Bev's Famous Meatloaf

Found this in People magazine.  It said it's one of Miranda Lambert's mom's fave recipes.  

The first time I tried it I only used one pound ground beef to make sure we liked it.  It was a hit with my husband and me!  We're already making it a second week in a row.  This time I'm using a pound of ground beef and a pound of ground pork.

Give it a try!

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef
1 lb ground pork sausage
18 saltine crackers, crushed
1/2 green bell pepper, diced (I used a mixture of red, orange and yellow from my freezer)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tb Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup ketchup

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine first 8 ingredients and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a medium bowl just until blended.  Place mixture in a lightly greased 11x7 inch baking dish, and shape into a 10x5 inch loaf.

2.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Remove from oven and drain.  Stir together ketchup and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar; pour over meat loaf.  Bake 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 160 degrees.  Remove from oven; let stand 20 minutes.  Remove from baking dish before slicing.

Makes: 10 servings

Ham & Potato Pockets

I've been away awhile!  Had a baby in January but I'm going to try to get back to posting every so often because we've been trying lots of new recipes.

This will become a favorite for sure.  It was delicious!  I could see doing a breakfast pocket, or a bbq chicken pocket, or a pizza pocket.  And next time I'll definitely use my homemade crescent rolls instead of store bought.

Ham & Potato Pockets

3/4 lb cooked ham, diced
1 c Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 c ranch dressing
2 c frozen hash browns
1/2 c onion, diced
2 Tb margarine
1/8 tsp garlic powder
2 cans crescent rolls

Place 2 cups frozen hash browns in microwaveable safe bowl and defrost approximately 3 minutes.
In small skillet cook onions and hash browns in butter until warmed and slightly browned.  Add garlic powder.
In separate small bowl, mix together ham, Swiss cheese, and ranch dressing.
On cookie sheet spread out crescent roll dough and pinch together triangle perforations to make 4 squares per can.
Place 1/4 cup potato mixture and 1/4 cup ham mixture into center of the crescent square.
Fold over dough and seal with fork.
Place in 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.

FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS:
Let cool and then flash freeze (or place in a small zipper sandwich bag) and place in a gallon size freezer bag.  Freeze.  To serve:  Place in microwave for 2-4 minutes OR in oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through.

Serves: 8

Apple Picking

Went on our annual apple picking trip last weekend.  Not only do they have a fun kids area but great apples!  We ended up with $50 worth of apples and all I've made with them is homemade applesauce.  Last year I made lots of different things (apple pie muffins, apple bread, cross cross apple buns, apple turnovers, and apple pie of course) but this year I think I'm sticking with applesauce and a pie or two.  My husband and I absolutely love homemade applesauce.  I don't even eat any other applesauce.  So it doesn't last long.  I've found I can put it in my jam jars and freeze it and we can enjoy it a little longer.  What have you made with apples?

Homemade Lemonade

Lemons were cheap enough so I bought a small 2lb bag today and tried out some homemade lemonade.  I used the ratio of 1 cup sugar: 1 cup water: 1 cup lemon juice.

Mix 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan and boil gently until sugar is dissolved.  Meanwhile, squeeze lemons until you have 1 cup of lemon juice.  Combine lemon juice and sugar water.  Add 3-4 cups of water. 

We got about 1 1/8 cups of lemon juice and just used that with the 1:1 ratio of sugar and water.  It was a little tart so the 1:1:1 ratio is probably good.  I also read that if you use Meyer lemons they are naturally sweet so you may want less sugar. 

Menu Plan

I'm hoping to start updating this again but I'm not making any promises!  My son started kindergarten this year, plays soccer, daughter started dance and goes to preschool, and I'm expecting our third child, a girl, in early Feb.  So needless to say I've been making fast and easy dinners, usually those tried and true recipes, and not so many new ones and haven't had much to post.

Here's the plan for this week:

~Fajitas, rice, fruit
~Tortellini Soup, garlic bread, fruit
~Enchiladas, corn, fruit
~BLTs, chips, fruit

What We're Eating Wednesday

We're in a local produce co-op and we had the option last week of getting 8lbs of strawberries for $10.  I couldn't pass that up of course and figured what a great way to get ahead on my freezer jam.  I think I had about 12 jars, maybe 15, that I ended up making last summer but they were gone so quickly!  I didn't realize that my sisters and dad liked it so much and my husband fell in love with these fruit bars that just aren't the same without homemade strawberry freezer jam.  So this year I've decided we have the freezer space so I might as well stock up.

Can't wait to see what you're all making this week.  Please share!

Cheesy Burger, Rice and Broccoli Skillet

This was a recipe I got from the Pillsbury website.  It was alright.  Not sure I'd make it again without tweaking something though.

Cheesy Burger, Rice and Broccoli Skillet

1 lb lean ground beef
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4-5 drops hot sauce
1 cup uncooked regular long grain white rice
2 cups water
4 cups frozen broccoli florets
4 oz (1 cup) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Brown beef in skillet until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently.  Drain.

