HYCCT Chatter - let's be friends! :)

[UnderstandBlue]

Last year we had so much fun just chatting and sharing recipes - well, Lee shared her awesome recipes - that I thought I'd start a general chatter thread so we can get to know each other this month.

Also, I've blackmailed Lee into sharing her pumpkin bread recipe!!

I'll pay it forward by sharing one of my recipes, which I'm making tonight. I call it - the world's best meatloaf.

Lydia�s uber delicious meatloaf

2 pairs latex gloves (you'll see)
1 onion
1 package of sliced button mushrooms
3 TBS butter
1.5 lbs 85% lean ground beef (DON'T GET IT LEANER)
.5 lbs ground pork
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
� C grated parmesan cheese (the good stuff, not KRAFT - GAH!!)
Panko breadcrumbs, if needed


The mushrooms must be lovingly cleaned one by one under warm water, and you have to rub all the brown spots off with your finger - those brown spots are dirt. Not flavor, dirt. No one likes a dirty meatloaf. Finely dice the onion and the mushrooms. Saute them in a pan with the 3 TBS butter. If you cut down the butter, God help you. This is the PRECISE amount you need. While they are harmonizing, put on pair #1 of the gloves and knead together the beef, the pork, the parmesan, the salt and the pepper. Knead the heck out of it - you want it really mixed. Throw away your gloves. The onions and mushrooms need to be really cooked - Onions almost invisible, mushrooms really brown. When they are done, turn off the heat and stir them up (if you're impatient like me) until they stop steaming really hard, but are still warm. Don pair #2 of gloves, and mix them, along with ALL their liquid into the meat mixture. If you find it too moist, add panko sparingly until it is the consistency you want. But be sparing.

Form this into a loaf, but put it into a casserole dish, not a loaf pan. I have one with rounded corners that is about 10 X 8. I make it touch both ends, but leave a few inches on either side. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes. There will be a lot of juice... Sometimes I used whipping cream with it and make gravy, but it really doesn't need any - its so juicy & yummy with the veggies & the butter in there - they are the magic. If you HAVE to put ketchup on top, I suppose I could allow that.

The only other variation I have ever done is to take a beaten egg, torn up white bread and grated sharp cheddar, mix all that, put in half the meatloaf, the layer of the bread & cheese, and then the rest of the meatloaf. That's rare though.

I like to skip right to the old meatloaf sandwich while it's still warm..

[mandypandy]

Thanks for all you do for these challenges Lydia! I'm jumping in this year and trying to get as many of the challenges completed for the month.

Your meatloaf recipe sounds good but DH has his "family" recipe that he makes....ketchup (blech!) and all. I scrape the ketchup off my piece!

I'll try to come up with a recipe to share. I hope to get my photos edited tonight and uploaded tomorrow. Can't wait to see what the challenge is tomorrow!

[UnderstandBlue]

I'm not a fan of the ketchup either. In my opinion, ketchup belongs on fries and Tater Tots. Period.

But my cream sauce is yummy with this

I can't wait to see what you make!! The challenges are all so good and the hostesses are so sweet & fun!

[catdidit]

This sounds about like the way I do it too Lydia! Minus the gloves...I get all goopy! haha! Oh, and NO mushrooms...hubby can't stand them in it....so sad cause I could eat mushrooms on EVERYthing!

[bfinlay]

I didn't know we were sharing recipes - HOW FUN!!! Lydia, I'm going to try your meatloaf recipe, even though my Mom's self acclaimed Worst Meatloaf In the World was supposed have put me off it for life...one question - having lived outside the U.S. for so long, I don't know about Panko breadcrumbs - is that a brand name, are they like fine, dry crumbs??

[LuvLee]

Lee's Punkin Bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup softened butter
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 (16 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice

In a large bowl, combine sugar and butter and cream then and eggs one at a time while mixing. Add pumpkin and mix well. Combine dry ingredients and add to pumpkin mixture. Pour into two greased 8x8 square pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack; cool completely.

And yes....you HAVE to spell it that way! After all....it's MY recipe!!!!!!!!

[LuvLee]

Oooops! I left out 1 tsp. of ginger.....help Lydia!!! Can you add it in there with all the other spices!!! I can't edit it or I would! And you do NOT wanna miss out on the lovely taste the ginger adds!!!!!

[UnderstandBlue]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfinlay

I didn't know we were sharing recipes - HOW FUN!!! Lydia, I'm going to try your meatloaf recipe, even though my Mom's self acclaimed Worst Meatloaf In the World was supposed have put me off it for life...one question - having lived outside the U.S. for so long, I don't know about Panko breadcrumbs - is that a brand name, are they like fine, dry crumbs??

B-diddy - they are actually Japanese - they are crunchy and spiky and yummy: Panko Bread Crumbs, 2.2-Pound Bags (Pack of 2): Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food

[UnderstandBlue]

Fixed Lee!

[LuvLee]

[LuvLee]

OH my kitchen smells sooo good with these just out of the oven! Taking some to my SCS girlies I meet at Archiver's near Denver on Tuesday!!!! I hope they like it!!! Of course I have to leave some here for the boy...and take some for hubby and I at the apt too! Good thing it makes a nice amount!!!

