Toasted Ravioli

Tonight I went with one of my usual classic recipes and then I went with a new one.  My mom pointed out a recipe in the back of my Food Network magazine for Toasted Ravioli.  I guess it is popular in St. Louis.  You take frozen ravioli, bread it, and fry it.  I was really wanting some salmon, so I made my Salmon and Ravioli to go along with it.  But I didn't boil the ravioli for that recipe, I fried it instead.  Here are the two recipes.

Salmon & Ravioli

from Better Homes and Gardens

9 oz of cheese ravioli
9 oz or more of spinach leaves
12 oz or more of salmon fillets
3 Tbsp butter
3 garlic cloves
1 lemon
Parmesan cheese

Cook the ravioli and set it aside.  Heat olive oil in pan.  Season salmon with salt and pepper.  Cook for 6-8 minutes until flaky.  Remove and keep warm.  Add spinach to skillet and cook until wilted. 

Melt 3 Tbsp butter in skillet with chopped garlic cloves.  Squeeze half lemon to sauce.  Combine everything and add the Parmesan cheese.

Toasted Ravioli

Food Network Magazine

3/4 to 1 lb of small fresh ravioli (meat or cheese)
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups breadcrumbs (I used Italian bread crumbs and skipped the next two ingredients)
3 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
vegetable oil for frying
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Marinara sauce for dipping

Spread the ravioli on a baking sheet and freeze until hard (20 or 30 minutes).  Whisk the eggs and milk in a shallow dish or pie plate.  Mix the breadcrumbs, parsley, rosemary, and salt and pepper in shallow dish.  Dip the ravioli in the egg mixture, letting the excess drip of, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture.  Return to the sheet and freeze until hard, about 15 minutes.

Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a deep skillet to about 350.  Fry the ravioli in 2 or 3 batches., turning as needed, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes per batch.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain and immediately sprinkle with the Parmesan.  Serve with the marinara sauce. 


Mine turned out pretty good, but I think I'll go for a meaty ravioli next time.  We'll see.  It was pretty good.  Emilie LOVED her salmon.  She had it down in seconds.  Her new thing is that when her dad asks her a question, she answers YEAH!  Example...Emilie, do you think the Titans will go to the superbowl this year?  Yeah!  Aubrie gets really upset when Emilie won't hold her hand.  She wants to play with her so much, but Emilie just isn't interested sometimes.  They are a lot of fun.  Both are feeling a lot better now.  We will be taking Aubrie to an ear, nose, and throat doctor on Friday to check her tonsils and adenoids.  We'll see if she inherited her dad's.  YIKES!

Speaking of dad, I have to tell a funny on him.  The last night in Indiana, we were sleeping and all the sudden I hear him gasp and the bed started shaking and he jolted up.  I sat up and asked him what happened.  He said he thought someone was walking towards him.  Well, it was Petey.  The next morning, when he was thinking clearer, he said he thought a Chinese ninja woman was sneaking up to attack him and he tried to karate kick her.  It was too funny.  This is the second time something like this has happened.  Awhile ago, I got a balloon for my birthday and it was losing some of the helium.  One night while we were sleeping, it floated into our room...the balloon was the same height as someone's head.  When it bumped the door, he jumped out of bed and yelled HEY!!  hahahaha.  It was so funny. 

Ok, that's all for now.  Love to all! Pin It Now!

HOME

Well folks, we made it.  It was a rough drive on the way home due to a large volume of cars and rain.  It rained the whole way from Indiana.  What should have been a 8 hour trip turned into a 9 1/2 hour trip.  It was painful.  Emilie would fall asleep, but then traffic would come to a stop (on the interstate) and it would wake her up and she would scream.  Aubrie doesn't nap in the car, so she was just rotten from being stuck in the car and being tired.  At one point, I was driving and Adam was trying to sleep with his head back and mouth wide open.  Aubrie got ahold of a hair rubber band and sling-shot it right past Adam's nose and onto the front dash.  It didn't wake him.  Petey rode in the very back and was pretty good.  We watched Frosty the Snowman about six times.  I now hate it.  But we made it safely!  And we are thankful for that!

We had a wonderful time.  I will share a couple of pictures from our trip and then off to bed.  Today was full of laundry, unpacking, grocery shopping, and a chiropractor visit.  AND of course a trip to the gym.  :)  I hope everyone else is recovering from their Thanksgiving weekend. 

