Mexican Meatloaf

Everyone seems to have an opinion about meatloaf - thankfully my family likes it!  I found this recipe somewhere and adapted it for us - it's so good with a salad or veggie, and mashed potatoes.

Mix 1 cup dry seasoned bread crumbs with 1/2 c. water.  Add to 2 lbs. lean ground beef, 1 c. mild salsa, 1 egg, and 1/2  small onion and a small bunch of cilantro, chopped.  At this point I put it in a zip loc and label it for the freezer.  (It was part of my Freezer meals stash)

 Flash forward to today, a little over a month after I put it together...I had a sewing day planned,
so this was handy!

It kinda fell apart a little, but take my word for it - it was very tasty!  I usually drown meatloaf in ketchup on my plate...yuuuum.  But this really needs no extra anything.  And the cilantro gave it a nice flavor.
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I've always wanted to try meatloaf in a crock pot - anyone out there ever try that?

Oatmeal Cake

Hooray for the official start of Fall!

It was cloudy and bleak outside, not really cooler, but no matter.  It still made me want to bake a delish something for desert for my peeps.  One of the best things that ever came out of one of the worst jobs I ever had was this recipe for Oatmeal Cake.  A very nice girl brought it into work for a luncheon and I promptly wrangled the recipe out of her.  She frosted hers with Coconut Pecan frosting; this go round I used the leftover cream cheese frosting I had stored in the freezer. 

Oatmeal Cake
1 1/4 c. boiling water
1 stick butter
1 c. oatmeal - I used old fashioned oats

Put the oatmeal and butter into the boiling water and set off to the side for 20 minutes while you heat the oven to 350, find a 13x9 baking dish, and mix the dry ingredients, which are:

1 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 t. each baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt

After 20 minutes, mix the wet ingredients with two eggs, then blend dry into wet.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

   Cool ,frost, devour.  Save some for the kids and hubby!

I wonder from time to time whatever happened to my Oatmeal Cake lady.  We spent time commiserating at a temp job that was arranged through an agency.  Those were the bad old days.  Hopefully she went on to a better job and is making this cake for her peeps on baking days, too!

Gina

 

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Book page leaves for a wreath

 I saw this cute idea on the Mad in Crafts blog and, as usual,

had the harebrained idea that I could do it... 

I started with this paperback book - an old one from my daughter.  Have you read it?It's pretty depressing.  I didn't particularly care for it, so I was ok with cutting it up!

I traced a silk leaf or two and cut them out of pages.  

Along the way I found treasure...

The Girl doodled during English class, ha ha

Several coats of mod podge later, a little hot glue, and

I tucked the leaves into the wreath I already had hanging on the front door.  Mine doesn't exactly look like a PB knockoff, but I think I will make a few more leaves to use elsewhere in the house.

I think this is the last year for this straw wreath as it is trying to fall apart...

Gina

As much as possible

I want him in the kitchen as much as possible.

 

Not just because he's nice to have around.  But because he is the little scientist.  And being in the kitchen helps him learn so many things.

 

Measuring, mixing, pouring, baking, creating...

Making things "just right".  

Because someday, he will have his own place in the world, and that might include a kitchen.  Think he might invite me over for brownies?

Tacos Al Pastor

One of my favorite restaurants makes these incredible tacos!

Pork and pineapple with cilantro is such a great combo. I love 'em with sour cream and guacamole, a little rice on the side. I was thrilled to come across the recipe for these tacos from Southern Living:

Tacos al Pastor

1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8 oz. pineapple chunks (drained if you're using canned)
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 T chili powder
1 t. each oregano, black pepper, cumin, chopped garlic
3/4 t. salt
canola oil
flour tortillas

Combine pork and next 9 ingredients in a large ziploc bag. (at this point you could freeze it for another day)  Seal and chill 12-24 hours. Cook pork mixture in batches so you don't crowd the pan. Using the canola oil and a large non-stick skillet cook on med-hi heat stirring often about 10 minutes or until pork is done. Serve in warm flour tortillas with sour cream, etc.

I made these a few weeks ago when I was getting the household ready for Back to School, and we enjoyed them last night.  I just pull the bag out of the freezer the day before I want to make them, and they cook up in a snap.  We almost never have leftovers and they are a hit with the kids.  

Try them and tell me what you think!

Gina

Ridiculously Simple Banana Bread

I've had this recipe forever - you can tell it's old because the 3x5 card is splattered and oiled and just plain groddy.  Occasionally I will add a little extra something: this time it was butterscotch chips.  You can see them melting and oozing from the top of the loaf:

Ridiculously Simple Banana Bread

Sift:

1 1/4 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

Mix:

2 eggs

1/2 c. oil

1 c. sugar (or less if your bananas are very ripe)

2 ripe bananas

1/2 c. chopped nuts-optional

1/2 c. chocolate chips- optional (I used butterscotch)

Stir flour mixture into banana mixture.  Then stir in the nuts and/or chips if you like chunky banana bread.  Bake in a greased and floured loaf pan in a pre-heated 350 oven for 50 minutes.

Gina

Toteally Cute

I made a tote bag for a girl at work who is expecting her first baby.

I bought this cute green and brown fabric to make a pocket of sorts - it runs across one side of the bag on the inside.

It goes well with the lining and the straps - this is such a happy print.  I was thinking of cutting out some animal shapes to applique on onesies, too....we'll see.  Can you tell she is having a boy?

I'm going to fill the bag with gifts, so it will do double duty.  And since she is going to be a mother now, I will this in a card: 

On Children
 
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Kahlil Gabran

Gina

Labor Day 2010

My hubby, Mr. Social Chairman, put together an impromptu BBQ on Monday at our house.  We invited the neighbors to come load up the smoker with meat, ran it all day, then everyone brought a side dish to share.  It was fun and the food was delicious!

The men cut up the meat while the women relaxed and
waited for ribs and brisket.

We had some excellent beans in the crock pot, coleslaw, macaroni salad, adult beverages, and Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler.  It was breezy and pleasant and a really nice way to send off Summer and look forward to Fall.  The kids ran around, the Girl was home from college - just a nice afternoon.

Gina

Re-painting cork boards

This is the before on The Girl's cork bulletin board:

In it's favor is it's size - she used it for years. I had painted it girly pink, sprayed a glittery topcoat on it and decorated the frame with sparkly fabric paint and fake jewels.  She loved it and it worked in her room since she was about 8, but it needed overhauling.

Getting the jewels and fabric paint off the edge was a chore!  After I sanded the frame, I gave it a coat of black paint and just painted the cork part with the same paint I did her room in.  I also made the frame look bigger by running a large permanent marker along the inside edge.

I printed off a monogram I liked and free-hand drew it on the cork, then filled in with permanent marker. I had to tweek it a little to get it just right.

Here the paint is still drying.

I hung it back in the same spot, but added a touch of ribbon to the top.  I spent $0 on it and it looks pretty good!  While I was crafting, I also re-painted the boy's cork board and arranged it between their two memo boards from 

this project.

Organization Central!

Did I mention I am getting weary of painting, though?

Gina

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