[bfinlay]

Thanks - just googled them and they're available in the UK!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Understandblue

B-diddy - they are actually Japanese - they are crunchy and spiky and yummy: Panko Bread Crumbs, 2.2-Pound Bags (Pack of 2): Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food

[bfinlay]

Lee, your recipe looks amazing, feel like I can smell those spices baking all the way across the Atlantic!! Can't find canned pumpkin here in the stores though, they aren't into pumpkin pie - I can get fresh pumpkins, wonder if I cooked some, if it'd work???

[muzbysmom]

Hi ladies! I participated last year and am already having the time of my life with this year's challenges. I just got my fourth card made and was about to post it when I saw that this thread had been started. I kind of felt like I didn't fit with the "in crowd" last year so this year I'm going to dive in head first.....

Guess I should go get that card posted ladies! Have a great evening everyone! Will be anxiously waiting for the next challenge!

[SweetnSassyStamps]

Ooooh....great recipes, gals . Can't wait to add them to my stash and give them both a try.

I'm with ya on the ketchup being left off the meatloaf...gag....but my family all like it that way. Give me gravy any day ;).....and a heaping pile of mashed potatoes .

[Toy]

Lee, I will be expecting pumpkin bread at our next stamping get together!!! It's one of my favorite things!

Our little garden produced three huge pumpkins this year. I am going to make a pie with one of them. I've never made pumpkin pie from scratch and I can't wait!

[Toy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetnsassystamps

Ooooh....great recipes, gals . Can't wait to add them to my stash and give them both a try.

I'm with ya on the ketchup being left off the meatloaf...gag....but my family all like it that way. Give me gravy any day ;).....and a heaping pile of mashed potatoes .

Yup.. I'm highly offended if anyone puts ketsup on my meatloaf. I do put velveeta slices on top at the very end of cooking. My boys love that. I will use a small amount of A1 sometimes, but I'm not a gravy person.

[muzbysmom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuvLee

OH my kitchen smells sooo good with these just out of the oven! Taking some to my SCS girlies I meet at Archiver's near Denver on Tuesday!!!! I hope they like it!!! Of course I have to leave some here for the boy...and take some for hubby and I at the apt too! Good thing it makes a nice amount!!!

I've never thought to solicate an SCS meeting at Archivers or anywhere else! Guess I'm gonna have to post something on a thread to see if I could meet more MN Stampers! Thanks for a great idea Lee!

[fionna51]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfinlay

Lee, your recipe looks amazing, feel like I can smell those spices baking all the way across the Atlantic!! Can't find canned pumpkin here in the stores though, they aren't into pumpkin pie - I can get fresh pumpkins, wonder if I cooked some, if it'd work???

If you cook your punkin (Lee, I spelled it right!) by baking it (NOT boiling it...Yuck!) then scooping it out and mashing it up really good, then you can use 2 cups of punkin to equal one 16 ounce can of canned pumpkin. I think it is better than canned!

[newstampinaddict]

Yummmm... recipes! Love this!!

I'm all caught up so far ;-)

[mamaxsix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfinlay

Lee, your recipe looks amazing, feel like I can smell those spices baking all the way across the Atlantic!! Can't find canned pumpkin here in the stores though, they aren't into pumpkin pie - I can get fresh pumpkins, wonder if I cooked some, if it'd work???

Bridget I have used it before. Fresh cooked pumpkin puree can be substituted for canned pumpkin in most recipes, but it sometimes ends up being a little more liquid than the canned pumpkin.

[LuvLee]

Holly....I'll bring some to you...yes I will!

I plan to try using fresh punkin too.....Diane and I are the only ones spelling it right! ;) :P

[Crafty Math Chick]

Oh goody! I love sharing recipes!

Here is one for the best sweet potato casserole EV-VAH! I am serious,I didn't even like sweet potatoes before this, it tastes like CANDY!!

3 Cups Sweet Potato (peeled & boiled for 20 minutes or so)
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup melted butter
2 Eggs well beaten
1 Tsp Vanilla
1/3 Cup Milk

Topping:
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Flour
2 1/2 TBsp Melted Butter
1/2 Cup Chopped Nuts

Combine Sweet Potato, Sugar, Butter, Eggs, Vanilla, and mix well. Spoon
into two-quart casserole dish. Mix Topping ingredients in separate bowl.
Cover Sweet Potato mix with topping. Bake in over at 350 degrees for 25
minutes.

I double the recipe if I'm cooking for more than 6 people.

ENJOY!!

[Crafty Math Chick]

This is seriously A-MAZ-ZING! But do NOT drive after eating it (NOT kidding):

One Graham cracker pie crust. You can buy one already made or make it with.
One packet of Graham Crackers crushed finely and 5-6 table spoons of melted butter, mix and form into a 10"pie pan, bake at 350F for 6-8 min.
While it is cooling :
Whip up 1 and 1/2 cups of heavy cream till firm, but not butter. (I have found this to be one and one half half-pints.) So buy three half pints and make two recipes. This will be folded into the next group of ingredients.
Blend the following together into a large mixing bowl.
One large can sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 cup of lime juice, 5 tablespoons tequila, 5 tablespoons triple sec.
Once the pie crust has cooled, fold the whipped cream into the other ingredients, pour into the pie crust. Any left over, put into a cup and freeze. Freeze the pie overnight and serve frozen.