Love to all!



Our beautiful table at Granny's house




Emilie helping herself to my pumpkin pie




Gaga showing Aubrie her initials on the kitty




SANTA!!!!




Candy canes from Santa!!




Cheese!  Emilie is finally feeling better the last day we are there.




Aubrie Jane at Grandma's pretty table

 Pin It Now!

Thanksgiving fun

We had a delicious thanksgiving meal yesterday at Adam's grandpa and grandma Huhnke's house. Adam's mom did the turkey and grandma added a couple of delicious sides. We enjoyed a game of scrabble while the girls were down for a nap. That evening we had leftovers and a dance party. Granny ha a player piano that you put a roll of music on and it plays the song and the keys move. The girls loved it. We danced to beer barrel polka in Steve Drabyn's honor. :)

This morning Adam and I got up at six and headed out for a couple of black Friday shopping deals. It wasn't too crowded and traffic was good in South Bend. We met Adam's other grandparents for lunch (the Marks) and unfortunately Tia had to leave and head back to Nashville. I was able to sneak a piece of pumpkin pie for a snack and slept with football in the background. Ahhh. I love Thanksgiving! Tonight we are headed back into town to eat with the whole Mark side of the family. Adam's dad has three siblings so we are a large group when we get together. Grandpa is making Swiss steak and there will be more pumpkin pie, of course.

Emilie is still pretty sick. She is still carrying a fever and now her eyes and nose are running. Poor thing looks miserable but she is still pretty fun. Aubrie is doing much better but still complains that her ear hurts. Hopefully the amoxicillin will start clearing things up soon. I hope everyone else is enjoying their time with friends and family.
Love to all!!

Pin It Now!

We made it!

Eight hours later, we made it to Indiana to spend Thanksgiving with Adam's family. We were only twenty miles in the trip when Aubrie announced that she had to go potty, so we thought it was going to be a LONG trip. However, she did really good and so did Emilie and Petey! :)

Yesterday I had to make a game time decision. Both girls had been running low fevers with sniffles and coughs for three days and we were getting ready to leave town. I went with our instinct and took them to the pediatrician. Emilie had a double ear infection and Aubrie's left ear was infected. So today we loaded up the car WITH the amoxicillin and headed on our way. I look forward to them feeling better.

We were greeted with a roast, carrots, potatoes, gravy, and bread. Pretty good after a long rainy day of traveling. :) We are looking forward to seeing Adam's grandparents and extended family this weekend...and eating a lot of food of course!!

Love to all!! Pin It Now!

Monkeys and Meerkats

We've been talking to Aubrie a lot about Thanksgiving and what it means to be thankful.  So every day we try to talk about what we are thankful for.  I started with telling her how I'm thankful for the sun and the grass because I like to play outside.  Dad said he's thankful for friends.  Aubrie came with "Hmm.  I'm thankful for monkeys!"  Oh yeah?  What else are you thankful for? "Uh, hmmm.  Meerkats."  Of course!  Monkeys and Meerkats!  :)

We are very conscious that these are the best days.  We know that right now we are the coolest we will ever be in their eyes.  For example, tonight we were having a jam session with play instruments and I got to be the LEAD drummer.  In a couple of years, I will never get to be the lead drummer.  Today Adam got a hug and a kiss just because.  Our children WANT to hang out with us.  We are aware that in a couple of years, we will be the stupidest and lamest parents ever!  So we are milking it and loving it right now.

cuddle time after nap time

We had a busy day of errands today.  The holiday season is approaching and we aren't ready.  The girls both started running a low grade fever so they won't be going in the church nursery tomorrow.  If their fevers get any higher, they won't even be going to church tomorrow.  I have to go because I'm playing in the bell choir.  Hopefully this will all go away because we will be headed up to Indiana on Tuesday for Thanksgiving.

I just love Thanksgiving.  Partially because I love to cook, but mostly because you are with family and sharing traditions passed down from family member from long ago.  In the kitchen, women are using recipes their grandmother's used and even recipes that have been in families for a long time.  For me, my mom's 60 minute rolls and her pea salad are two of my favorites that make it feel like Thanksgiving.  I would like to know what your special dish is!  Please send me a message on facebook or through email with your favorite recipe, perhaps a picture, and a little note about it.  I would love to share it with everybody!  (So yes, Aunt Brenda, I would love Granny's recipe!!)  I hope to hear from a few of you!!

