Grandma's Great Meatloaf

It has been a long time since our last post and for that we apologize. With it being Wild Card Wednesday and since we are in the fall season, what better thing to post than a great meatloaf recipe! This is comfort food at its best! This is my grandma's recipe and while I am partial, it is honestly one of the best meatloaf recipes I have had. My mom and I recently made this for dinner and my husband's response was, "A meatloaf I don't have to put ketchup on is a good meatloaf." He has asked for it again so it must be good! With a side of some great mashed potatoes, you can't go wrong with this meal!

Grandma's Great Meatloaf
1 egg beaten
2/3 cup milk
3 slices bread crumbled (I use seasoned bread crumbs)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium onion finely chopped
1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Mix the first eight ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into a loaf. Place in a greased 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pan. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, ketchup and mustard. Spread over meatloaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 - 70 minutes or until no pink remains. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!!!!!

Finally a New Post!!!!!!

This post is for my sister-in-law Esther and those of you who love chocolate goodies! This is a favorite snack of mine, but definitely does not fall into the "good for you" category! This is also a fun thing to make with your kids!




Puppy Chow

1 large box of Crispix Cereal
12 oz. bag of chocolate chips
1 stick margarine
1 cup peanut butter (creamy)
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Melt chips, peanut butter and margarine on medium in microwave; stir occasionally. Pour over Crispix and stir gently until coated. Pour 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar into a large brown paper bag. Dump Crispix mix in and toss until coated well. Store in small zip lock bags. Enjoy!

Cool Summer Dessert - Mango Lime Icebox Pie

The warm sunny California weather has put me in the mood for a cool summertime dessert. This week we have a tasty tart, yet sweet dessert that is perfect for a warm day! What is even better is that it is not bad for you. While this isn't a Weight Watchers recipe, I have calculated the points and it is only 3 points per serving - how awesome is that! A tasty treat that is low calorie.

Mango-Lime Icebox Pie

1 - 9 inch Piecrust (You can definitely use the pre-made piecrusts at the grocery)

Filling:
1 cup mango nectar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4-5 limes)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 large eggs
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 T. butter
2 t. grade lime rind

Prepare and bake piecrust. Cool the crust completely on a wire rack. To prepare filling, combine the nectar and next 5 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in butter and lime rind. Spoon mango mixture into a bowl. Place bowl in a large ice filled bowl for 10 minutes or until mixture is room temperature, stirring occasionally. Remove from ice bowl and spoon mango mixture into prepared crust. Cover and chill for 8 hours or until firm. Top with whipped topping (for the above mentioned weight watchers points, use fat free whipped topping). Enjoy!!!!!!!

This is also great in a graham cracker crust or the new prepared shortbread crust.

Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine, June 2002

Spicy Mexican Brunch Eggs

Today's recipes come from my aunt, who currently lives in New Mexico. She served this to us at a family gathering and it was a breakfast/brunch hit! If you like Mexican food and enjoy a great brunch, this recipe will serve you well. Besides the great taste, another great aspect of this recipe is the fact that you can make it the night before and bake it the next day before serving. Also, you can control the spice - if you like really spicy food, use a hotter salsa. A little more a "mild" person - use a milder salsa - you choose how spicy you want your eggs!

Spicy Mexican Brunch Eggs

1 lb. sausage, crumbled
1/4 lb. fresh mushrooms sliced
1 medium red onion finely diced
Salt and pepper to taste
8 eggs
3 Tablespoons Sour Cream
6 Tablespoons Salsa (you choose - hot or mild) (I also use more than 6 Tablespoons - use what you enjoy)
8 oz. diced velveeta
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook sausage, mushrooms and onion. Drain and season with salt and pepper. Combine eggs and sour cream in blender 1 minute. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 4 - 7 minutes (until eggs are soft set). Spoon salsa over the eggs. Top with sausage mixture. Top with velveeta, mozzarella and cheddar cheese. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

If you are making this ahead, do all steps through topping with cheese. The next day all you have to do is heat the oven and bake.

Happy Brunch!

Black Bean and Couscous Salad

Want a side dish that will be a hit and is easy to make? This week our Wild Card Wednesday is a Black Bean and Couscous Salad recipe from a sweet kitchen in a small Midwestern town. This makes a great side dish for most any meal. It is great in the summer when you want a cool and tasty salad to accompany your main dish. We especially enjoy this salad when we are grilling in the summer! As the recipe says, you do want to be sure to be able to chill it before serving and it is actually better when it has been refrigerated overnight. For those of you wanting to be healthy, this works for you too!

Black Bean and Couscous Salad

1 c. couscous
1 ¼ c. chicken broth (I use fat free/low sodium)
6 T. Olive Oil
4 T. limejuice
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. cumin
6 green onions (I usually only do 3)
½ red pepper chopped
¼ c. finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 can shoepeg corn (drained)
2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)

Bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add couscous to broth, remove from heat and cover. Whisk together oil, limejuice, vinegar, and cumin. Fluff couscous in a large mixing bowl; add onions, pepper, cilantro, beans and corn. Pour oil mixture onto couscous and toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill before serving. Keeps well for several days.