Turkey/Pork Meatloaf with Apple Cranberry BBQ Sauce.

As the month starts to dwindle down to the end, and my cupboards and refrigerator are filled with random items that seem to actually repel one another rather than blend nicely into a nutritious meal. I quickly grab the phone which has my mother on speed dial. It goes a little something like this...
"MOOOOOM" (rather whiney of me)
"Yes dear... don't whine...what is it?"
"There is nothing to eat in my house and we have no money to go shopping til Friday!"
"Oh I am sure there is SOMETHING to eat."
"Nuh-uh. All we have is random things that don't go together. I can't make dinner out of applesauce, a can of cranberries, ground pork and turkey, and cinnamon oatmeal."
At this point I can hear the gears of my mother's creative mind start up.
"Sure you can, you just have to be creative!"
We chat for a bit, and then come up with this recipe, which was rather tasty n my own humble opinion.

Turkey/Pork Meatloaf with an Apple Cranberry BBQ glaze.

Ingred:  1.5 lbs lean ground pork
             1 lb ground turkey
             2 eggs
             one packet apple cinnamon instant oatmeal
             one packet brown sugar oatmeal
             1/4 cup cranberry sauce (no berries)
             1/4 cup applesauce
             1 small apple
             1 tbsp worchershire sauce (or more to taste, i start out with 1 tbsp and add more)
             1/4 cup ketchup
             2 tbsp of your favorite mustard. I like Dijon for the extra "bite"
             1 tablespoon garlic powder
             1/2 to 3/4 a packet of onion soup mix

So as usual, my recipes are on the fly and pretty much employ the dump and pour method. It is hard to create a recipe out of that, but I think you will get the gist of it here. I highly encourage "thinking outside of the Corning Ware" so to speak!

The Meatloaf: I start with combining the turkey and the pork in a large bowl. Add 2 eggs and mix/knead by hand until fully mixed. Next I add the oatmeal packets. It is best if you pour them into a separate bowl, mix, and then add them to the meatloaf so the flavors marry well. Now, with my savory meatloaf I add shredded carrots to give it an extra dimension. In this meatloaf, which has more of a sweet element, I add shredded or chopped apples. I hate getting the apple corer/shredder out, so I just eyeball it as i "shave" pieces off the apple. The final ingredient in the meat part of this loaf is the onion soup. After adding it, start kneading all the ingredients again. You want to make sure everything is WELL MIXED. Season as you see fit, I add a little bit of salt and pepper and a dash of garlic powder, but as this is a sweeter variety I try not to add too many savory ingredients.

The Sauce: Again, this is a dump and pour method, but you will get the idea. To a medium bowl, add applesauce, cranberry sauce, ketchup, mustard and brown sugar. Whisk well with a fork or whisk. It takes a while to break up the cranberry sauce and the brown sugar. If it helps, add the brown sugar a little at a time. Now I usually taste the sauce at this time to decided how much of he worchestershire sauce to add, but a few dashes is safe. Keep tasting as you go along. I like a lot of cranberry flavor to go nicely with the turkey. (Mmmm... Remember Thanksgivings as a child when you made turkey sandwiches out of cream cheese, cranberries, and leftover turkey the next day?) When the sauce is to your liking, it is time to prepare the meatloaf.

Shape the meat into a loaf and place it in a lightly greased (very lightly) loaf pan. This makes a hug loaf so if you want to break it up into smaller pans, that is fine too. I "inject" the loaf with part of my sauce. (I use one of those medicine syringe type things you get from the pharmacy with prescription cough syrup) Pull some sauce into the syringe and go to town. :) Most of the remaining sauce is then brushed over the top of the meatloaf. ( i save a little for dipping later)

Okay, here is the hard part because I do not remember how long I cooked this bad boy for! I  like to cook things low and slow, but i know that most people do not. Lets see, I am pretty sure I had it at 350 for t least 45 minutes, then i just continued to check it every 10-15 minutes or so until it was done.