Love to all!!
Pin It Now!

Six, Seven, Eight Layer Whatever

Everybody has their own recipe for this and it is one of my favorite throw together desserts.  You don't have to put anything together in a bowl, get out a mixer, etc.  It's just throw things in the pan and bake.  I love it.  It is one of our traditional holiday treats we keep around and I really was craving it the other day, so I made a pan.  I was short on coconut, so I had to wait a day to make it, but it was worth it. 

Six Layer Cookies

1/2 cup margarine
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 and put the stick of butter in a 13x9 pan and put it in the oven until the butter is completely melted.  Remove pan from oven and add remaining ingredients by layer in order that it is listed.  Use a back of a spoon to flatten.  Bake about 25 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Remove from oven.  Cook on rack then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  Makes 36 bars.

Everyone has a version of this recipe.  A lot of people put in butterscotch chips as well.  I just thought I would share in case you don't have the recipe.  :)

Adam came home from Memphis last night just in time to give the girls a bath and help put them down for bed.  The girls were happy to see them.  After we read the book Llama Llama Red Pajama, Aubrie said, "that was a good time."  I enjoy reading that book with feeling.  It is kind of my way of letting the girls know what it sounds like when they are constantly whining and crying for their mama.  :) 

Today our buddy Higgs and Katie came over to hang out.  The girls had a good time with him.  He's now RUNNING!  I swear he just started walking yesterday.  He's a lot of fun to have around.  We went out for our usual Mexican food dinner tonight.  Tia met us there to enjoy a meal with us. 

I started crying this afternoon.  I recorded Katie Couric's interview with Regis Philbin on 20/20 and watched it while the girls were napping.  I love Regis!  It is so sad that he is leaving.  I've watched that show since I was little and Kathy Lee was on the show.  Regis just makes me laugh and he has the best stories.  I started to watch today's episode of Live! but got interrupted so I'm about to go finish it tonight.  Laugh all you want, but I'm going to miss Regis!!

Love to all!!

ps.  Those of you that subscribe, if you go to my live blog, you will see my new picture at the heading!
www.kookiekellie.blogspot.com/
Pin It Now!

Emilie update

My sweet Emilie Victoria had her one year check up today.  Yay Emilie, boo shots!  The whole gang was there to watch baby sister get checked out.  One of our favorite Elmo videos at the moment is Elmo goes to the doctor.  Aubrie was all about baby sister's check up.  Little Miss Emilie is only the 40th percentile for weight, 75th percentile for her head, and (drum roll please) 97th percentile in height!  Aubrie did not start hitting the upper 90s in the height until about 18 months.  But Emilie was born there and stayed there.  Who would've thought?? 

Our doctor informed us the usual...she can now have seafood and honey, avoid peanuts.  He also said she can get a time out now for aggression with her sister.  Yes, that happens. 

He also observed that she was a little monkey because she kept walking all around the room and wanted up, but then put back down.  So he guessed she might be a climber and to prepare ourselves.  He said his son at 15 months crawled up on a chair, up on the table, grabbed a hold of the chandelier, pulled the knees up, and started swinging!!!  Hahahaha.  This is why I love our pediatrician.  He's down to Earth and he's been in our shoes recently.  We're so thankful to have a healthy one year old.  Love to all!
Pin It Now!

Mom's Mac N Cheese

It was rainy here so I went with some comfort food.  And nothing is more comforting than my mom's homemade macaroni and cheese.  We loved this growing up as a kid.  It was the only mac and cheese I knew so I think Easy Mac is gross.  However, Aubrie thinks Easy Mac is delicious and told me tonight that homemade mac and cheese was "UCKY!"  But Emilie loved it and ate it with two fists.  Maybe Aubrie will like it again another day.  :)

Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese

from mom

6-7 oz elbow macaroni (about 2 cups)
2 tsp dried minced onion (found in the spices aisle)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp margarine
3 cups grated sharp or longhorn cheese
2 cups of thin white sauce (recipe below)

Heat oven to 375.  Cook macaroni as directed on the box.  Place 1/2 macaroni in ungreased 2 quart casserole dish.  Sprinkle with 1/2 onion, salt, pepper, and cheese.  Repeat.  Pour white sauce over casserole.  Put little dots of margarine on top and cover.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover it and bake for 15 additional minutes longer. 

