovered that meatloaf can be something to look forward to.
All-American Meatloaf
Adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

1 T. vegetable oil

2 minced garlic cloves

1/2 t. dried thyme

2 t. onion powder (my family doesn't like onion pieces)

1/2 C. ketchup

1/4 C. packet light brown sugar

4 t. cider vinegar

2 eggs

1/2 C. milk (plus possibly a bit more)

2 t. Dijon mustard

3 t. Worcestershire

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

2 pounds meat- I often use just ground beef, or 2/3 ground beef and 1/3 ground pork, but you could also got with "meatloaf mix" which is equal parts of beef, pork, and veal.
2/3 C. crushed crackers - saltines work, I like Ritz

1. Heat oven to 350 with rack in middle.

2. Mix together the ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, milk, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, onion powder, and thyme.

3. Mix the meatloaf mix, crackers, and egg mixture until evenly blended and the mixture doesn't stick to the bowl (if its sticking, add in a bit of milk until it doesn't, about 1 T. at a time).

4. Either turn the meat mixture onto a fold-lined baking sheet and shape into a 9x5 in loaf. OR- my new favorite, especially for freezing ease, fill muffin cups 3/4 way full in a muffin pan. Either way, brush with half the ketchup mixture and bake for about 45 minutes.

5. Brush the meat with remaining ketchup mix. and continue to bake until the center measures 160 degrees , about 15 minutes. Let cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing loaf, or serving individual muffin-sized meatloaves. Love that crunchy coating! YUM

Happy cooking.

A Challenge...

I challenge you to be part of something great.  Do something that really has an affect on other people and see how you feel.  Decide what that is for you!  Thinking about the Ronald McDonald House Charity Walk I participated in last Spring, I am certainly interested in doing more.  This was a 5K walk- right up my alley!  I am NO runner, but I can certainly walk.  You don't have to sign yourself up for something that is you biggest challenge, just push yourself to try something new to you and be prepared for great results!
A related option for the Orange and LA County areas coming very soon:
http://www.bethematchfoundation.org/site/TR?fr_id=1631&pg=entry

And speaking of "Be The Match"... check them out!  By signing up, you could end up saving a life -and it may not be as difficult as you think. 

Don't wait for a time when you think things will be great, do something great when time says you can.

Nature's Sports Drink

While at the Ronald McDonald House Charity Walk this past April, I was able to sample some coconut water and found it was tasty as well as being a great addition to a healthy diet. I really like lightly flavored waters, so this was actually right up my alley. Not overly sweet, this tasted fruity and refreshing. I had Zico's Passion Fruit flavor. This has some great health benefits as well and could be used as a sports drink. "ZICO Natural has more potassium than a banana, four other naturally occurring electrolytes, only 60 calories, and no fat or added sugar. It is low in acidity and high in potent antioxidants." Wow! We all think of bananas when it comes to potassium, but this has even more. Check out their website yourself for even more benefits- http://zico.com/benefits/
Consider this very natural way to replenish after a run, workout, or difficult day.

Not exactly meant to be an endorsement for Zico- I'm sure there are other brands out there, but this is the only brand of coconut water I've had and I wanted to share what I found.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas (before Halloween)

You may be wanting to run away from the thought of Christmas, especially this early, but fact is just like the stores, you should plan ahead.  They get us to start thinking about Christmas early as then there are many more chances for us to make purchases from them.  It's just part of their strategy.  Take the cue and make your own plan!  Begin planning for Christmas ahead of time too, and you can end up ahead.  Make a savings plan if you haven't already.  Don't go into debt over Christmas.  There's absolutely no need.  Of course your family and friends "deserve" the things you want to give them, but that's not what Christmas is about and do you really want to teach your kids that mentality?  Change the way you think about Christmas, the gift giving and other spending.  Start thinking about what kinds of gifts you would like to give -within the budget so you can begin looking around for good prices and options.  Start thinking out of the box too when it comes to how to give.  Maybe your coworkers could get a homemade gift.  Homemade gifts can show infinite amounts of effort and care, but can cost much less, especially when making bunches of them. 
Also, what's the possibility of making a fun rule between some friends or family members?  I did this with a couple friends last year and we vowed to either purposely re-gift to each other, or make the gift.  We had more fun this way taking the pressure off of money.  We still thought carefully about what each other would want or need so we put no less effort into the gift, just less money!
Get those wheels turning and expand your horizons.  So many people are in the same tight financial boat that you may be, so do them a favor by releasing THEM of gift-giving burdens by doing it for yourself. 