So there you have it, i will get back to you on the cooking time. Like I said, I am a dump and pour gal, someday I will remember to measure better so I can seem like I know what I am doing!  LOL.
as always,,,, ENJOY!

This is a recipe that I  can in no way take credit for, but it is delicious! My friend Renee and I used to work together at a daycare in Mountlake Terrace for several years. Every time we had a get together with the "gals" of the daycare, we would all beg Renee to make this cake. I ran into Renee the other day at the Winco in Everett and it brought back such good memories with her of good times, and great food. While this is not entirely diabetic friendly for me... I would like to share it with all of you.

PS this is a good one for the little "lush" in all of us!

Renee's Rum Cake

Cake Ingredients:
1 package yellow cake mix
1 package instant vanilla pudding
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup rum
1/2 cup water

Glaze Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup rum
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes at medium heat... stir well

Directions:
Beat ingredients for 4 minutes. Pour batter into greased and floured Bundt pan.bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Pour glaze over cake in pan let stand for 30 minutes before unmolding. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

yikes... where did March and April go?

I can't believe that I have not blogged anything in the last couple of months. I feel like I owe an explanation... but you're not gonna get one...lol. Really, I have just been overwhelmed with "much ado about nothing" in the Thompson household. I always get the spring fever 'round this time of the year. Even though I really have no "springtime weather" to be fevered about, I think the bug has still hit me a bit. I have been CLEANING, rearranging, endeavoring to create a cozy house, and ridiculously dreaming about one day owning my own little happy coffee house and cafe. Oh dreams... you are so silly...have you looked at our pocketbook lately?

Well maybe I can't afford to own a coffee house/cafe, but i can still cook with all my heart and share my craft with those people I love and adore, my friends and family. I have decided today that I am going to start  planning quite the little culinary event.

So starting today I am planning a menu. I am going to try and challenge myself. I am going to use some techniques and food items that I have never used before. This will take dedication on my part, and it will take some patience on my husband's part... and your part? well for my family and friends that would like to be involved? You guys get the easy part...(well hopefully easy and enjoyable). You guy get to enjoy a night of good food, good drinks and good fun.

So, the date of this event? Well Josh and I are celebrating our 7th anniversary this year on June 26th. That is a Sunday and fortunately that is one of Josh's days off. I would like to have this be the event of the year for us, so I am planning ahead.

Josh and I have enjoyed 7 great years together and we want to share this special day with all of you. So far this is all just preliminary planning, so I do not have many details yet, but keep an eye out on facebook and to my blog. Join my blog so you can get updates and get an idea of the different foods and dishes I will be testing out for the event. I promise to be better at keeping up with my blog :) I would also really appreciate any suggestions you all have for foods and dishes you would like to see.

Until then!

Macaroni Salad for dinner tonight!

Okay so you really can't tell from this picture, but this is a HUGE bowl of macaroni salad that I made today. I like to call it dump and pour-a-roni salad. This salad is a great way to use up the odds and ends of things you have leftover in the fridge, freezer and cupboards, tonight's recipe was as follows:

1lb dry, elbow macaroni
1 16 oz bag of frozen peas and carrots
2 large frozen chicken breasts
1 Hidden Valley Ranch powdered dressing packet
2 cups shredded chedder cheese
5 or 6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup milk (for dressing)
1 cup mayonaisse (for dressing)
1 cup bacon crumbles (or more to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare chicken breasts in whichever way you most prefer. I fried mine tonight in some olive oil and just salt and pepper to season. Cook thoroughly and then place in the fridge to chill. (or freezer if you are in a hurry) :)
2. Prepare the Ranch dressing according to the directions on the package. Set aside for at least a half an hour to thicken.
3.  Boil macaroni in a large pot until al dente. Remove from heat and drain in collander. Rinse with cold water until pasta is cold.
4. Add the package of frozen peas and carrots while still frozen. It helps with keeping everything cold and by the time you are ready to serve the salad the veggies will have thawed.
5. Once the chicken is thoroughly chilled (and cubed), add it along with the eggs, cheese, and bacon crumbles to the pasta.Mix well.
6. Pour the thickened ranch dressing over the top. Mix well again
7. Season to taste with pepper and salt.
8 Enjoy!