Thin White Sauce (looks like gravy)
2 Tbsp margarine
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups of milk
1/2 tsp dry mustard

Melt margarine in sauce pan on low heat.  Blend in flour, salt, pepper.  Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in milk and dry mustard.  Heat to boiling.  Boil and stir for 1 minute. 


Did I mention that Emilie is now walking?!  She's getting pretty good.  She is almost to the point to where it is her preferred way of transportation.  Especially in stores.  Now when I go in a store, Aubrie likes to get in and out of the cart and Emilie flat out doesn't care to be in the cart anymore.  She wants to hold my hand and walk.  So it ends with me holding both girls hands and pushing the cart with my hips/stomach/butt.  I need a new strategy.  I try not to go to stores with them anymore.  I like going while they are at mother's day out.  But we are excited for her.  And we know she is a good walker because when Petey walks by and bumps her, she is able to keep her balance!  This morning both girls were standing next to my dresser and Emilie was trying to pull open a drawer and Aubrie took her hand and pulled it away and said "No no Emmie, not for you!"  In which Emilie responded by squealing and pushed her in the chest.  It was funny because she has such an attitude and is standing up for herself so soon.  But naughty for pushing.  I catch them wrestling quite a bit.  Aubrie goes in for a hug but sometimes it looks more like a head lock. 

Emilie clearly flipped Aubrie over in this one.  She's wirey!

Love to all!
Pin It Now!

Charleston

Ahhh Charleston.  I really enjoyed our getaway to Charleston, SC.  Neither of us have ever visited and Adam had a co-worker who knew a lot about the city, so we were set.  Since Adam travels a lot, we stayed at the Marriott using his points.  We had a view of the city and the Ashley River.  The first night we slept for 10 hours.  Then I went to breakfast and came back to the room and laid around some more.  It was wonderful.  No children...nobody to feed or dress.  Just me and Adam.  The first day we were there, the weather was very cold and windy.  We chose that day to take a carriage ride around the city.  Someone told us to do that first so we would know where to re-visit.  They were right.  It gave us a good lay out and a lot of details as to what buildings were and a brief history of the city.  Luckily the carriage company had blankets for us to use.  We were on the carriage ride with a group from Germany and only one of them spoke English, so while their translator was translating things, we would ask questions to the driver.  On our first evening, we ate seafood and walked on one of the beaches.  We were looking for shells while waiting for our dinner reservations but we weren't having much luck.  As we got back in the car and I was cleaning my shoes, Adam said, "Something just jumped out of the water!"  I thought he was joking but I looked up and then I saw a dolphin jump out of the water!!  It was so cool!  A man told us that the dolphins there are very friendly and a lot of people kayak and the dolphins swim right up to your kayak.  How cool!  I tried to get a picture, but I failed.  But I did get a picture of the pretty beach.

Notice the piazzas on the left.  They were facing the ocean so that in the summer time, they would open up the floor to ceiling windows and let the cool breeze cool their homes.  This house also showed of a dual staircase.  A long time ago, if a man saw a woman's ankle, he had to kneel down and propse to her right then and there because it was a sin.  So a lot of places had dual staircases.  The men walked up the left side and women walked up the right.

One night we ate at Poe's Tavern.  (Named after Edgar Allen Poe who was once stationed at Fort Moultrie)  The burgers there were delicious!!  This is Adam's burger which was pico, guacamole, and pepper jack cheese.

My burger had buffalo shrimp and blue cheese.  It was SOOO good!!!!

Here is Adam next to a life size version of the  H.L. Hunley .  It was used during the civil war by the confederates and it sunk 3 times, killing the crew every time. 

Here is one of the houses facing The Battery that was right on the shore.  This house was special because it had a cupola on top and not many houses did back then.  In the summer time they would open all their windows on the piazza and open all the windows on the cupola and the cupola would suck the cool air through the house.  GENIUS!

This piece of furniture was estimated at about 2 million today.  It has ivory inlays and different types of exotic wood throughout.  It has been said it is the best piece of antique American furniture.  (It was made by a German)  But it is huge and beautiful.  It sits in the Heyward Washington House.  George Washington stayed there during a visit to Charleston to unify the colonies. 

Here is our rental car.  Adam wasn't thrilled with a jeep.

