TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY

My cyber-friend Lisa and her twin sister Lana, host this blog carnival. It is loads of fun. MANY bloggers get together and share recipes, kitchen tips, product reviews and other fun things. There are so many great recipes out there. You might just discover a new favorite among them. Won't you join us?


For my contribution, I'm going to post a recipe for meatloaf.


Meatloaf sometimes gets a bad rap. In reality, if it is made properly, it can be tasty and can feed a large group of people. This is comfort food...wonderful with mashed potatoes, corn, and biscuits....which is exactly what we had last night. :)


Let me put out a few pointers about meatloaf.


First, you really need to add a 2nd kind of meat. It enhances the flavor and helps it not taste too dark and sit too heavily.


Second, you don't want to over mix the meatloaf mixture, as it will yield a tough meatloaf.


Third, do NOT bake while it is covered with foil. The fat will render quite quickly and cause the meat to steam. Steaming beef causes a livery flavor...and that is just wrong.


I do a different meatloaf every time, but last nights seemed to be really good...even the kids liked it.




MEATLOAF....OK...not THAT Meatloaf, but the food.


1 - 1/2 pounds ground beef. (I use 85/15 because the fat really does help the flavor)
1 pound ground pork
1 can beans (I used Bush's Grillin' Beans Steakhouse recipe...I don't like them as a side dish, they are too sweet....but they were really good in the meatloaf)
2 slices wheat bread, crusts removed
about 2 TBSP milk
1 egg, beaten
1 envelope onion soup mix
salt and pepper, too taste
minced onion (either fresh or dried)
garlic powder, to taste


First, tear bread into pieces and add the milk to it. You want the bread to be mushy.


Mash beans. They don't have to be smooth, but I did this to incorporate its own juices into the beans.


Put the 2 meats on top of beans.


Add your egg to the bread and beat the egg slightly. Pour that over the meat.


Add your seasonings, including the onion soup mix


With your hands (I know....wear a rubber glove, if you must), fold all ingredients together. You want things incorporated nicely, but don't overwork.


Put into a 9 x 13 casserole. Bake at 350 for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Remove from oven and let it set for a bit....about 15 minutes. Juices will be drawn back up into the meatloaf. (It is not all fat that the meatloaf will redistribute, so don't worry. A lot of the fat will still remain on the edges.) After about 10 minutes, go ahead and remove the meat to a serving platter so that it doesn't continue to sit in the fat.

enjoy~

MAKING A HAPPY HOME MONDAY

Those of you who read know that this has been quite a week for me. I got a lot done....the laundry was a HUGE thing. But, there is still so much to do.

My next big focus is my coupons. Various things we have been working on have made things tight. I don't mind, necessarily, but the transition from one budget to another has been a bit stressful for me.

With that in mind, I'm having to really work my menu from my stockpile and keep costs down, as much as possible, until things get settled into place.

All of that brings me to Making a Happy Home Monday.

This is a carnival that I host every Monday. In this carnival, I post about something that I have worked on in the house...something to make my home a happier home. It can be anything. It can be a big project that takes a few days, or a quick little item that only takes a few minutes. Just do SOMETHING. If you are like me, you can easily be incapacitated by what needs to be done....and it doesn't get done.

My hope, with this carnival, is that some of you lovely ladies will work on a project and post about it. Just link up down below, on Mr. Linky, and tell us what you do. These links will certainly be encouraging and inspiring. I hope you will join me.

Since I have been a little blah in my attitude, and since my hubby is home...since I have sick kidlets AND it is a staple in my life, I have decided to use chocolate to make my home a happy home.

HOMEMADE BROWNIES (plus guests!)

Who doesn't like a chocolate brownie sundae?

I'M BACK

Well, kind of.....

This week has been busy. And it needed to be.

I feel really good about all that I have accomplished. I did get on the computer some, but not near as long as normal....sad, huh? I have trouble controlling that.

That being said, I think I'm going to limit my time on the computer, from now on, and only blog on certain days. I won't set anything in stone as to what days, but something flexible. I will still do Making a Happy Home Monday and really hope that you wonderful people will join me.

I plan on continuing Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

AND, I would like to do at LEAST one other post per week....my goal is 3-5 posts per week....as long as I get my other stuff done.

So, what all have I done? Well, mainly, I did laundry. It was at an embarrassing state....I can't even begin to tell you how long it took me. I'm too ashamed of that fact. Suffice to say that I averaged 2 hours every night on it. It's not totally done....'cause really, when is it ever TOTALLY done? BUT, it is to where I don't have to dig for anything. Drawers are wonderfully stuffed and closets are magnificently jammed....Now to maintain...THAT is the big issue.

