Ashley's "famous" meatloaf

Let me start off by saying that my meatloaf isn't exactly "famous". Well ok, it's famous in my family, but that's about as far as it goes. The only reason I'm calling it that, is because that's what my brother called it the other day. Why? Cause it's friggin yummy.

Most of the time, you don't beg for meatloaf. It's really more of a "I'm running low on food, so let's make a meatloaf." But in my home, it's not thought of that way. Every time I tell my husband I'm making meatloaf, he practically jumps for joy. Funny too, because the first time I made him meatloaf, he refused to eat any, because he didn't think he would like it. Brat. Now though, he asks for it quite frequently. Especially if I hadn't made it in awhile. Besides him, the rest of my family loves it too. (Including brothers, mothers, nieces and nephews.) I've served it to a few friends, also, and I can honestly say I have never had anyone not think it was awesome. (Unless they lied.) ;)

It's ridiculously easy, with only a few ingredients, but it's mouthwatering none the less. The only problem with telling you how I make the meatloaf, is that I don't really measure. So, if you make it, you're gonna have to wing it right along with me.

What you'll need:
2lbs ground beef/turkey/venison (I like to do 1/2 one meat, 1/2 the other)
1/2 cup ketchup
2 large eggs
Italian bread crumbs
garlic powder
onion powder
4 slices of American cheese

Topping:
Ketchup
Mustard
Brown sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 375. (I want to point out here, that it really varies from oven to oven. In my old oven I used 350, in this new oven I need 375. I also went from baking it for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. So you'll just have to see what works best for you.)

Put your meat, ketchup, seasonings and eggs in a bowl together. (Just an FYI, these pictures are showing this recipe doubled. I need to make extras for lunches so I double the recipe.)

Start mixing. You gotta do this with your hands. Stop being a baby. Dig in! ;) Add the bread crumbs in small batches. You don't want to add too much bread crumbs, so it's best to do a little at a time. BUT, you don't want to do too little at a time, because you don't want to over mix. When you over mix, you break the meat down too much, and it gets too loose. I do not measure, but I can tell you, for this 4 pounds of meat, I used about 16oz of bread crumbs. So for 1/2 this size, you would probably use 6-8oz. You want the meat to still be a bit "wet" but not sticky. Too much bread crumbs, and your meatloaf will be dry. This might sound difficult to figure out, but it's really not. You will see in the following pictures, that it is balled up nicely.

After you have the meat mixed up, wash your hands and make the sauce. For that, all you'll do is put some ketchup, mustard and brown sugar in a bowl. Ketchup and mustard in about a 8:1 ratio, and then just add some brown sugar and mix. You want it to taste kind of like barbecue sauce, but more on the "ketchupy" side. You really can't screw this up though. Just make it however you think you'll like it.

After the sauce is made up, press 1/2 of the meat mixture into your pan. My picture is showing my meatloaf in an 8x8 pan. That is because it is so large. When I made my 2lb meatloaf, I used a loaf pan.

After adding the meat, lay your cheese out over top the meat.

Spread some of the sauce over the cheese.

Press the rest of the meat in the pan, and spread the rest of the sauce over top. (I forgot to take a picture, so here's one of it in the oven.)

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

I like to let it cool for a few minutes before cutting. This meatloaf is heavy, and a small slice goes a long way. Also, I use two spatulas to get a piece out. One on each side and pull it out.

There you have it. It's really easy, but ridiculously good. I COMMAND you to try it. Ok, well if that didn't work... what if I say, please?

Mozzarella Sticks

Who does not like mozzarella sticks? I mean, seriously? Oozy cheesy goodness, inside a crunchy little shell. I think my stomach just flipped. Now, my next question is, who likes to pay the price for mozzarella sticks? C'mon, why in the world are they so expensive? Most restaurants charge anywhere from $5-$7 for 4-6 small mozzarella sticks. I mean, they're good, but they're not THAT good.

Well, good news. You don't have to spend a ton of money. Make them yourself!! They are ridiculously easy to make. Try it!

What you'll need:
Pack of string cheese
1 Egg
Splash of milk
Bread crumbs (I prefer Italian)
Oil for frying
Marinara sauce for dipping.

What you need to do:

Heat oil to 350.
Beat and egg an with a splash of milk added to it.
Pour some bread crumbs in a bowl or on a plate.

I like to cut the cheese sticks in half and make mini sticks, but you can use the stick just like it is, too.
Dip the cheese stick in the egg wash, coat in bread crumbs, stick back in egg wash, and coat in bread crumbs again. (If you find you are running out of egg wash, just get another egg and another splash of milk.) Fry cheese sticks for about a minute, or until golden brown. Place on a plate lined in paper towel to drain. Dip in marinara sauce, and enjoy.

See, I told you it was easy. And you end up with 12 large mozzarella sticks (or 24 small if you cut in half) for less than you would have paid in the restaurant for 6 small ones.

Cheesecake cups

First of all, I want to apologize for not updating my blog for awhile. I know, there are a few people who actually follow my blog, and I want you to know that I haven't forgotten about you. Most of you already know, through my Facebook, that we have been going through some stuff lately, and that has taken up much of my time. But, I've had a post waiting for almost 2 weeks, that hopefully if my children give me a spare minute, I can type up quickly, lol.