Peek!



We did have a lot of fun, but I did miss the girls.  I would look at pictures on my phone or watch videos of them at night.  I even got restless while laying around because I'm used to doing SOMETHING!!!  But it was a much needed getaway for both Adam and I AND the girls.  Thanks again mom for watching the girls and surviving!!

Love to all! Pin It Now!

Fried Zucchini

Have you been to Maggianos?  If so, did you try the fried zucchini?  It is my favorite part of the meal.  I love their fried zucchini.  It comes with a delicious sauce and the bread crumbs are so crispy and delicious!  I found a copy cat recipe the other day and we made it the other night while my mom was here.  It was pretty good.  The only thing I would change is the amount of lemon in the dipping sauce which I will note below.  You'll have to try it and let me know what you think!

Fried Zucchini (like Maggianos)

from http://taracooks.com 

• 3 medium zucchini – washed, stems removed, sliced lengthwise into thin pieces.
• Panko Bread crumbs for breading – poured into a shallow 9×9 dish.
Batter:
• 1 ½ cups club soda
• ¾ cups plain flour
• ½ cups corn starch
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon course ground pepper
Mix soda, flour, starch, salt, onion powder, and pepper together and pour into a shallow 9×9 dish. Dip zucchini strips into batter. Then dip the strips into the Panko bread crumbs, coating each side. Place battered strips onto paper towels.
In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil 1” deep. Heat oil over medium high flame. Add battered zucchini and fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on bottom side, turn zucchini and repeat. Drain on layers of paper towels. Shake Parmesan Cheese over fired zucchini right before serving.  Serve hot with Lemon Aioli dipping sauce.

LEMON AIOLI DIPPING SAUCE:
• ½ Cup Hellman’s Mayo
• ½ Cup Sour Cream
• Zest of one lemon
• Juice of one lemon (I would use half the juice from the lemon...a whole lemon was TOO strong!)
• ½ teaspoon Dill Weed.
Whisk all together in small bowl. Serve with Fried Zucchini. Yum!

You will have to let me know if you try it!  I don't know if anyone can make comments.  I thought I adjusted it so people could, but I don't get comments.  That could be because a lot of people get it through subscription.  Most likely it is because I have something marked incorrectly. 

Sundays used to be organized and ran smoothly.  Adam would get up with the girls while I laid in bed a little while longer.  Then we would all eat breakfast and I would start getting ready for church while Adam loaded the dishwasher.  Then the girls would watch a movie or play with toys while we got ready.  But now it is totally different.  Emilie doesn't care what is on t.v.  And Aubrie only cares about playing with our combs, toothbrushes, or my make up.  For example, she applied eye shadow today while I wasn't looking...

Like she said, "OH, Aubrie is so PRETTY!!"  Then at one point Adam was playing on the bed with both girls and showing me how Aubrie can now catch the ball by herself.  He was telling Aubrie that she needs to be strong with the ball and trying to knock the ball out of her arms while Emilie started crawling towards the edge of the bed.  I said something to him and he freaked out and grabbed her before she fell backwards off the bed.  It was CRAZY this morning!  We have to come up with a new system on Sundays. 

Overall we had a wonderful weekend.  I hope you did as well!
Love to all! Pin It Now!

Boo Hoo!

My parents went home today.  Boo Hoo.  We had so much fun!  I enjoyed having time with just the three of us (mom, dad, and I) while the girls were in school and Adam was at work.  It has been a LONG time since that has happened.  We ran some errands and I took them to the Loveless Cafe for lunch.  Mom and dad helped me with projects around the house.  We changed out our locks, put padding under my rug, spray painted the mailbox, and dad taught me how to change the oil and spark plugs on the lawn mower.  Mom and I did some cooking.  I made my lasagna and she helped me try a fried zucchini recipe.  I'll share that with you soon.  We also made three pies.  An apple, a pumpkin, and banana cream.  I even put the sugar in the pumpkin pie this time!

The girls loved having them here.  Emilie didn't act shy around Poppy and Aubrie loved wrestling with Gram.  Emilie did a lot of walking while they were here.  She is really starting to walk.  She even falls down, gets back up, and keeps walking.  It won't be long!  Aubrie showed off her new potty training skills.  She's out of diapers now and is doing pretty well.  Accidents are minimal.  We're so proud of her!!