I also started working out....trying to go 4-5 times a week. I got in two. More about that in a bit.

I have been working a lot on JBQ with my kids. We had a meet last Saturday and another, for my 2nd, today. He did really good. And my oldest....he is impressive. I thought it would be fun to do a youtube on it. I'll think about that. I could show you what all they have to learn, then let each kid show off a little bit. Our church is really good. I won't get into a lot of details as it would be too identifying. However, MOST teams worry about us. ;)

Yesterday started off as a good, but busy day. I had to take my youngest to the doctor. He had been running fever for a few days. And, though the fever had broken, I didn't want to risk an ear infection over the weekend without meds. That is NO FUN!!!

So, we went in and got weighed, swabbed, prodded, nudged, listened to and all that. Everything sounded and looked great. Thank goodness, no infection.

Nope.

Just the flu.

THE FLU!!!!

None of us have EVER had the flu. And now, my sweet baby tested positive for flu.

As his fever was already down and nobody else in the family is even showing signs of problems, the doctor isn't treating anyone. However, we aren't going to the Y until we are all perfectly well....and SHAME on you mommies who take sick kids and put them in with other children....I know the Y is where we got it.......stepping down.....

We are just waiting it out. My son is tired, (voluntarily naps) and hasn't been eating, but the poor baby has THE FLU!

I have started giving my 3rd son breathing treatments (he is the one who tends to be asthmatic) as a precaution. The meds don't hurt if he doesn't need them. SO, we'll see what the rest of the weekend brings for us.

Other than that, I'm in a happy place. It's amazing to me how laundry can make, or break, my attitude. It is just so taxing to have to dig through mounds and mounds just to find matching socks. And undies....OH MY....we have SO MANY UNDIES!!!

For those of you who grabbed my button, thanks. The lady who did it is at this site. These buttons are SO CUTE! What a fun way to link to other blogs! Go check it out and get one designed. If I don't have your button yet, don't panic...I'm getting there. I'm slow....but I should have everything done within this next week.

Alright...that's it. I can think of so much more, but I've already been on here for the allowed time. I need to go do something else. Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts. It truly means a lot to me. Know that I'm praying for you all, too.

I'll see you Monday!

ok....couldn't resist..... (in my defense...I'm eating lunch right now.)

I got a button created, too. It's over there ---------->>>>

I would LOVE for you to grab it and add it to your sidebar. I will be (in the next few weeks) snagging buttons to put on my sidebar. Thanks, Tara!!!

ALMOST WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

OK...I know I'm not supposed to be on here, but I was too excited about these. I just got them today. I got a CD with over 200 shots. The photographer printed her favorite 65....some in black and white. They are PRECIOUS!

anyway, this is just a very small sampling of my faves....how can I narrow it down? They are ALL my faves.....

OK

Last week was not a very good one. Nothing truly bad happened, but I just had issues of my own...as I am prone to do, from time to time.

On Friday, maybe? I had a breakdown...not a rush to the hospital, put her in the looney-bin breakdown, but the overwhelmed, can't breathe, don't know where to start, cry and blubber like an idiot, breakdown. And I feel better.

So, because of all this, there are a few changes I need to make. Changes that should allow me to continue all the things I love, but get all the things I DON'T love, done in a timely fashion.

I need about a week.....I might not be on here very much. I need to get some things in order. And if I'm not going to be on the computer very much, I won't be checking YOUR stuff as much. Though I WILL sit down sometime during the week to check stuff...just not daily. I WILL check email daily, due to other responsibilities and things that I need. If you NEED to get hold of me, you know how to do so. :)

Here are some things I must accomplish:

laundry (yuck)
coupons...I'm WAY behind on it
schedule stuff (between all the music lessons, JBQ meets, coaching and practice and other things, I'm not using my time efficiently.)
Valentine's Day parties....2 of them.

I know this probably doesn't seem like a whole lot to you, but you are a better person than I......to me, this is huge.

So don't be offended if you don't "see" me for a few days.

Pray for me....I need it :)

I'll be back soon. Love you all.

Hey, y'all! Today is Making a Happy Home Monday. This is the day to pick a project...ANY project...big or small, to tackle and get into better shape. Make it prettier, cleaner or more functional...whatever you do, make it HAPPIER!

Link up on Mr. Linky and share with us what you did to make Happy Home!

For MY day, I did....

NOTHING!

That's right! Today is my birthday. I woke up to a Happy Home.....

Kids running in to give me hugs and kisses

A hubby who is going to take me out to lunch (and buy me the new Martha Stewart book...WOOHOO!)

Text messages from loved ones

Facebook postings from friends

I am 29 again and I love it. I love this age!

Y'all have a good one. I'll be back in the next day or 2....got lots to talk about. :)