ENJOY!!

[dini]

I read in a magazine yesterday that Americans spend an average of 30 minutes a day cooking. Is that true? Here I am making everything from scratch...

[LuvLee]

Oh Dina...you aren't with the times are you? ;) ;) Seriously....I think cooking and baking is a lost art. I do have days where the meals are just quick, grabby meals....but I also love to cook and bake...mostly bake!

Our DS is thinking about becoming a chef...he graduates high school in May. I'm trying to convince him he should start by cooking us dinner every night! :lol:

Meredith....my DD will love that Sweet Potato recipe!!! ;)

[dini]

I am way out of the loop... true! plus there aren't a lot of 'heat and serve' options in a developing country... ;)

[Crafty Math Chick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dini

I read in a magazine yesterday that Americans spend an average of 30 minutes a day cooking. Is that true? Here I am making everything from scratch...

We cook and bake WAAAAAAY less in the summer than the winter - hubby doesn't like me heating up the house while we are paying for the AC to run, but in the winter it helps heat up the house... and make it smell good... Plus, for some reason, I just have more energy in the winter than summer, heat seems to zap all my energy.

Also, a lot of folks cook BIG quantities on weekends when they are off work to reheat & eat all week - since it is an average maybe that accounts for some of it too? (trying to help us not look so lazy here...)

[Crafty Math Chick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuvLee

Oh Dina...you aren't with the times are you? ;) ;) Seriously....I think cooking and baking is a lost art. I do have days where the meals are just quick, grabby meals....but I also love to cook and bake...mostly bake!

Our DS is thinking about becoming a chef...he graduates high school in May. I'm trying to convince him he should start by cooking us dinner every night! :lol:

Meredith....my DD will love that Sweet Potato recipe!!! ;)

Cool! It is REALLY yummy! Like candy!

[stamp300]

Hello ladies....I'm finally getting to uploading my cards, just can't figure out why I can direct my card to LuvLee's challenge, can someone help me?

Recipes look good ladies...

Connie

[stamp300]

I figured it out. Thanks anyways. I'm having fun again this year, it really makes me put on my thinking caps.

[bfinlay]

Thanks for the advice, Diane and Gail - I'll try it with fresh punkin! (Did I do good, Lee??)
When I first moved here years ago, I couldn't even get a fresh punkin, they used to hollow out a huge turnip to make jack o lanterns at Halloween - it was a dangerous operation, let me tell you, waaaaaaay harder than a punkin, and I always ended up butchering the turnip! (anyway, who wants fresh turnip bread???)

[bfinlay]

Hey, Connie, missed you lately! Good to "see" you again!

Quote:

Originally Posted by stamp300

Hello ladies....I'm finally getting to uploading my cards, just can't figure out why I can direct my card to LuvLee's challenge, can someone help me?

Recipes look good ladies...

Connie

[UnderstandBlue]

Hey Connie - are you using her keyword?

I agree that cooking is a lost art! We were in 4H when I was little and so we cooked from the time we were tots. But I have adult girlfriends who know how to open a can as their best culinary skill!

We need to get Libby over here to share some recipes - she's amazing.

Okay that sweet potato casserole looks great! I wonder why they don't sell sweet potato puree in cans like they do pumpkin? I only see chunks. I like mine fresh, but I love a sweet potato pie and it would be nice to have it that way.

[mandypandy]

Mmmmm I'll have to give the punkin!! bread a try! I tried this apple muffin recipe the other day and it is yummy! Hope someone else here likes it too!

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

These dark, crazy moist muffins will keep well for several days.

Yield: They said 12, I got 18

1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk or yogurt
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped

• Preheat the oven to 450�F. Grease 18 muffin cups and set aside.
• Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar. Beat until fluffy.
• Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.Mix in the buttermilk gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.)
• Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400�F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

[stamp300]

Yes, I am Lydia...I was trying to post under the closed account....silly me...everything is ok.

I'm having fun & starting to stay up late again.

[eggette]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfinlay

Thanks - just googled them and they're available in the UK!!!

We have them in Canada if you can get here!

[Greywolf]

Oh Lydia! That meatloaf sounds delicious! I have never had a lot of success making meatloaf but I like it a lot. I'll definitely try your recipe - I'm hungry already. (Oh, maybe that's because I haven't had breakfast yet.)

[newstampinaddict]

Yummy recipes!!

That sweet potato casserole sounds DIVINE and oh so healthy :-) And I'm totally going to try those Apple Muffins. My kids love taking muffins to "school" in the morning for breakfast.

My recipes aren't really very fallish... but if you want to make jambalaya or red beans and rice, let me know :-)

[newstampinaddict]

My DH might actually eat that meatloaf.... That's a definite must try