As most of you know, I've been trying to find new things to make, and this was one that I just couldn't pass up. I found the recipe here. Cheesecake cupcakes

Basically what it is, is individual cheesecakes. They are so yummy. Now, the recipe originally called for raspberries, but do you have any idea how hard it is to find raspberries during winter in PA? Apparently it's impossible. So, I chose blueberries instead. It was wonderful. Next time though, I think I will choose to get a raspberry or strawberry preserve and skip the step of pureeing my own fruit.

When I made this recipe, I only made half the recipe, because I didn't want to waste cream cheese, in case I didn't like it. Well, I was wrong. I should have just made the whole batch, because these did not last in my house for very long. So if you like cheesecake, just do yourself a favor, and make the whole thing.

I also think that the butter isn't quite enough, so I melted a little bit extra and added to the graham cracker crumbs. Before adding the butter, I couldn't get the crust to press down right, and it crumbled too much. So start with what is recommended, but add a little more if you find yours is crumbling, too.

One more thing: If you're like me, and have never made cheesecake before, the toothpick test does not work. Just trust the time stated for baking. They turned out perfect. :)

If you try these, let me know what you think of them. I always love to hear about things you've made. Now, here are the before baking and after baking pictures.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I'm sure, by now, you've heard that LOTS of people are making their own laundry detergent. With the way prices are increasing every day, people are trying everything they can think of to save themselves some money.

I made my own laundry detergent YEARS ago, but got away from it when my life got in the way. I started making it again a little over a year ago, and I can tell you I am never going back. It is easy to make and ridiculously cheap. There are tons of different recipes out there, and honestly, there really isn't a "wrong" way to do it. Everyone likes their detergent differently, and over time you will learn which way you prefer it.

I'm going to "show" you how to make liquid detergent, and tell you how to make the powder. I use both. If I'm honest, I prefer the powder, but the liquid is cheaper. They both work just as well, though.

You will need the following things to make your detergent:
Fels Naptha bar soap
Borax
Super WASHING soda (NOT baking soda)
OxyClean (or generic version of)
A grater or food processor
5 gallon bucket (if making the liquid)
Water (if making the liquid)

Liquid:
First thing you want to do is grate of the Fels Naptha. For MY liquid detergent I use 2 bars. (Many recipes call for only 1 bar of soap and 1 cup of everything else. But this makes it too much of a liquid for me. I like there to be a thickness to it, so I double it. This is just my personal preference. To save money, half all of my ingredients, except water. It will still clean your clothes well.) Put into a pot and fill it up to just above the soap. Put it on medium heat, and stir until melted. This does take a little bit of patience.

In the 5 gallon bucket, add your dry ingredients. 2 cups borax, 2 cups super washing soda and 2 cups of OxyClean. (The OxyClean isn't needed. I add it, because I like the thought of the extra "boost" but skip it if you want to.) Add the soap to it, and fill the bucket HALF WAY full with HOT water.

Mix until dissolved. (I like to use the handle to the swiffer duster thing. It's plenty long enough and I think it stirs it really well, with the "forked" end.) Fill the bucket the rest of the way with water. Let sit for 24 hours.

VERY IMORTANT: Don't actually fill the bucket ALL THE WAY to the top. It needs some room to expand. Also, DON'T put the lid on tight until the liquid is cooled.

Oops.... ;)

After it has sat for 24 hours. Stir again. I then use a measuring cup with a pouring lip to fill up empty laundry detergent containers. Note, the picture below looks extra lumpy, but that's just because it was the very top of the bucket. When mixed it doesn't look like that.

Don't fill these all the way to the top either. If you're like me, and use double ingredients, it will be a little lumpy. It's really no big deal, but I like to shake the detergent bottle, before pouring it out, to break up some of the lumps.

I use the lid to the laundry detergent container to measure it out. And, before anyone asks, YES, this will work great in your HE washer. It is not a sudsing detergent, so you don't have to worry about that.

Powder:

To make the powder detergent, It's the exact same ingredients, you just mix it all together, and don't add any water. So 2 bars soap, finely grated; 2 cups borax; 2 cups super washing soda; 2 cups Oxy. Use 1 tablespoon per load for HE machines and 2 tablespoons per load for regular washing machines.

I do want to also add that other types of soap can be used. Ivory is a good substitute. I have not tried it in the liquid detergent, but I do half Ivory and half Fels Naptha in my powder detergent. (Cause I got if for free couponing.) The rule is this, it CANNOT be a "beauty bar" type detergent. So, nothing like Dove or Caress. But if it were up to me, I'd just stick with the Fels Naptha. Google it. It's some GREAT stuff. :)

Cost: This whole 5 gallon bucket full of detergent cost me less than $5 to make. Score.

Shirley Temple Cupcakes

I love sweets. At least, lately I have. I'm normally a salty type of girl, but for the last few months, I crave sweets every day. Not a good thing for my waistline... but lucky for me, my waist is already ruined, soooo, like I said; lucky me. ;)

If your head isn't under a rock, you've probably heard of pinterest. If you haven't, you are missing out. Ask me for an invite and I will gladly send you one. Beware, the site is addicting, and you are likely to spend lots and lots of time there.

