Tummy Pleasers

Meat Loaf is one of my family’s favorite meals.  With potatoes and a vegetable, we are good to go!!!  I have always used the same recipe, because I knew we liked it.  It was easy and I could always count on it turning out!!  Well, I have been trying new recipes lately and this is one I came across, I haven’t made it yet, but I ‘m going to as soon as I can get some lean ground beef!!!

Barbecued Meat Loaf

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken

1 egg, beaten

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

3 Tablespoons vinegar

1/2 cup water

3 teaspoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 Tablespoons prepared mustard

Mix together the meat, egg, onion, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and a half can of tomato sauce.  Form into a loaf and put into a shallow baking pan (about 7×10).  Combine remaining sauce, vinegar, water, sugar, Worcestershire sauce and mustard.  Pour over the meat loaf.  Bake at 350° for 1 1/4 hours, basting occasionally.

I like my MIL’s recipe for potato soup, so I haven’t been inclined to try a new one, until now.  I came across one that is a little different, but enough the same that I was fairly sure we would like it.  It turned out great and is very easy to make, just like my MIL’s!!! So, now we have two favorite potato soups!! One with bacon (my MIL’s) and one with ham (the new one).  So, today, I share with you the new one!!

Chunky Potato Soup

3 medium red potatoes

2 cups water

1 small onion

3 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)

black pepper (to taste)

2 1/2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup cubed, cooked ham

Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes.  Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add potatoes; cook until just tender.  Drain, reserving liquid.  Set potatoes aside.  Measure one cup of liquid from potatoes, adding more water,  to make one cup, if necessary; set aside.  Peel and finely chop onion.  Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion to butter in pan; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and tender, but not browned.  Add flour to pan, season with red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste.  Cook 3-4 minutes.  Gradually add potatoes, reserved liquid, milk, and sugar to onion mixture in saucepan; stir well.  Add most of cheese (save a little to sprinkle on top when soup is served) and all of the ham.  Simmer on low for 20-30 minutes or until thickened and warm, stirring frequently.

Everyone knows barbecued chicken is the thing to eat in the summer time.  You crank up the grill, par-boil your chicken, then throw it on the grill with some BBQ sauce and cook it til it’s crispy, but NOT.BURNED.  Yummy!!!  It does not get better than that.  Well, what about in the winter?? Yeah, you can still grill in the winter, but really, who wants to?? Not me!!  I found the perfect recipe to fix this problem!!  Now, you can have Barbecued Chicken anytime!!

Oven Barbecued Chicken

3-4  pounds of your favorite cut of chicken meat (we prefer boneless, skinless breasts here)

3 Tablespoons shortening

1 small onion

2 Tablespoons vinegar

1/2 Tablespoon prepared mustard

1 cup water

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

paprika

Season chicken well with salt, pepper, and paprika before and during browning.  Brown chicken in hot shortening.  Remove from skillet.  Saute onion in shortening, then add remaining ingredients.  Simmer for about half an hour.  Pour mixture over browned chicken.  Bake, uncovered, at 350° for one hour or until it tests done . 

This would be great for breakfast, lunch or dinner!!  I love eggs.  I love omelets.  This is a great idea for a brunch, too!!  You could even add more veggies to this for those who  are trying to eat healthy!!

Main Dish Omelet

1 cup chopped onion

1 (10 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces

1/2 cup butter, divided

1 pound lean ground round

8 medium eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 pound processed cheese, slice (Velveeta type)

In a skillet over high heat, brown onion and mushrooms in half of the butter called for.  Crumble in the beef; brown.  Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes.  Mix eggs and milk together.  Heat another skillet with a fourth of the remaining butter.  Pour a fourth of the egg mixture into the second skillet, covering skillet bottom.  Spread a fourth of the meat mixture over the cooking eggs.  Cover with a fourth of the sliced cheese.  Close the omelet on itself.  Repeat the process to make three more.

Some cranberry recipes I came across…Just in time for Thanksgiving!!!  Enjoy!!!

 Cranberry Orange Relish

4 cups cranberries, coarsely ground

2 whole oranges, coarsely ground

2 cups sugar

Mix together.  Very good with meat.

Cranberry Jewel Salad

2 (3 ounce packages) Strawberry Jello

1 batch Cranberry Orange Relish

Prepare Jello according to directions.  When starting to set, stir in relish (see preceding recipe).  Serve with whipped cream or cottage cheese if desired.

Cranberry Salad

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1 fresh orange, peeled

1 (3 ounce) package lemon gelatin

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup boiling water

1 (8ounce) can crushed pineapple

Grind cranberries and orange; set aside.  In a small bowl, combine gelatin, sugar, and boiling water.  Stir to dissolve gelatin and sugar.  Cool slightly.  Add cranberries, orange, and crushed pineapple.  Fold together all ingredients.  Pour into a serving dish or mold.  Chill until firm.

My family enjoys meat loaf.  I always use the same recipe, so I thought I might change things up a bit here soon.  I found this recipe for Cheeseburger Meat Loaf…

Cheeseburger Meat Loaf

1 cup milk

2 eggs

2 cups soda crackers

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon sage

2 teaspoons ketchup

2 cups grated cheese (any kind you like is fine)

1 medium onion

2 pounds ground beef

Blend milk, egg, crackers, salt, mustard, sage, ketchup, onion and beef, until thoroughly mixed.  Place half cup of cheese on the bottom of the pan.  Cover with half of the meat mixture.  Place one cup cheese on top of meat.  Cover with the remaining meat.  Sprinkle remaining half cup of cheese on top of the meat.  Bake at 350 ° for one hour.  Serve while hot.

