Just the Way Yo' Momma Makes It

My mom was never an avid cooker when I was young, but she did have several "signature" things that I will always remember her making often. You know- it's those things that I think we feel like "Nobody makes them as good as our mom did." So there are a few things I am sure I will always make just like my mom did and that to me is the best way since I never really knew any different. I made one of my mom's old recipes last night and thought I would share- her meatloaf.

Some of you may cringe at the word "meatloaf" and I'm not going to say I blame you. That's why I like my mom's and it is the only meatloaf I have ever really eaten. TRUST ME- I dont' want to eat mystery meat with three colors of the rainbow fleckered through it, either. That's why I love this simple and tasty recipe. It really is good, and my husband (and Bennett of course!=)would agree!

Mom's Meatloaf

about 3 lbs. ground beef

2 eggs

1 cup oats

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 large onion chopped

salt and pepper

Mix these ingredients well (you'r going to have to use your hands and it's going to hurt=) Then mix in about

1/2 cup milk.

Form into two loaves and place in greased baking dish. I always squirt some ketchup on the tops before baking for looks. Bake at 350 for about 1 hr. 15 min. It's always a good idea to serve with some mashed potatoes or the good ole' southern staple-Hashbrown casserole (pictured above) for an all around comfort meal.

Trying Something New

I love to read cookbooks and sometimes I get on this kick where I just want to try all kinds of new and different from the usual type things. Last night, I made a new meal- taking a huge risk- by trying two new recipes for both the main dish and my side. But I must say they both turned out good! I got them from my Taste of Home Busy Family cookbook- which why wouldn't I love a cookbook directed toward being simple and easy =). So we tried these two and liked them both.

Spicy Flank Steak

1/3 cup sour cream

2 Tbs. mayo

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. celery salt

2 Tbs. Chili sauce

1 Tbs. lime juice

1/2 -1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. salt

1 beef flank steak (1-1 1/2 lbs.)

Combine 1st 4 ingredients in small bowl and refrigerate until serving. Combine chili sauce, lime juice ( 1/2 fresh lime squeezed is about a Tbs.), red pepper flakes, and salt- I double the basting sauce- brush on both sides of steak. Broil 2-3 in. from heat for 6-8 min. on each side. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with sour cream sauce (which is yummy!).

*Instead of broiling, we grilled the steak for 8-9 minutes on each side.

If you've never made flank steak, this is what you are looking for. This was my second attempt at a flank steak recipe- the 1st was a honey based recipe and I didn't care for how sweet it was, and that time I used "flat iron steak" which I have heard both is and isn't the same thing. We liked this far better- and Ryan asked the butcher for a fresh cut of flank steak b/c all they had out were flat iron steaks- I'm still not real sure if they are the same or not. It is not a real tender piece of meat, but it holds the flavor well and is budget friendly. All in all we enjoyed this meal- and I was especially digging the corn recipe.

Creamy Southwestern Corn

Creamy Southwestern Corn

(The cookbook called this "Spicy Cream Corn"- But I changed the name, because I didn't think there was anything about this recipe that was spicy)

3 oz. Cream Cheese, cubed

1 can (15 1/4 oz) corn, drained- *I used frozen, thawed just b/c we aren't huge canned vegetable people

1 can(4 oz) chopped green chilies

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper

In large saucepan, combine ingredients. Cooke over medium heat, striring often, until cheese is melted and warmed through.

Creamy Caesar Chicken Pasta

My friend made this for a baby shower she hosted a few weeks ago. I had to go back for seconds, but had to refrain from embarrassing myself by going back for thirds, ha!!! I asked her for the recipe so I could make it for our monthly Grace group tonight, and I am having a hard time not picking in it while it sits in a warm oven waiting to go! It's simple and satisfying and mmm, mmm good!

Creamy Caesar Chicken Pasta

(not sure what the official name of this recipe is=)

1 lb. bowtie pasta, cooked

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast- cut into bite size pieces

1-2 cups green peas, cooked (If Ryan had his way, these would be left out)

8 oz. package of mushrooms, sliced

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 Bottle *Ken's Creamy Caesar dressing

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Generously salt and pepper chicken (I also used some garlic powder) and saute in a skillet with butter or olive oil.

