Meatloaf

Here's a great meatloaf recipe. I'm allergic to milk and a lot of meatloaf recipes use meatloaf, so I found one that doesn't need it. It's an Alton Brown recipe, really good! So here it is:

Ingredients:

6 ounces garlic-flavored croutons *

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

1 carrot, peeled and broken

3 whole cloves garlic

1/2 red bell pepper

18 ounces ground chuck

18 ounces ground sirloin

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 egg

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup catsup
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey

Not entirely sure why I only took a picture of these things, but hey, here they are

* I am allergic to most ready made croutons, so I made my own. Here's the quick run down. Heat oven to 375°. Cut up french loaf in small squares, heat about cup of olive oil and whole head of garlic. DO NOT BOIL, just heat. Once heated pour oil over squares in a bowl, mix. Pour everything on cookie sheet, put in oven. Flip croutons occasionally. Cook until browned and crispy. Should take about 45 minutes to an hour.

Step 1: In a food processor, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of fine texture. Move mixture from food processor to mixing bowl.

Step 2: In the newly emptied food processor container (no need to rinse), combine the onion, carrot, garlic and red pepper. Pulse until mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed. Pour into mixing bowl that has the crouton mixture.

Step 3: Add the ground sirloin and ground chuck, season with kosher salt.

Step 4: Add the egg and combine thoroughly, do no squeeze the meat.

Step 5: Put into 10inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf.

Step 6: Place parchment paper on baking sheet, dump meatloaf pan upside down onto parchment paper.

Step 7: Put meatloaf in oven, and start to make the glaze

Step 8: Make glaze, conbine the ketchup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey.

Step 9: Brush glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.

Step 10: After about 45 minutes, measure meat temperature with meat thermometer (this one is the bomb, haven't had overcooked meat ever since I got this, cooks illustrated recommended best instant read thermometer)* Meat should read about 155°, take out of oven.

* I was not paid to recommend this thermometer, I just really like it.

Step 11: Slice up and enjoy!

I think what made this recipe unique was the glaze. Seriously, don't skip out on it, the cumin and Worcestershire sauce added with the honey really made it unique and yummy. Of course if you don't like cumin, then this isn't the glaze from you. But give it a try, it's easy to make and your family will be impressed. If you click on the recipe, there are suggestions for different glazes in the comments section, such as this:

4 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 C ketchup,
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon mustard powder

Nothing like comfort food on a Sunday to start your week out right! Let me know how yours turns out.

Meet My Personal Trainer

Now that Halloween is over everyone knows that the holidays come at a fast pace whirl wind speed. Between Thanksgiving in a few weeks, Christmas shopping and parties to attend there isn't much time to work out.  So I thought I would introduce you to my lean, mean, drill sergant of a trainer.

Meet Baby Fox

 

Frequently he says to me..."Bob...run mama". It's like he knows when I'm being lazy and need someone to kick my butt into gear. Bob is the type of stroller that we own, it's awesome for those that don't have one, it can go on sand with no problems. Anyway, he runs to grab the Bob and then points to the front door. If that doesn't say, you need to workout I'm not sure what does.

 

 

then while we're out, if I start walking for too long, he says...Run Mama! or he'll say...1,2,3 GOOOOO, meaning run you little tail off mama... Then he giggles when I do start running, which gives me even more motivation. Geez this little guy sure knows how to motivate a mama to run.

 

Them comes his workouts with Dada...

 

I think this picture explains it all...he says..UP, DOWN, UP, DOWN, extra 23 pounds of weight while doing push ups...yep, that's a good workout.

 

and of course doing hand weights, not hard enough, he needs to lift your foot off the ground to make it just a little harder...something you wouldn't do on your own right? But when he's telling you to do it, then by golly...you're going to do it.

 So that's how we plan to stay in shape this holiday season...what are your plans?

Sugar Coma

Hope you are all recovering from Halloween last night. I took the rest of the week off to recover. We went over to a friends house for dinner and some trick-or-treating. It was a ton of fun.

This was us last year

And now this year

Yep that's right one of us had another baby in the mean time, and another one of us is pregnant and it's not me...=)

This year was more fun because the kids could walk and really get into going trick-or-treating. I had to buy this bag for Baby Fox...his girlfriend got the same bag, yep they really had their names embroidered on it.

When we got to this house, this guy decided to serenade us with "Monster Mash" the kids loved it!

And these people own a hotdog stand so they were giving out free hotdogs and popcorn.

People went all out on decorations too...

Some of us couldn't hack it and fell asleep...

Our little trick-or-treaters

And then when we got back we tried to get a group shot...easier said than done.

Then there was sword fighting, Dragon vs. Knight

 

 It was a great night with lots of candy, can't wait for next year!

Damsel in Distress

So you're dying to know what we are going to be for Halloween?

Well here we are

Colton is a dragon

This was taken at my parents house a few weeks ago, we did a parade with all the great-grandchildren for my grandma

Mommy is the princess that Daddy has to save

But Lucy thinks she is better than a Knight

But maybe the best way to beat the dragon is to give him his very first Kit Kat

Yep I think that worked. Or maybe just give him the Knights sword...and he'll take care of himself...

Happy Halloween and may your Halloween baskets be full by the end of the night!

Weekend Recap

Wow we had a jam packed weekend. Mr. took Friday off with me. I don't think I told you, but Mr. has been working CRAZY hours the past month or so. This was the first weekend off in a month, we definitely enjoyed family time.

Friday:

Baby Fox wanted to watch the pool man do his pool man things...cleaning, sweeping, chemical pouring. Baby Fox was sad when pool man was finished, tears were shed.

Then we headed to the mall, and Baby Fox went on his first escalator ride...and then again, and again, and again...

Going UP!

Going DOWN

Then Baby Fox went on his first Ferris Wheel ride, cool malls have carousel and Ferris wheels rides, didn't ya know?

After nap time Baby Fox made these for his Grandparents

and then he made everyone dinner, Baby Fox Style (on the ground with a wooden butcher knife)

 I did get a sandwich too, but was too busy eating to remember to take a picture.

Saturday:

Was low key, we were preparing for the Halloween Party we were going to.

You didn't think I was going to show you our costumes did you? Think again!

Sunday:

Baby Fox stayed up extra late...like 3 hours extra late...so he slept in till 10am! When we woke up he helped daddy do this:

So we could do this:

And go here:

That's Walmart, I wanted to get a greeting card, but instead got some windshield wipers, isn't that how it always works, go in for one thing, walk out with something else. The bucket was left at Walmart, my backpack wasn't big enough.

 and here:

Then we went here to look at some plants for our backyard, but he wanted to stay and watch these go round and round:

All in all we had a great weekend. Hope yours was as fun as ours! Till next time!