While browsing one day, I found a recipe for Shirley Temple cupcakes. I love Shirley Temples. I am not much of a drinker, but there is nothing worse than going to a Christmas party where it's an open bar, and being pregnant, so you can't drink anything. Ok, I'm sure there are many worse things; in fact, I know there are, but at the time it sure didn't feel that way. That was what happened to me in 2009 AND 2010, as I was pregnant both times. (Wouldn't change that for the world, though, of course.)

While sitting at the bar, watching everyone else sip on their tasty drinks, I felt left out. I am perfectly happy with virgin drinks, don't get me wrong; but when you CAN'T have something, that makes you want it all the more. So I asked the bartender if she had a simple virgin drink she could make me. That's when she told me about the Shirley Temple drink. Can you believe I've never heard of it? Honestly, I hadn't. So I tried one. Not anything really special. 7-up or Sprite or whatever, and splash of grenadine, with a cherry on top. Of course, there are other versions, but this is the one she served me. It worked. I had a "fancy" looking drink to sip on, and that made me happy.

So, when I came across these cupcakes I had to try it. I've heard of a soda cake before but had never tried it. This recipe called for a diet 7-up. I didn't have diet 7-up and only had regular Sprite, so I used that instead. From what I hear, you also aren't supposed to use cold soda either, but I did. And it turned out just fine. In fact, the cake was soooo moist! Loved it.

I am not going to post the recipe, but link it at the bottom instead. These cupcakes would be AWESOME to make for your sweetheart for Valentine's Day. Even better, if you use the marble trick, and turn your cupcakes into heart shaped cupcakes. I'll post that link at the bottom too. 

I really hope you make these cupcakes. They were delicious. They only think I can tell you that I did differently is I added 2 tablespoons of cherry juice to the topping instead of 1. Next time, I'll add even more, so there is more flavor, and the topping ends up pinker.  I also used regular cream cheese, instead of lite.

Find the recipe here: Shirley Temple Cupcakes

Find out how to make heart shaped cupcakes here: Heart cupcake

Chicken corn soup with dumplings

I want to start out by saying, I've sorry it's took so long to put up this post. Weekends are always busy for me, and I've had Dr. appointments the last two days. Now that I have a free second, I'm going to try to get this all written out.

So, we started out learning how to cook a chicken in a crock pot; then we learned how to make chicken stock in a crock pot, and lastly I am going to show you how I make chicken corn soup in a crock pot, using the chicken that we made and the stock that we made.

First you want to gather all of your ingredients. You're gonna need:

Chicken (I used most of the chicken that I had made the other day, but not all of it. If you like lots of chicken, throw it all it!)
2 - 16oz bags of frozen corn
1 - 16oz bag of frozen carrots (or more if you want to; I like the sliced frozen carrots)
chicken stock (I don't really measure, but I use probably 6 cups)
water (I usually use about the same amount of water as I do chicken stock. Maybe a little less)
seasonings (I use garlic and onion powder, creole seasoning, salt and pepper)

Anyone who is used to cooking in a crock pot, knows that there aren't really any rules. The above ingredients are really, just a guideline. You can do whatever you want to it. Add celery, or whatever veggies you want. Make as much or as little as you want. This is just how I like to do it.

Throw the chicken, and veggies in the crock pot and then add your chicken stock and water. Don't fill it all the way to the top, cause you're gonna need the room for your dumplings. I don't add the seasonings now, because I like to taste it, and tasting cold, unseasoned chicken stock is pretty gross! If you are cooking this for a dinner, turn it on low; for lunch, put it on high. Cook it until it's nice and hot. High 3-4 hours; Low 6-8 hours. Add the seasonings an hour two into cooking.

About 45 minutes before you want to serve it, make up the dumpling mix. For that, you'll need

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
chives (I use the freeze dried ones, and just dump in whatever I want)
6 tablespoons of butter, melted
1/2 cup milk

(FYI, for a full pot, I like to double the dumplings recipe. My whole family dies over them, so I make a bunch so everyone gets.)

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add butter and milk and mix. Drop by tablespoons in the HOT soup. Stir it around a bit. Put lid back on and cook for another half hour. These dumplings are very light and airy, and oh so good.

In hindsight, I should have taken more pictures, I suppose. But I was cooking this for a Sunday after church lunch, so was rushing around cleaning my home while this was cooking, and didn't really have the time to be taking pictures. But, here's a picture after half of it had already been eaten.

My family LOVES this soup. In fact, while eating it, I hear lots of "Mmm's" "This is so good's" and even the occasional "Ashley, you could open a restaurant." I'll admit, this makes me beam from ear to ear, and even brings a tear to my eye. It feels good to be appreciated. It's even better when you love cooking for your family.

This crock of soup fed 4 adults (with 2 FULL bowls, each), 5 children, and 2 BIG servings of leftovers for packed lunches the next day. The BEST part? This whole meal cost me about $9. Cha-ching.