As you can see, this makes a huge amount! It keeps well in the fridge for a few days and is great to take to work for lunch. (Or snack on from time to time as a stay at home wifey! ) I hope you enjoy trying it, and modifying it to your taste.

Cookies for poor people?

I grew up in rural Wisconsin in a small little village outside of Superior. Literally, it was called the Village of Lake Nebagamon. Back in "the olden days" my family lived as much as we could off the land because lets be honest, we were POOR. My mother was a nurse and my father was a salesman, and they were raising 4 children while doing as much as they could to make ends meet. I have to say, I never felt poor growing up though. My family, including my grandma and grandpa, all lived on 80 or so acres of awe-inspiring country landscape. You would think with 80 acres we would be wealthy, but we didn't own any cattle or other livestock, and what farming we did was for our own family. Making ends meet in the 70's was difficult for anyone, and throw 4 hungry growing kids into the mix? Well, mom and pop were in for a challenge!
My mother and father had been in the restaurant business before I was born. They actually owned a Mexican restaurant smack dab in the middle of Duluth, MN. They both are excellent cooks. But it is not just about being a knowledgeable cook. It is about putting heart and soul into every recipe and they definitely were pros at that! I remember several yummy things we ate growing up, but the one I am going to share with you has a bit of a funny story behind it. My mom loved baking and took every free moment in her week to do so. One recipe I loved in particular was made a lot because it was super simple to make. The funny thing is, I thought my mother was always making them because we were so poor and we couldn't afford to have real toffee. I really thought that she had made this recipe up (commonly known as Fool's Toffee) because saltines were cheap and she wanted us kids to enjoy toffee flavor even though we could not afford the "real stuff". It wasn't until I wanted to make a batch in college that I found out it was a common recipe and sure, it was cheap to make, but the real reason to make them (and make them often) is because they are deeelicious!

Saltine Toffee Cookies:

36 crackers

1 cup butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup chopped nuts of choice

Large Crystal Sea Salt to taste (Maldon from England is good)

Spread a large cookie sheet with foil and spray with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray. Place crackers close together to form bottom layer. In small saucepan, place butter and brown sugar, heat to boil 4 minutes.Stir very lightly to avoid burning. Spread evenly over crackers. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove, sprinkle with chocolate chips evenly over top. Wait a few minutes, then spread with spatula. Sprinkle with nuts of choice. (I have used, Pecans, Peanuts, Pistachios, Macedamias,and even Pumpkin seeds.) Now this last part is really my personal preference, but gives a uniqueness to the flavor. Take some medium to large sized Sea Salt crystals and also sprinkle on top. The salt brings out the richness of the toffee and the darkness of the semisweet chocolate. It adds  depth to the flavor. Place cookie sheet in the refridgerator. When cooled, remove, break up, and enjoy!

Sorry for the delay... :(

So, I haven't kept up in a week or so here. I havent been feeling that awesome and the only thing that has been on my appetite's mind has been chicken soup and saltines. I am feeling better though and promise to get back into this later today. Sorry for the delay to my readers! Be looking forward to a great pudding cookie recipe and the recipe for my great aunt's delicious zuchinni bread. (and much more)!

