Meatloaf

A dear friend of mine loves to cook and is an excellent cook! She shared her homemade meatloaf one day and it was delicious! I asked her for the recipe. It was a recipe with a little bit of this and little bit of that. Here is the version of the recipe I've created for us.

Dice up and place in a large mixing bowl: 

Jalapenos (we use three or four fresh jalapenos from the garden)

Habanero (we used 1 from the garden)
Green Bell Pepper (I used a small green bell pepper from the garden)
Small onion (or 1/2 of a large onion)
Dried Basil

Garlic salt

Then add 2 lbs of double ground Chuck Roast (or any ground beef) into the mixing bowl.

Next add 1 egg, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 6 oz can of tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and Montreal Steak seasoning. Mix well.

My friend recommended making two loafs; however, I end up making just one big loaf. Next spread ketchup on top. then bake at 400 degree for usually less than an hour.

I will make mashed potatoes to complete the meal. Enjoy!

Beautiful Sunday

Today was a better day. This morning I went for a hike with a couple of friends and the dogs on a new trail. It was a beautiful day. Spending time outside with nature is always a good way to help me reconnect with my Higher Power. We had some rain last night and the morning starting to clear a little, but it stayed cloudy and cool. About half way through the hike the clouds rolled in again and threaten to rain. Thankfully it did not rain on us. However, it was a wonderful time with friends and a great way to start the day! 

The desert is always beautiful after a rain

I love the smell of the desert after a rain

Sadie & Me

Clouds hanging low over the mountains

Lovie & Sadie, our hiking buddies

This evening I had a cookie baking marathon for our cookie exchange at work tomorrow. I tried a new recipe I found in my recipe stash. They turned out soft and delicious! I included a scan of the recipe if you would like to try. Enjoy!

Apple Snack Squares

As I mentioned, it's a birthday season now through December for our family and friends. I made our family favorite Apple Snack Squares this weekend for my sister's birthday. It's been a while since we've had these goodies.

2 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cup self rising flour*
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cup diced peeled tart apples
1 cup chopped nuts
3/4 cup butterscotch chips

In a bowl, combine sugar, eggs, & oil, mix well. Stir in flour & cinnamon (batter will be thick). Stir in apples & nuts. Spread in a greased 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan. Sprinkle with chips. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden & a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool before cutting 2 dozen.

*note: as a substitute for each cup of self rising flour, place 1 1/2 tsp baking powder & 1/2 tsp salt in a measuring cup add all -purpose flour to equal 1 cup.

Happy Birthday month to my sister! :0) Hope you get to enjoy this goodness!

Quality Time & Good Food

I always enjoy long weekends. Quality time with family and friends with lots of awesome food! We are heading out for a pool party this weekend and I wanted to share the dish I'm making. A very good friend of mine shared this recipe with me many years ago. I've added/altered to meet our needs. Enjoy!!

Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled (My friend and I usually omit this part)
1 tablespoons vegetable oil (My friend and I use olive oil)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup quinoa
1 (14- to 15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, chopped (I add more or what I have)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I don't always have this and have made the dish without it before)

I add the following for flavor (give or take what I have on hand):
Pecans, chopped
Dash of celery salt
Celery, chopped
Kielbasa, chopped
Jalapenos, chopped

Preparation:Whisk together lime zest and juice, butter, oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.

Wash quinoa in 3 changes of cold water in a bowl, draining in a sieve each time.

Cook quinoa in a medium pot of boiling salted water. The ratio is 2 cups water per 1 cup quinoa. (I found a link to an awesome website for alternate ways and other recipes to cook quinoa; Cooking Quinoa) Once you add the quinoa to the boiling water, cover the pot until the water is cooked down pretty well. I like to remove the lid at this point so that it doesn't continue to cook and become mushy.

Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in remaining ingredients and pepper to taste.