Saute onions and mushrooms ( I added them to the same skillet after the chicken was more than half way done)

(Transfer to serving dish)

Add in peas and pasta and pour dressing over, mix well, and top with Parmesan.

Squash Medley

So have you noticed yet we like squash around here?? Well, we do and I love this casserole recipe that I have made for several years since Ryan's mom made it when we were dating. A few weeks ago we had it with some barbecue chicken legs and a baked potato. And being the over analyzer that I am I feel weird putting back to back recipe using stuffing mix too, but I am making myself get over it- I think these are my only two reciped that even use stuffing, but oh well.

Squash Medley

1 1/4 lb. squash (I usually use around 4 zucchini and 2 yellow summer squash), thinly sliced

1/2 c. butter, melted

1 can cream of chicken soup

3 carrots (more or less)- I like to puree them instead of slicing them

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup diced onion

1 pkg. Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix

Mix all ingredients except stuffing. Pour into casserole pan and top with stuffing mix. Bake at 350 for 40 minuted covered, and 20 uncovered.

I always make a huge dish mess when I make this because I use my food processor and my mandolin slicer, but it is so worth it! Also makes a great side for holiday meals!

Ooey Gooey Good Chicken

I stole this recipe from another blogger's recipe blog. I wasn't sure what I thought really at first about the recipe, but after reading a lot of comments about how good it was I thought I would try it- I also gathered that it seems to be a fairly common dish that people make. We were not disappointed, it was really good!!! My favorite part is that it took literally five minutes to put together before throwing it in the oven. I also read it freezes well, I may make a batch to put in my freezer!

Swiss Stuffing Chicken

4 large chicken breasts
1- 6 oz. pack Swiss cheese (sliced)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup Herb Stuffing Mix
1/2 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay chicken in buttered baking dish. Top with slices of Swiss. Mix together soup and wine and salt and pepper. Pour over cheese. Sprinkle stuffing mix on top and drizzled melted butter over. Bake for about 50 minutes.

No Recipe Required- Meal Idea #4

Sometimes I wonder if most people realize how easy it is is to make your own Alfredo sauce. There are many nights that we don't know what we are going to have for dinner that we just make some "garlic butter pasta" (which is just as it sounds- olive oil, butter, and lots of garlic all sauteed then tossed with pasta) or Alfredo sauce. I LOVE Alfredo ( it's creamy and bad for you, of course I would like it wouldn't I?) but I honestly DO NOT like jarred Alfredo in the slightest. If you buy it refrigerated, that stuff is okay, but I have yet to find a jar of Alfredo sauce that tastes right to me. And why would I want to? Making my own is a cinch! Here is your No Recipe Meal Idea for today-

Pasta with Alfredo Sauce

(Even though, we did have this- with the pesto and chicken variations last night for dinner, I did not take a pic so I stole one form the internet this time around)

Okay so for a bare bones Alfredo sauce all you need is, kid you not, is: butter, cream or half and half, and Parmesan cheese (grated works best), and salt and pepper of course. Seriously that is all there is to it!! I do, however, add garlic every time because I think it gives it more flavor, and well I love garlic!

SO- I melt oh about 1/2 stick butter in a pan on medium low heat and let my garlic (about 3 cloves, minced) cook just a little in it before I add my cream. Then I pour in 1-2 cups cream or half and half- exact measurements really aren't vital.

Bring it to a low boil, stirring regularly- Meanwhile, cooking pasta. Add Parmesan cheese to sauce - I don't usually measure, but it's a pretty generous amount- 3/4 cup or so? This should help thicken your sauce. Some people don't even cook their sauce- they just add the ingredients to hot, drained pasta- I cook mine since I use garlic so that the flavor cooks through. When your pasta of choice is done and drained, just pour sauce in with it and toss- add more Parmesan as needed.

**Other variations I like to do:

• Add a couple tablespoons full of store bought pesto to your sauce.


