Mini Meatloaf Muffins

When my cousin passed this recipe my way I took heed.  It is not an understatement to say that her idea of following a recipe includes removing the Lean Cuisine from the freezer and following the directions on the package.  To her credit, she's made some killer dips and also offered up her culinary skills for the lovelies.

This recipe is quick, easy, and could easily be made as a regular meatloaf.... but making them in a muffin tin makes them that much more fun.  It also serves as portion control.  Smart thinking.  Thank you, Shawn, for this tasty version of a hearty American staple.  It's also a great use for the left-over egg whites from my Key Lime pie!

1 lb. lean turkey or ground beef
1 box Stovetop Stuffing, dry
2-3 egg whites
1 cup water
1 onion, chopped fine
 
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well with both hands.
 
2. Spray muffin tin with Pam, and divide the mixture amongst the 12 cups.
 
3. Bake @ 350º for 35-40 minutes.

Key Lime Pie

I really thought when I left Florida I was leaving my favorite Florida recipe in the dust: Key Lime Pie.  If you knew how simple, inexpensive, and delicious it is to make at home you'd never pay the ridiculous prices venues charge for this tasty Sunshine State treat again.

Thanks to our neighbor and friend, Barb, for introducing me to Nellie & Joe's Famous Lime Juice, and to Kroger where I stumbled upon it by accident.

{Yes, it's supposed to be yellow!}

½ cup Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice
14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks (whites not used)
9" graham cracker pie crust
 
1. Combine milk, egg yolks and lime juice. Blend until smooth.
 
2. Pour filling into pie crust and bake @ 350º for 15 minutes. {Allow to stand 10 minutes before refrigerating.}
 
Garnish with lime slices if desired.
 
Just before serving, top with whipped cream.



In our local Florida grocery store, Publix, Nellie Joe's was located in the health food section and by the mixed drinks.  In our Ohio Kroger I found it next to the lemon juice in the juice aisle.  You can search their website for retailers, or order it directly from the site.

Nellie & Joe's Famous Lime Juice Website: www.keylimejuice.com/index.htm

Chicken Cacciatore

I was gifted with a Dutch oven, and this meal idea was found inside.  Anything with a tomato sauce climbs to the top of my Must Try List.  It's definitely one I'll add to my collection of favorites!

1-2 lbs. chicken thighs (use breasts if you prefer or a combination or the two)
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1½ tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp. capers, drained
¼ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper
1½ cup flour

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Dredge in flour to coat lightly.

2. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Working in batches, cook chicken until brown, about 5 minutes per side.  Transfer to plate.

3. Add onion, garlic and oregano to Dutch oven; sauté until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.  (You may need to add more olive oil to sauté.)

4. Add tomatoes with juices, broth and capers.  Return chicken to Dutch oven.  Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

5. Transfer chicken to platter.  If necessary, boil sauce longer until slightly thickened.  Spoon sauce over chicken; sprinkle with basil.

Serve with rice.

Cooking time is 1 hour.  Makes 4 servings.

Mini Sn❄w Day Cookies

These cookies are the result of two things: one, funning up cookies on our snow day. Two, my quest for a better tasting cookie out of my Ohio oven.

What makes these cookies a little different aren't just the mini goodies, but the caramelized butter.  Ummmmm.

2 ¼ cups Softasilk or unsifted flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, warmed and cooked slightly on the stove top

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

mini M&Ms

mini chocolate chips {we also added 1 cup oatmeal to this one}

1. Cream sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and melted butter.

2. Beat in eggs.

3. Add flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix well.

4. Split batter in half.  Poor mini M&Ms into one, and mini chocolate chips into another.  {Be generous, but leave enough room to taste the batter.}

5. Spoon into small dollops on the cookie sheet. Bake at 360° for 10-12 minutes, or until just barely baked in the center and light brown around the edges.

Enjoy as many as possible warm and with ice cold milk.  {They taste best when enjoyed in your jammies!}

Cheesy Kielbasa Potato Soup

I stumbled upon the creation of this soup by chance.  The conception was my dad's, but with Dad under the weather it was up to me to pull it off.  We weren't sure what to expect, but it was a pleasant winter-perfect surprise.

4-5 potatoes, pealed and diced
1 16oz. Kielbasa, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 Tbsp. butter
½ gallon whole milk
1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place diced potatoes in a pot, cover with water and boil until tender.  Drain when finished.

2. In the pot melt butter and caramelize onion and kielbasa until onion is soft, stirring often.

3. Return potatoes to pot, slowly add milk, then salt and pepper to taste.  Cook on low, stirring often so soup does not stick to the bottom of pot.

4. When soup is heated thoroughly, stir in Velveeta.  Heat through and serve.

Snow Ice Cream

Another apparent trend I am just stumbling upon.  What better place to conduct a tasty frozen science experiment then in the vast country where the snow is pure and clean, providing it hasn't been tainted by the dogs!

8 cups of clean, unblemished snow
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Mix together, freeze until ready to serve, and enjoy. Yumm!

We decided to break up two small candy canes and flavor half of our ice cream candy cane style.

{Collect the Snow}

{Add Sweetened Condensed Milk}

{Stir in Vanilla}

{Keep Stirring}

{Candy Cane Snow Ice Cream}

{Vanilla Snow Ice Cream}

For more recipes and ways to incorporate making snow ice cream with science lessons: www.chemistry.about.com/od/snowsnowflakes/a/snowicecream.htm 

Buckeyes

Of all the handmade goodies for me to make as gifts this Christmas season I chose to make Ohio's state confection.... I made that up, though it could be.  People in Ohio love their Buckeyes!

These Buckeyes (known simply as Peanut Butter Balls in the rest of the country) are super yummy, especially when they're cold.  They're superior to any store-bought version I've had.  So if you love a good peanut butter cup, you'll be hooked!

2 cups creamy peanut butter
½ cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
12 oz. chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or chocolate almond bark--melted according to the directions on package

1. Mix together peanut butter, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla.  Chill to set.

2. Once peanut butter mixture is firm, roll into 1" balls.

3. Dip peanut butter balls into melted chocolate* with a dime-size amount of the peanut butter still visible, and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Place in candy paper cups, once set, if desired.

*Many people use toothpicks to dip the peanut butter balls into the chocolate.  I do not find this effective and resorted to using a pair of tongs.