I have been counting calories and fat grams for the last week or so.  I am really trying to eat healthier.  Not only to lose wait, but to actually get healthy.  I know that there are good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates.  They say whole wheat flour is better for you than white flour, it is a “whole grain”.  Those are good carbohydrates, or so I’m told.  So, in the interest of eating healthy, but still eating what we like, I give you this recipe for pretzels. 

Soft Whole Wheat Pretzels

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons instant yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups warm water

1/4 cup butter, melted

4 cups white flour

Mix wheat flour, yeast, salt and brown sugar.  Add warm water and butter; stir well. Let set for 30 minutes, then stir in 3 cups of the white flour.  Now knead whatever is needed of the last cup to make a pliable dough.  Cover and let rise 30 minutes.  Divide dough into 24 pieces.  Roll and shape into pretzels.  Brush with melted butter  and sprinkle with pretzel salt, sea salt or regular salt (whatever you like).  Place on well-greased cookie sheet; bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

I love the combination of strawberries and rhubarb!!  Cake, muffins, pie, bread, it’s all good!! This is an Amish recipe, and they know how to cook!!!

Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar, plus enough to generously sprinkle  on top of each muffin before baking

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup minced rhubarb

1/2 cup sliced strawberries

6 strawberries, cut in half

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Combine egg, milk and oil in a small bowl, then stir into flour mixture with a fork until just moistened.  Fold in the rhubarb and sliced strawberries.  Fill  well-buttered or lined muffin cups 2/3 full.  Gently press one of the strawberry halves into the top of each muffin.  Sprinkle tops of muffins generously with sugar.  Bake  at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven; allow to cool 5-10 minutes.  Remove from pan and finish cooling on racks.  Yield: 12 muffins.

We recently had a Church function that included a meal and someone made this pizza.  I love it and it sounds like it’s easy to make, too.   You use the crescent rolls that come in a tube and you put cream cheese and mayo on that.  Then you add garlic salt and other stuff and top it all with fresh veggies.  Whatever veggies you like.  It’s very easy to customize to include what you like!!  You can make it low fat or non-fat by using low-fat or non-fat mayonnaise and/or cream cheese.  This is a very good appetizer before a meal or as a simple snack for a Super Bowl or New Years Eve party!!!  Very tasty indeed!!!

Vegetable Pizza

2 packages crescent rolls

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon onion salt

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 nature’s seasons ( or any spice mixture you like)

veggies (any amount you like) (whatever you like~broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, onion, green pepper, etc.)

Press crescent rolls onto 11×15 cookie sheet and bake according to package directions.  Cool.  Mix mayonnaise, onion salt, cream cheese, garlic salt, and seasoning; spread over baked crust.  Chill.  Cover with veggies.  Chill a few minutes before serving.  To make it a little healthier, you can use low-fat or fat-free mayonnaise and cream cheese.

Just like Grandma used to make…

Old Fashioned Baked Beans

2 cups white navy or great northern beans (sorted and washed-changing water often) 

1 large ham slice or a few bacon strips

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

2 Tablespoons vinegar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ketchup

Sort and wash beans, changing water often.  Soak two hours, then bring to a boil and continue to boil until skins split.  Beans will not be soft.  Place ham slice or bacon strips in the bottom of a bean pot or baking dish.  Drain beans (save liquid).  Mix beans with mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt and ketchup.  Place bean mixture into pot or baking dish, adding enough of the drained liquid from beans to cover the bean mixture.  Bake in 300° oven for 4 hours.  Add more liquid as needed and keep dish covered with a lid or tin foil.  Serves 4-6 people.

Cinnamon bread is a favorite around here.  We love it hot out of the toaster loaded to the max with real butter!!  It doesn’t get much better than that.  Especially when it’s home made!!  There is just something about home made bread that makes you feel good inside!!  This is a great recipe for cinnamon bread, enjoy!!!

Cinnamon Bread

1 egg

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk  (1 cup milk +1 Tablespoon vinegar, if you don’t have buttermilk)

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350° - grease a 9×5x3 inch bread pan

Beat egg, sugar and oil.  Sift together flour, slat and baking soda.  Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk to egg mixture.  Place half of the batter in the pan.  Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon and sugar.  Repeat the layers.  Swirl with a knife.  Bake for 1 hour.  Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan.  Slice and enjoy!!

These are way better than those cheap, fake muffin mixes you buy in the store.  You know, the ones that say “artificial apples”or “artificially flavored”, if they aren’t apples, what in the heck are they??  I don’t even want to know, I’ll stick with these, thanks!!

Apple Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup shortening

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 cup raw, unpeeled, chopped apple

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until well blended.  Then add the shortening, egg, milk and apple, stirring very well until blended.  Fill greased muffin pans or use paper or foil baking cups in the molds.  Top with the following:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped nuts (whatever nuts you like can be used, or nuts can be omitted)

Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until starting to brown on top.