A quick yummy lunch

Today I wanted something simple... but delicious for lunch. Who says that only big meals can have BIG taste. The problem was... I didn't have much of anything in the refridgerator or the cupboards. Then I remembered the french bread we had for dinner last night and the tomato i used in a salad a day or two ago. So it wasn't everything I needed for Bruschetta, but it was almost enough for me. I started with chopping the tomato into small pieces. If the pieces are too big it just makes it difficult to eat. (now i know that traditional bruschetta uses a parboiled plum tomato... but one thing you will learn about me. I am not traditional when it comes to food!) I then found an onion and garlic clove that I forgot I had. I also know that onion is not traditionally in bruschetta, but I just love the taste of a sweet onion with a fresh tomato. Okay.. back to the bread. I poured some olive oil into a shallow frying pan, scored the bread a bit (to soak in the oil) and dropped it in. I like to "toast" both sides of the bread, but that is just my preference. I also like to add the garlic to the pan (chopped) it adds a garlic flavor to the bread and crisps the garlic up deliciously! Seriously, I could just eat garlic like this instead of potato chips! anyway... While the bread was frying I looked in the fridge one more time and what did I spy? FETA! There's my protein! Alright, since the bread finished while I was looking in the fridge, it was time to "build" my bruschetta. I like to put the feta on the bread first because it gets soft and gooey. Then i add the chopped tomatoes and onions. On top of that I drizzle the little bit of olive oil that is left in the pan as well as the crispy garlic. MMMMMM! If I had fresh basil I would give it a few chops and sprinkle it on top as well, but no such luck today. So thats it. Julie's version of a bruschetta. Lets call it "Leftover's Bruschetta" I hope you try it and enjoy it!

Cornflakes

I woke up today with the hugest craving for cornflakes. CORNFLAKES?! I mean seriously, who ever craves plain old cornflakes? Apparently I do. Anyway, it got me to thinking about how we develop a taste for something over the years. We start out as babies who live on a solely fluids diet and then move on to...slightly flavored mush. Well, some of us. I happen to have a friend, whom I love dearly,  that for health and financial reasons decided that she was going to make all of her own baby food. I thought this was a great idea! I mean what better way to nourish your children than with your own "food creation" from the heart. One day I happened to be hanging out with this friend when she was feeding her little girl and WOW! You could smell the garlic coming off of that baby food from across the room! That little girl must have had a "tough as steel" immune system growing up! I joke, but seriously, I love the fact that this mama took the time and put love into her daughter's food. She thought about what tastes good and provided that food experience for her little girl at such a young age. I often think about the foods that I ate while growing up, and while I do not remember what I ate as a baby, I know that it was alway prepared with love. Love for the experience of eating something delicious, trying something new, or falling back on the comfort of a good ol' favorite recipe. Food is what fuels us, but it is so much more than that. We develop a taste for spicy things and that ties into the music we listen to while we are eating it... Salsa music with salsa and chips? We have a bad day and all we want is a good bread bowl filled with mom's homemade chicken noodle soup...Comfort food and a cozy fire. It is a part of who we are and a journey to who we will become. I have enjoyed my journey...even my short stint as a vegetarian... Have you enjoyed yours?

My first blog ever! A short one.

Alright everyone! This is definitely a new thing for me. I have never blogged before. Oh, I have journalled. I have journals that date back to High School still in my book case at home. (The ones from college where I was constantly losing who I was and reinventing myself are hilarious to read now-a-days) But I have never "logged" my thoughts for the world to see. I named this Blog my Epicurean Journey. It is my hope to shar with family and friends (old and new) my passion for all things food. My husband and I are "foodies", and we have the expanding waist band to show it! But seriously... I believe that no matter what type of  "food consumer" you are, be it a Gluten free, Soy filled, Tofu griller...or a Heavy creamed, Topped with cheese, Butter slatherer...or those of us who are in between - the Seasoned steak, Salad tossing, Pho' slurping, Try anything once... people who really just love the taste and experience of food! I truly believe that our experiences with food have been a journey for us all, and it is something that we should embrace in our lives. I would like to invite you to come along with me on my "epicurean journey" where i will share some of my favorite recipes, family stories about food, fun new ingredients to try, ways to cut down on the fat and sugar, (but not the flavor) and well, pretty much anything that pops into this head of mine! I hope you will enjoy it. And I hope you will try out a recipe or two and let me know what you think. Thats all for now... God Bless!