The girls and I "getting" daddy

Gram made the girls matching dresses.  Too cute!

Emilie loved walking to Poppy and then climbing in his lap.  She wouldn't sit long and then go walk over to Gram.  In this picture she was serving coffee.

Aubrie would wait until Poppy was reclined and go attack him and wrestle.

Gram playing with the girls in their tunnel.

On another note, did anyone catch our Belmont Bruins last night??  Lost a heart breaker to Duke by one point.  It was an exciting game for us to watch.  We look forward to an exciting season this year!  Go Bruins!!!

Love to all! Pin It Now!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

This recipe is GOLDEN!  I love pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks and when I watched Good Morning America one morning, I saw Stephanie O'Dea on there showing off a bunch of slow cooker recipes and this was one of them!  It is a crowd favorite.  This recipe serves 2, but you can quadruple it.  And when I do that, I actually put the maximum amount of milk of 5 cups and then put as much coffee as I want.  It is delicious!!  Give it a try!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

from Stephanie O'Dea

1/2 cup brewed espresso or3/4 cup strong coffee

2 cups milk (preferably 1 percent)

2 tablespoons canned puréed pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

(or: 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cloves, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, tiny pinch of ginger)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

whipped cream (optional)

Cooking Directions

Use a 2-quart slow cooker.
Add coffee/espresso and milk to the stoneware.
Whisk in pumpkin, spices, sugar, and vanilla.
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.
Whisk again. Ladle into mugs, and garnish with whipped cream and additional cinnamon. Add a cinnamon stick for a fanciful effect.

Sorry I haven't written in awhile.  Adam and I went to Charleston, SC this past weekend to get away.  My mom flew into town and watched the girls while we were gone.  She did a great job.  The girls had a blast, my house was clean, and all is well!  My dad flies in tomorrow to hang out the rest of the week and so I may be absent again as I enjoy my time with them.  :)

YAY!  Gram is here!  We climbed all over her suitcase!

Aubrie got excited about the presents Gram brought!

Beautiful Charleston!

One of the beautiful house.  I love the piazzas. 

We had such a good time.  I can't wait to share a couple of things with you.  We ate at wonderful restaurants and we got a lot of sleep!!!!  :)  I really laid in bed a lot.  I loved it.  We even tried raw oysters!  I'll be sure to share more later.  For now, off to bed for a busy Wednesday tomorrow. 

Love to all!!

Pin It Now!

Meatloaf Revival!

At my bible study, a mom was talking about the Pioneer Woman's meatloaf.  She said that she makes her own sauce and puts bacon on the top of it.  What?  Bacon?!!  I LOVE BACON!  I was sold.  I looked it up when I got home and made it high priority on my list of new recipes to try.  I made it last night, but there was too much happening to share it with you.  I made a side of honey gold potatoes along with it.  At my store they are sold in a little bag and I just love those things.  I put it in a 13 x 9, drizzle some olive oil, sprinkled a little sea salt over the top and in last night's situation, I added some left over parsley.  They are delicious.  I can eat the whole bag.  :)

Here it is before I slathered it in sauce.  I didn't have an after picture because I had an anxious trick-or-treater and a hungry crowd anxiously waiting to eat.

"My Favorite Meatloaf"

from The Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond

• Meatloaf:
• 1 cup Whole Milk
• 6 slices White Bread
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1 cup (heaping) Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
• 3/4 teaspoons Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/3 cup Minced Flat-leaf Parsley
• 4 whole Eggs Beaten
• 10 slices Thin/regular Bacon
• Sauce:
• 1-1/2 cup Ketchup
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• Add Tabasco to taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes.
Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in beaten eggs.
With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat to drain. (Line the bottom of the pan with foil to avoid a big mess!)
Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.
Make the sauce: add ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir together. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon.
Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Slice and serve with remaining sauce.

I hope your family likes it as much as mine did.  I also made a broiler pan out of a 13x9 pan, a cooling rack, and foil.  It didn't work too hot.  Amanda told me that they even make meatloaf pans now...woah.  

The girls had a good day at school.  I got a lot accomplished as well.  My mom is coming to visit tomorrow and my dad will be joining her later next week.  We can't wait to share our new home with them and have them play with the girls.  You may not hear from me much this next week because I'll be having fun with my company, but I know you understand!  :)

Love to all!

Pin It Now!