Not Your Grandma's Creamed Corn

If I tell you this is a recipe for Creamed Corn, I may loose you so... here's a really yummy recipe for corn that we always serve at Holiday meals.  It's not in the healthy category, except that there's a veggie in it.  It's so good though, if you like corn, you'll adore this warm and comforting version.  I repeat, it is not a healthy version of corn!... but so delicious I'd be depriving you if I didn't share.  Just don't make it too often (wink, wink)
I think my mom originally got this recipe from a newspaper (its not from the book shown). 
Makes lots!
2 pkgs (20 oz) frozen kernel corn- I like to do one yellow and one white corn
16 oz. (1 pt) Half and Half
1 tsp. salt
6 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. melted butter
3 Tbsp. flour
dash of pepper - optional

Combine all ingredients except last two in a pot and bring to a boil.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Blend butter with flour, add to the corn, mix well and remove from heat.
variation~ put finished corn in a heat proof casserole dish, sprinkle with Parmesean cheese and place under a broiler until evenly browned.

Sweet Potato Bisque

I can't believe I haven't shared this one yet!  Perfect timing with the weather finally changing to fall.  I just made a batch of this delicious soup yesterday.  Even my two-year old loves it and asked for it for lunch yesterday and today.  It's VERY adaptable.  Yesterday in fact I tried two small sweet potatoes (or yams) as well as some kind of large beige squash.  It was cheaper and I thought I'd try it.  Well it worked fine as well as adding in some baby carrots.  Seriously, the main flavor from the sweet potatoes can handle extra veggies, so try it your way.
Sweet Potato Bisque
1/4 C butter
1 C celery chunks
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 C chicken broth
1 C milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t cloves- optional- I'm not a big fan
Melt the butter in a 4 qt. saucepan. Add the celery and saute for 5 minutes. Add the sweet potato dices and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium, cover and cook for 25 minutes until the potatoes are very tender. (time will partiall depend on the size of chunks you made)

Puree the potatoes with a hand-held immersion blender. Stir in milk and cloves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve or freeze for later.

Sorry I don't know where this original recipe came from. Enjoy the ease of this soup and healthy sweet potatoes!

Too Hot to Handle?

Have you lowered the temperature on your water heater?  This can save on energy costs as well as provide a safety feature for your family.  You can still have hot water, but you certainly don't have to have that scalding water that comes straight out of some taps.  You can also insulate your water heater with a specially made "blanket", but turning down the temperature doesn't have any investment cost.

In Your 'Hood

Have you checked out what's going on in your neighborhood or city?  There's good times to be had and few dollars spent on small-scale events nearby.  First, you may be able to walk and save on gas, but a neighborhood event is certainly going to save miles on the car over a drive to a more traditional event.  Your city may be sponsoring events for families that you are missing out on.  Start hunting on the Internet and actually looking through those leaflets sent from your city.  Even neighborhood garage sales are something to keep the family busy and doesn't require much money spent.  You can set the limits even before setting foot out the door.  You can go on a hunt for something of need, or give each family member a small set amount and let them decide how to spend it.  Whatever the event or the small amount you may spend, if your family is spending time together enjoying new adventures, a good time will be had- for less. 
May I also add that if you think nothing is happening near you, that you get the ball moving.  Rally up a neighborhood bbq, garage sale, bake sale, or carnival!  You can even do the event to raise funds for a great cause.

Eat Your Veggies

Don't roll your eyes! This can save money and improve health. If you're often finding yourself cooking up a meal around meat- the meat being the star of the meal, as well as the largest portioned item, you may want to add some variety by downplaying the meat and giving a starring role to some easy-to-prepare sides. Not only is meat often more expensive, we often eat more than needed- not saving as much room for lower-calorie and less expensive veggies. Especially when the seasons inspire you, challenge yourself to center a meal around different vegetables and perhaps add a bit of meat as if it were a side dish. Don't let what you think your family expects rule you. If you're the one making dinner, then you're the boss!


~More veggie recipes to come to help you out.