Add soup, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce; mix well.  Stir in rice and water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring once or twice.

Meanwhile cook broccoli to desired doneness as directed on package.  Drain and set aside.

Stir cooked broccoli into ground beef mixture; mix well.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Cover; cook an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

1 1/2 cups = 420 calories

Veri Veri Teriyaki

 

My Dad's BBQ is one of my favorite things to eat.  He makes the best chicken ever!  I finally asked him what he used for his teriyaki chicken and this is it.  I wasn't sure I'd find it at home since we live on opposite sides of the state but I did.  I've used this on shrimp and chicken and it's great on both.  I highly recommend this if you like a teriyaki flavor.  I think my dad even puts this on the chicken and freezes it until ready to use.  It's pretty powerful though and if you're short on time an hour or so of marinade time still provides a very  nice flavor.

What We're Eating Wednesday - Shrimp Lorraine

This was a new shrimp dish I made.  I picked up the recipe card at our local grocery store.  I loved it, hubs liked it, and I suggest you like garlic if you make this!


Shrimp Lorraine
2 Tb unsalted butter, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, chopped (1/4 cup)
1 1/2 pounds raw, peeled, and deveined 36-40 count shrimp, thawed if necessary
1/2 cup refrigerated savory garlic cooking creme (like the new Philadelphia cooking cremes)
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
3 Tb dry sherry or white wine
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Spray 1 quart baking dish or ceramic or metal pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.  In 12 inch skillet melt 1 Tb butter over medium heat.  Add garlic and green onions and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add shrimp and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque throughout and reach an internal temp of 145 degrees, stirring frequently.


Add cooking creme, cheese, sherry and cayenne and cook until cheese begins to melt.  Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.  In microwave safe bowl, heat remaining 1 Tb butter in microwave until melted.  Stir in panko; sprinkle evenly over shrimp mixture.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges bubble and top is golden brown.

~300 calories per serving


This post is linked to:
Your Recipe My Kitchen at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
Take a Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts
Made By You Monday at Skip to My Lou
Delicious Dishes at It's a Blog Party
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free
Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple
Mouthwatering Mondays at A Southern Fairytale
Homemaker Monday at 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace

Menu Plan

Finally trying some new things this coming week!

~Twice Baked Potatoes
~Shrimp Lorraine
~Teriyaki Chicken
~Cheesy Burger, Rice, and Broccoli Skillet
~Honey Mustard Pork Chops

Two nights this weekend we'll be out of town for Easter and I'm not cookin'!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

It's that time of year again!  We're on our second year of gardening and sure have learned a lot.  This year we added one more smaller box and still have peppers to get in the ground.  This past weekend we planted our corn, zucchini, and lettuce.  The strawberries from last year are taking off and are already covered in blooms.  The raspberries are doing well and already growing nicely.  We planted two new raspberry bushes this year, black raspberries, but they aren't looking too hot.  They're still just a stick in the ground with no growth.  I'm hoping they're still settling in and will take off soon.  Let me know if  any of you garden and send me your blog so I can follow along with your gardening successes!

 

Raspberries

Strawberries

 

My wimpy lettuce.  I'm hoping they perk up soon and get bigger.

 

Zucchini

 

Corn - we have on whole bed of corn this year because it did so well last year and was very yummy!

 

Overall view of garden.  This year we also added a fence.  Last year I tried peppers and as soon as anything grew, something (rabbits maybe?) stripped them.  So I never got any peppers.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup w/ Dumplings

 I was making Chicken Pot Pie for dinner and decided instead of layering the dough on top and baking in the oven I'd try making it into dumplings and having more of a soup.  My husband's vote was that he liked it better, I'm not so sure.  I liked it just fine but the textures between the two different ways are totally different.  I say this is a keeper but I'll make it both ways still.

See above for the link to my Chicken Pot Pie receipe.  You follow all the same steps except for the end:

Mix up the dough.  Add a little bit of extra chicken broth or milk to the pot with the vegetables and chicken, probably a cup or two depending on how thick it already is, and bring to a slight boil.  Drop the dough mixture by tablespoonfulls on top of the soup mixture.  (They will get larger as they cook so I wouldn't make them too big.)  Let sit for a minute or two then flip over.  Wait a minute or two, push those to the side, and add more dough.  Repeat until all dumplings are in and then stir.

This is linked to:

What's Cooking Wednesday at Turning the Clock Back
What's On the Menu Wednesday at Dining with Debbie
What's On Your Plate at GoodCheapEats
Made it on Monday at Lark's Country Heart
Tasty Traditions at Coupon Cookin'
Recipe Swap Thursday at Prairie Story
Tip Day Thursday at Around My Family Table

What We're Eating Wednesday

I decided to host my very first Blog Hop!  I'm always looking for new recipes and enjoy seeing what others are cooking so please share your recipes!

I will usually be posting a recipe myself but this week has been kind of crazy and I haven't had a chance to cook anything new.  I do suggest checking out the Potato Leek Soup I made this past weekend.  That was a new recipe and is one of my new favorites!

