Fall Foods! Meatloaf and Pioneer Woman's Roasted Carrots!

It may not technically be Fall, but I am willing it to be here with all my heart! :) Fall foods are warm and comforting, and I have been craving things like Pot Roast, Chili, and Meatloaf. Is anyone else ready for Fall? I can't wait to bust out my sweaters and boots! And it's almost here! Almost!

This recipe is from my Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. 

Meatloaf recipe:

2 eggs beaten

3/4 cup milk

2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or 2 cups soft bread crumbs

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons finely snipped parsley(I just used dried)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried sage, basil, or oregano. Which ever you like most.

1/4 cup bbq sauce

1 and 1/2 to 2 lbs ground beef. May substitute ground turkey.

1/4 cup catsup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1. In a bowl combine eggs and milk; stir in bread crumbs, onion, parsely, salt, sage, 1/8 tsp black pepper and bbq sauce. Add meat and mix well. Lightly pat the mixture into an 8x4x2inch loaf pan.

2. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hr to and hour and 20 minutes, or until internal temp is 160 degrees F. Drain fat out of pan. In a bowl combine catsup, sugar, and mustard; spread over top of the meat. Bake for an additional 10 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

The key to good meatloaf, I have found, is to keep it moist. Don't leave it in too long and test it periodically. Some ovens are hotter than others so baking times can vary by a few minutes. :)

*I served my meatloaf with Pioneer Woman's Roasted Carrots which were superb! My 2 year old kept asking for more!

Ingredients:

1 to 2 bags of regular sized carrots.
olive oil
fresh thyme, or dried, but fresh is better
salt and pepper

Line a cookie sheet with foil and drizzle a bit of olive oil onto it.

Rinse carrots well and cut down the centers in half lengthwise. You do not have to peel the carrots which is great!

On the baking sheet toss the carrots with the olive oil until they are all lightly coated. Sprinkle on salt and pepper and thyme.

Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or so.

Ta da!  Here is the link to her site to see her directions as well: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/11/roasted-carrots-by-pastor-ryan/

I pinned it a while back and am now kicking myself for not trying it sooner!

I also served with regular green beans and some mashed potatoes and gravy. Was a perfect Fall meal! Hit the spot even if it wasn't as brisk and golden outside as we wanted. :) Happy Fall to all!

...and Happy Pinning!

Buttercream Frosting using Regular Sugar!

Ever go to make something you're craving and realize your missing a major ingredient? You're either left making something completely different or not at all? My 7 year old daughter is big into the show DC Cupcakes. She just loves it. I had this little idea to see what would happen if I let her go at it and make a batch of cupcakes from scratch. I got all the ingredients out and let her read the recipe, and away she went. She was beyond enthusiastic! Then I realized that I had no Confectioners Sugar(aka Powdered Sugar). Uhhhh.... what exactly do we do about the frosting? So I turned to Google. I found a few chat rooms and baking boards. One of them had a recipe for Buttercream Frosting using regular sugar instead of confectioners. So we decided to give it a whirl. It turned out sugary sweet and a perfect consistency! Loved her expression when she ate her first bite! She felt very proud of herself.  Maybe I have a baker in the making and I won't ever have to bake again. Ha! :)

The recipe was not a Pinterest one, and in truth I have no idea who to credit. It was a person named RLI R on a Yahoo Answers board. Whoever you are RLI R, you saved the day! :)

Here is the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1/4 cup flour

1 cup butter(2 sticks) at room temp

1 cup granulated(regular) sugar

2 tsp Vanilla

Combine milk and flour in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. 

Cream the butter and sugar until very fluffy. Add the vanilla and cooled flour mixture. Continue to beat at medium speed until frosting is very fluffy and sugar is completely dissolved. (If you take a little of the frosting and rub it between your thumb and pointer finger, you'll be able to tell if the sugar has completely dissolved. If it hasn't, just keep beating.

Makes 3 cups. Enough to fill, border, and frost a 9 inch cake.(I had tons left over since ours was just 24 cupcakes!

Look at that proud face! :)

Try it! Its just as good as confectioners recipes! I honestly couldn't tell the difference, but I am not a professional. It worked great and we enjoyed our treat! What more could one ask? :)

Happy Pinning!

Laura's Shepard's Pie!

My sister is an amazing Chef, and every time she visits me, I demand a home cooked, mouth watering meal. (drool!) She can pretty much make anything from scratch and she has the patience in the kitchen that I do not! This Shepard's Pie is one of the best I have had! She makes her own variations and this one is ALL hers. She also did something completely different. Not only did she have a potato layer, but she added a mashed carrot layer and it made it incredible! So, while I usually use a Pin, this recipe is my sister's and a MUST EAT NOW!  (I will mention a wonderful Shepard's Pie Pin that I tried myself and was delicious at the end!)

Ingredients:

For the potatoes:

4 lbs Potatoes(we used russet)
1/2 can Carnation evaporated milk (can use regular milk as well)
2 tbsp Garlic and herb Rondell or Allouette dip
2  tbsp Sour Cream
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

For the Carrots:

Whole bag of carrots
2tbsp butter
2tbsp canned milk

For the meat mixture:

1 1/2 lb to 2 lb ground beef
2 cups brown gravy
salt and pepper
garlic cloves
1 onion chopped
can of green beans
1/2 can corn

Ok, so this has 3 parts to it, but it is so worth it! Here's the how to:
 (Also a small warning, This makes a boat load!)
Potatoes:
1) Bring a large pot of water to boil.
2) While water comes to a boil, peel and chop potatoes.
3) Boil potatoes until tender
4) Drain water from Potatoes.
5) As you mash, add the evaporated milk, sour cream, cheese, salt, and pepper.
6) Mash and mix all ingredients together. Please note, the consistency should be slightly stiff.
* Please note that you can totally sub real mashed potatoes for the flakes or pearls. Just know you're missin out on the real potatoes, but we understand when time is crunched!

Carrots:
1) Bring small pot of water to boil.
2) Peel and chop carrots.
3) Boil carrots until tender.
4) Drain carrots.
5) Add butter and the milk.
6) Mash until nice and smooth. Can be a little chunky. That's ok.

Meat mixture:
1) In a skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter and brown onion. Just light and golden.
2) Then add the ground beef and garlic. Brown the meat mixture.
3) Drain fat.
4) Add the gravy, green beans, and corn.
5) Simmer for about 5 minutes.

To Assemble:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Spray a 4 qt casserole dish with cooking spray or coat with butter.
3) Place the meat mixture on the bottom.
4) Next, the carrot layer.
5) Lastly, the potato layer.
6) Sprinkle the potato layer with more cheddar cheese.
7) Put in the oven to bake for about 45 minutes or until the cheese is golden.
8) Garnish with some green onions when done baking.
9) Serve while hot! We added a Caesar side salad to complete the meal.

* Side note: If a layer of carrots is not your thing, chop up the carrots and put them in the meat mixture instead, the traditional way, but I encourage you to try the carrot layer at least once! It just adds something!

This is a delicious homemade, feel good meal! Even my 2 year old had second helpings and my 7 year old thirds! My photos may not be pretty or do it justice, but this recipe rocks! Give it a whirl!

Now here is a Pin that inspired me to ask my sister for Shepard's Pie in the first place, but this is not the above recipe to be clear. :)

http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2013/05/shepherds-pie.html

I realize its hot out there, but you can tuck this recipe away for a cold day! It is worth every minute and every bite!

Happy Pinning!

Cheap, easy, and fast dinner for a Monday night!

Alright, post 2 is... food of course! Nom nom nom! I love me a good salad and whenever I go out to eat at a nice restaurant, I like to get the wedge salad. They are just so dang good! And I love me my carbs! So of course some bread to go with that salad. Ha! I found this wedge recipe on Pinterest and it looked so dang tempting I had to try it. Let's just say, even my 7 year old who isn't a fan of Blue Cheese gobbled down this inexpensive and delicious meal! And because the dressing is home made you can make it more or less to your liking.  The bread I made was by The Pioneer Woman called THE Bread and yes it is. No joke this bread is slathered with butter and then broiled to a golden crisp. The butter caramelizes and makes it oh so finger licking good! But buyers beware, its a whole lotta butter, so its not diet friendly. :) Total cost of this meal: approx $10! 

The Original Pin(s):

 http://cookingbride.com/salads/blt-wedge-salad/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/09/the-bread/

While my photos aren't quite as pretty, you can see they turned out pretty darn close! They tasted divine and that's all that counts! Ha!

Ingredients for the salad:

1) One head of Iceberg lettuce, cut into quarters

2) Tomato, diced

3) 4 to 5 strips Bacon, crumbled

For the dressing:

1) 1 large egg

2) 3 cloves garlic

3) 1 cup vegetable oil

4) 1/4 cup buttermilk

5) 1/2 tsp salt

6) 1/2 tsp white pepper

7) 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

8) 8oz blue cheese, coarsely crumbled.

To make:

Using a blender or food processor, combine the egg and garlic cloves. 

While the machine is going, drizzle in the olive oil.

Turn the machine off and add the buttermilk, salt, and peppers. Blend a few more seconds.

Pour dressing into a bowl and stir in cheese.

Place a wedge on each plate and top with the dressing, tomatoes, and bacon.

Ingredients for THE Bread:

1) 2 sticks butter, room temp

2) 1 loaf french bread, sliced lengthwise down the middle

To make:

Take each half of the bread and spread a stick of butter all over it. You heard me. An entire stick a side. :)

Place on a cookie sheet and then under the broiler for a few minutes. You may be tempted to pull it out early, but just wait! You want it to start to burn the edges and turn golden in the middle. Trust me! Its magic!

Serve with the salad!

Visit these wonderful websites for more finger lickin good recipes! Seriously good stuff!

-Happy Pinning!

Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches!

My husband LOVES French Dip sandwiches, and whenever we eat out at a pub or diner, that's what he orders. I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest by The Six Sisters' Stuff(Love this blog!) and knew I had to try it. Let me just say, this was absolutely beyond simple, and we all snarfed, yes snarfed, down these sandwiches and licked our lips in afterthought(I may or may not still be thinking about them!). Even my 7 year old had two and she's a light eater. Seriously, stop what your doing and make these asap!

The original Pin:

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/05/easy-french-dip-sandwiches.html

*This photo belongs to Six Sisters' Stuff. I did not manage a pretty photo because we were so focused on devouring!  :)

I served our sandwiches with waffle cut sweet potato fries and it was so good! This recipe is 3 ingredients in the crock pot and no effort at all. Just shred and serve!

Ingredients:

2-3lb Roast (I used a chuck roast)

2 cans Beef Consomme (14oz. You find this by the soups. I used Campbells)
Hoagie Buns 

What to do:

1) Place the roast in the crock pot. Pour the Beef Consomme over the roast. Cook on low 8-11 hours or on high 5-7hrs. (Mine was nice and tender in 5.)

2) When beef is cooked, take it out and shred. Place the shredded meat back in the juice. I let mine sit in there for about 10 minutes to soak up the last of the juices it could. 

3) Serve the beef on buns and with a side of fries or slaw. Use the remaining juice to dip the sandwiches. And heed my warning, one will not be enough! These are delicious! 

I cannot say enough about this recipe! Who doesn't love an easy day of cooking?! Visit the Six Sisters's Stuff at www.sixsistersstuff.com and check out more of their wonderful recipes and ideas! 

Enjoy! (Seriously, make these now!)

Happy Pinning!

Copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies! Yum!

Ok, so if you can't tell, my new years resolution isn't going so well. Ha! Drop 5 pounds? Not after making a batch of these soft and sweet sugar cookies! These are melt in your mouth good! And let's remember my track record with baking. These were extremely easy, and turned out just like those Lofthouse cookies you always see in the bakery. I think I need to get out of my kitchen and do another craft or a beauty post next, but I just can't help myself when I find something that looks so yummy on Pinterest. And hey, it's February which means Valentines Day, which of course means chocolate, candy, and cookies! So I'm gonna treat myself to another one of these cute heart cookies, and hunker down and watch me some Downton Abbey. Oh Lady Grantham, what will you say next?! Happy February!

The original Pin:

http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/2012/03/lofthouse-sugar-cookies.html

Visit Mom's Crazy Cooking for this wonderful recipe(and more!) and the frosting recipe. I used both!

Ingredients:

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ cups sour cream

1. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.

3. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Dough will be a little sticky and that is ok. Divide dough into two sections. Flatten into rectangles about 1½ inches thick, then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight or for at least two hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats; set aside.

5. Lightly flour the counter-top and the top of the dough. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out the cookies and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 7 minutes, until cookies are slightly golden around the edges. Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Cook cookies completely before frosting.

I used the frosting recipe that can be found with this recipe on the above site or you can buy frosting from the baking isle. Either way, don't forget the sprinkles!

Happy Pinning!

French Onion Burger of Wonder!

Who doesn't love a delicious burger?? I am of the opinion that burgers are for any time of year and for any occasion. They can be dressed up and fancy, made small as sliders, or my favorite, a "can't fit in your mouth" dripping with messy goodness kind of burger! (Drooling just thinking about it!)

No surprise, I am a total foodie! I LOVE me a good recipe and I love it even more when its so good I have to share. And of course I generally only share recipes that I find to be 1) super easy 2) pretty fail proof, and 3) FANTASTIC on the tastebuds!!

This recipe is from one of my favorite food blogs Jamie Cooks It Up. I have yet to try one of her recipes and be disappointed. In fact, everything I have tried has been great! This is the French Onion Burger of Wonder, and yes it is! Its delicious and one of the best burgers I have ever had! Nom nom nom!

(Please note this is her photo and the photo used in the original Pin. Not mine. Hers was just so pretty!)

Here is the link to her recipe from the original Pin http://jamiecooksitup.net/2011/09/french-onion-burger-of-wonder/. She has step by step instructions along with photos and a link to print the recipe for your recipe box!

I also have a permanent link to her site under "Blogs I Love" on the right of my page. Check out all of her wonderful recipes and food ideas! She is AWESOME!

Normally I'd list the ingredients and what I did, but there is no need. I just went to her site and followed along, and since it was such a success the first time (and every time after that) what could I possibly add? All credit to her! Visit her site and enjoy the deliciousness called the French Onion Burger of Wonder!