• Cook chicken (boneless skinless breasts) in a skillet, browning on both sides and cooking through. Drain some and add sauce to chicken to simmer, then serve over pasta.


• And one of my favorite meals period- I like to chop up some red onion and put it in my butter with the garlic to saute for a bit- then continue Alfredo as before. Then when my pasta is done boiling, I toss into the water (with the noodles and all) a full container/bag of fresh spinach. Let it sit in the boiling water for literally a few seconds before you turn the stove off. Turn it off and let stand for a couple second until it is just cooked (doesn't take more than a few more seconds) then I drain my pasta and spinach all at once and add my garlic and onion Alfredo sauce. YUM!

What variations do you do?

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

I made this cheese cake for our Grace Group this weekend and was very pleased and I think most everyone else seemed to be too! I got the recipe from AllRecipes.com (If you don't use this cooking website, you should!) There are a couple things I want to do a little different next time I make it- maybe I will try it again for Easter- it is an all around WINNER and came out beautifully, other than I want my crust a little thicker next time!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

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Crust:

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1 cup chocolate wafer cookies crushed (I used Oreos and will use 2 cups next time)

3 Tbs. Sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix and press into the bottom of spring form pan.

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Raspberry Sauce:

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1 10 oz. bag frozen raspberries

2 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 cup water

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Combine in saucepan and bring to boil. Boil five minutes until thickened. Strain to remove seeds.

**This was the trickiest part. Getting the seeds out is a little rough. I ended up adding some water to get it to run through the strainer better. I then felt like it was too runny, so I added more sugar and cornstarch and reboiled until thick again. This worked well- it had a little less of the raspberry tang, but I was okay with that. I don't know if I will try another technique next time?

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White Chocolate Sauce:

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2 cups (12 oz. bag) white chocolate chips

1/2 cup half and half

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Melt together in microwave safe dish. the original recipe says to heat in bowl over pan of simmering water- I didn't bother with all that- the microwave worked just fine, just don't heat for more than 20 seconds at a time to prevent scorching and stir between each heating.

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Cheesecake Filling:

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3- 8 oz. packs cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

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Mix together sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Blend in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and white chocolate sauce and blend well.

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Pour half of the batter over the crust. Spoon 3 Tbs. of the raspberry sauce over. Pour remaining batter on top and follow with another 3 Tbs. raspberry sauce. Swirl with the tip of a sharp knife.

Bake 55-60 minutes at 325 degrees. Cool and chill at least 8 hours. Garnish as desired and serve with remaining raspberry sauce.

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(I heard a tip to keep the cheesecake from sinking and cracking is to turn off your oven when it is done baking and leave the cheesecake in there- I read once with the door open and once didn't specify) I left the door open to make sure it didn't burn. I think this may have helped?)

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You won't be disappointed!!!!

Double Duty Zucchini

Once it starts getting nice outside don't you just start craving fresh food?! Ryan and I often eat too much or too late at lunch and end up just wanting something light for dinner. Last night I got a strange craving for some gazpacho- (cold soup). Since all the recipes I wanted to make you have to chill overnight or 8 hours. I knew that wasn't going to work, so I decided to take the same fresh veggie route and we had Grilled Veggie Pizzas and while I was at the store getting stuff (i.e. zucchini) I decided to still get the stuff to make my gazpacho too- so here are two- light and veggie filled meals for you!

Grilled Vegetable Pizzas

(This recipe is actually from one of the more recent Better Homes and Gardens Cook Books- so I'm willing to bet you have it- you may just not have realized it!)

1-2 medium zucchini quartered lengthwise

1-2 yellow summer squash, quartered lengthwise

1 small sweet red pepper, quartered lengthwise

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large, ripe tomato, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

2 Tb.s store bought pesto

1 Tbs. fresh basil

1 Tbs. fresh oregano

4 6-7 in. flour tortillas

1 cup shredded mozzarella or smoked provolone

1. Brush veggies (minus tomato) with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until crisp and tender- 5-6 minutes for squashes and 10 minutes for pepper (turning halfway through)-- I accidentally chopped all my veggies first so I just made a foil pouch and grilled them until tender). Remove from grill.

2. Chop vegetables. In medium bowl veggies, tomato, mayo, pesto, basil, and oregano. Place tortillas on grill and toast lightly (1-2 minutes). Flip and spread veg. mixture over toasted side of tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and grill 2-3 minutes more until lightly toasted and cheese is melted. Remove from grill and enjoy! (Since I went a little heavy on the cheese, I ended up bringing them in and broiling to finish melting my cheese without over toasting my tortilla- you want them to be crisp but not blackened).

** I have made the gazpacho and it is chilling, but I haven't tried it yet- I will post it on here if it is any good- I am too afraid to put something up I haven't tried yet and can't vouch for. Hopefully, it will be coming soon...

No Recipe Required- Meal Idea #3

We did this easy dinner this weekend, and when wanting some down home kinda cookin' it's good, but it's not for the extreme health conscious, so if you one of those, skip this! It definitely doesn't fit into the current trends of cooking, it's more like what an old school southern or midwestern mom would cook up, but hey sometimes I feel like that!

Minute Steaks
Skillet Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole

If you've never made minute steaks, you buy "cube steak" from the store. They normally come in packs of four and look like skinny beef patties that someone took a punch roller to. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat- just enough to generously cover the bottom of the pan. Set out 2 dishes. Fill one with flour and seasoning (I usually just do pepper and Seasoned salt) and fill the other with your "binder"- evaporated milk or eggs, beaten both work well. Dip steaks in milk/ eggs and then into flour mixture, coating well. Place in oil and cook until no longer pink- about 4 minutes on each side.

For my potatoes, I slice them thin with my mandolin slicer (2 large or 3-4 small is more than enough for two people). Melt half stick of butter in frying pan and place potatoes in. I season them generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I even continue seasoning them through cooking when I flip them , to make sure each slice gets coated since they tend to stick together. I would give yourself forty minutes or so for these, especially if you like them to crisp up! Flip several times to brown on all sides.Yum!

Lastly we did green bean casserole- you know the stuff- 1-1/2 bags frozen green beans (I like French cut) thawed, a can of cream soup (celery or mushroom) and shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for 35 minutes at 350- remove and top with French fried onions and bake for an extra five.

And there you have an easy, BUDGET FRIENDLY, no recipe required meal in 45 minutes start to finish.

Old Fashioned Red Velvet Cake....

Ingredients:
1/2 c butter
2 whole eggs
2 TBSP (heaping) cocoa
2 1/4 c of cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP white vinegar
1 1/2 c sugar
2 ounces (1/4 c) red food coloring
1 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda

Preparation:
Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs. Make a paste of food coloring and cocoa and add to the creamed mixture. Add alternate buttermilk with flour and salt, then add the vanilla. Add soda to the vinegar. HOLD OVER THE BOWL, AS IT FOAMS! Then add the soda and vinegar to the mixture, blending instead of beating. Bake 25 to 30 mins. at 350 degrees in two 8-inch greased and floured round cake pans. Cool on racks. Using very sharp knife, or dental floss (yes, dental floss!) split each layer into 2 layers. Make sure the center of the cake comes clean on a tooth pick before you remove from oven... I found it needed about 8 minutes longer in my oven.

Frosting for Red Velvet Cake

3 tablespoons flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Blend flour in a little of the cold milk and then add rest of milk and cook, stirring constantly until it forms a ball. Cook flour and milk until very thick. Remove from heat, and cool. Cream sugar, butter and vanilla until very light and fluffy. Add to first mixture. It should have a light texture similar to whipped creme. Frost all four layers and sprinkle with coconut.

I have never seen flour in frosting.... but it is YUMMY!

Can't Go Wrong With This One!

I really think this is an ideal recipe. I got it from my husband's high school's cookbook and it is quick and so easy (can you tell yet that I like easy?) and totally satisfying without being as heavy as say a casserole. It's also an easy recipe to have the ingredients on hand for. If you like chicken, this one is a winner all around! I make it often and have made it to take to new moms (as long as you have a way to keep it hot).

Rosemary Chicken

1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce

2 Tbs Soy sauce

3/4 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp dried rosemary- regular or crushed

1 Tbs garlic, crushed (I just mince 3-4 good size cloves)

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I have made it with boneless, skinless thighs as well- it is still good but since this is a fairly salty recipe to start with- if you like things less salty, I would definitely stick to just breasts)

3 cups cooked rice

Combine 1st 7 ingredients. Place chicken in ungreased 9x13 baking dish. Pour mixture over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve over hot rice.

(If your thinking your not a big fan of plain rice- just do what we do- pour the juice from the chicken over it and ti is sooo good! I think I usually double the ingredients to the sauce just to make sure there is plenty for the rice.) My favorite side to put with this is grilled or roasted fresh asparagus.

*Pictured with thighs, but better with chicken breast

Fire Up the Grill Baby!!

Okay now that spring is truly just around the corner and we have had at least a taste of some beautiful weather- it time to start grilling!! We had Ryan's brother and sister-in-law and our sweet little niece over last weekend and grilled out. We grilled this pork with the rub I found a couple years ago and have used several times since- we just love it. It's so easy and you most likely have the few ingredients on hand.

Grilled Pork Rub

** This is per 2 lbs. pork- I always cook more so I adjust accordingly**
3 Tbs. brown sugar
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 lbs. pork- can use on tenderloin, loin, or even chops!

Combine well in a bowl. Coat pork generously and refrigerate 30 minutes- 3 hours. Grease grill and cook accordingly (about 25- 30 minutes for tenderloin, 45 min. for loin, and about 10-15 minutes per side for thick cut chops) Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Delicious and moist! This weekend I served this with mashed potato casserole and roasted broccoli and grape tomatoes.

Roasted broccoli is really good if you have never tried it. I take my fresh broccoli head, cut into florets, lay out on a baking sheet with a pint of grape tomatoes. I drizzle them with olive oil and salt and pepper and bake in the oven at 400- 425 degrees for about 20 +/- minutes. You'll really just want to watch them on the time, you want it to be nicely browned and toasted but not overcooked. Even if your not the worlds biggest broccoli fan, you just may want to give this a try!

Mashed Potato Casserole

My grandmother and Ryan's mom have both always made these, so of course I followed suit. They are a forever favorite.

Mashed Potato Casserole/ Do Ahead Mashed Potatoes

About 6-8 lbs. potatoes- peeled and diced
1 stick butter
1 8 oz. bar cream cheese
1 pint sour cream (16 oz)
1 medium or a little over 1/2 large onion- grated

Boil potatoes in large stock pot until they break with a fork. Drain and mash. Add in all ingredients and mash/ mix well- (I mash then get out my beater). Place tehm in a large casserole dish. At this point you can refirgerate them for up to a couple days (i.e for large holiday meals), hence why my grandmother called them do ahead mashed potatoes- I usually however just make them all at once. Top with a couple pads of butter and some paprika if you want to make it look pretty =). Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. This dish also travels well!

Yahoo for Scotcheroos!!

**EDIT: I originally forgot the measurement for peanut butter in the ingredients list. It is there now, sorry for the confusion.**

I have been craving these like crazy lately and finally made a pan this weekend! My cravings were not disappointed. This is an easy, yummy dessert that I crave for the chewy texture. So good!

Chocolate Scotcheroos- AKA- Special K Bars

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup peanut butter

6 cups crispy rice cereal ( some recipes I see say Rice Krispies- I only use Special K Rice Flakes)

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Butter a 9x13 pan.

In saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and corn syrup- bringing to a rolling boil (do not over boil or they will be hard as rocks). remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Mix in cereal until evenly coated. Press into pan. In glass dish (measuring cup) microwave chips, stopping and stirring every 30-45 seconds to prevent scorching, until smooth and well blended. Spread over top and chill until set. Cut into bars.

**Note- they will be very hard to cut when they have been refrigerated for a while. I like them chilled, but I do set them out a little ahead of time so they aren't quite as hard. Enjoy the chewy chocolaty goodness!