Let Me Know!

Let me know what you think about the new blog design.  New name too.  I absolutely love the job they did over at So Stylilized.  Definitely check them out for any of your blog design needs.

Potato Leek Soup with Bacon

This was in the April 2011 issue of Food Network magazine.  I love how pretty this soup is and it was very good.  It will definitely be making an appearance next fall when it becomes soup weather again.



Potato Leek Soup with Bacon

2 Tb unsalted butter
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 c cubed crusty bread
4 slices bacon, chopped
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 c heavy cream (I used half and half)
1 1/2 c frozen peas (do not thaw)
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
*I added just a little bit of shredded Italian cheese blend

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Make croutons:  Melt 1 Tb butter, then mix in paprika in a bowl.  Add bread cubes and toss.  Spread on baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in large saucepan over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes.  Transfer with slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.  Discard all but about 1 Tb fat from the pan.  Add remaining 1 Tb butter, then add leeks and garlic; cover and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add broth, 2 cups water, potatoes and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper; cover and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 10 mintues.

Puree half the soup in a blender, then return to pot.  Add cream and bring to a simmer.  Add peas and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with croutons, bacon and parsley.

4 servings = 446 calories

I got 8 cups out of this so I made 6 servings at 298 calories each.

This link is posted to:

Seasonal Sundays at Real Sustenance
My Meatless Mondays at My Sweet and Savory
Your Recipe My Kitchen at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
Take a Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts
Made By You Monday at Skip to My Lou
Delicious Dishes at It's a Blog Party
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple
Homemaker Monday at 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven
Tasty Tuesday Parade of Food at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace
Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff

I'll Be Back Soon!

I know I keep promising to get back to my regular posting and it just doesn't happen.  I've been unmotivated these past few months, have had sick kids, and a crazy work schedule. 

But Monday April 18th my new blog design is being set up and then I'll be rockin' and rollin' with a new name (Peas & Carrots), new design, and lots of new recipes to come.  With the changing weather I'm getting more motivated to cook, have started getting our produce co-op again, and am ready to go!

Just bear with me one more week to get some things together and then I'll be back!

Scrambled Egg Muffins

We had this for dinner but this would be a great breakfast, brunch, and would probably freeze well too.

Scrambled Egg Muffins

1/2 lb pork sausage
12 eggs
1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped green pepper (I used red)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

In skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  In bowl, beat eggs.  Add onion, green pepper, salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Stir in sausage and cheese.

Spoon by 1/3 cupfuls into greased muffin cups.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

12 servings
158 calories per muffin

Menu Plan

~No meat Friday:  fish fry at our church for the hubby and kids, probably veggie sub from Subway for me
~Chicken Puffs (from freezer), corn, fruit
~Nachos, fruit
~Sloppy Jo, baked potatos
~Red Beans and Rice, fruit
~Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole, garlic bread, fruit - NEW!
~Egg Muffins, fruit, toast - NEW!

Bacon and Caramelized Onion Asparagus

Bacon & Caramelized Onion Asparagus

3 slices bacon
1 1/2 lb fresh asparagus spears, trimmed (frozen works just fine)
1 Tb water
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c ranch dressing

Cook bacon until crisp.  Drain.  Discard dripping from skillet.  Place asparagus in microwavable casserole or 10x14 inch dish.  Add water.  Microwave 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp tender.  Meanwhile, add onions to skillet; cook and stir 5 minutes or until crisp tender.  Stir in dressing.  Drain asparagus; top with sauce and crumbled bacon.

This was even better leftover the next day!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

I asked my mother in law for this recipe since hers was absolutely delicious!  This is what she sent me, although we both added some velveeta to ours.  You could leave out the ham to make it meatless too.

Creamy of Broccoli Soup or Broccoli Cheese Soup

4 cups chicken broth
1 large bunch broccoli, chopped (3 cups)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp salt
dash of ground pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 oz ham (1/3 cup diced)
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half and half, my  mother in law uses evaporated milk)

Combine broth, broccoli, onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper in large saucepan over high heat.  When broth comes to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.  The vegetables will become tender.
Remove bay leaf and discard.  Transfer a little more than half of the broth and vegetable mixture to a blender or food processor.  Mix on low speed for 20 to 30 seconds.  This will finely chop the vegetables to nearly a puree.  (Be careful blending hot liquids. You may want to let it cool a bit before this step.)
Pour the blended mixture back into pot over medium/low heat.  Add flour and whisk until all lumps have dissolved.
Add ham and cream.  Continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the soup is as thick as you like it.
If you're adding cheese do it at the very end and just warm until melted.

This made 6 cups for me.  It says that it makes 4 servings as an appetizer or 2 servings as an entree but we got three servings easily out of this one.

This post is linked to:

It's a Keeper Thursday
Show Off Your Stuff at Fireflies and Jellybeans
Tasty Traditions at Coupon Cookin'
Recipe Swap Thursday at Prairie Story
Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple