Homemade Food

I love to cook and try new things.  My kids are always willing to try my experiments into the culinary unknown.  Most things turn out well, but some - like my never-to-be-made-again Tangerine Chicken - are best forgotten.  My cookbook collection is always growing and usually grows a few volumes around the holidays. 

This year's additons:

I've already made several fun recipes.  My favorite has been the Chocolate Cake in a mug from Homemade Winter.  You mix all the ingredients into a mug and microwave it.  Presto... chocolate cake for one.  It does make a bit of a mess and explodes out of the mug and then settles back down.

 

                                             

 

 

It was so much fun, I made one for everyone in the house.  Six mugs full of single serving chocolate cake.  (And yes, my Christmas decorations are still up.  Not letting go... yet)

 

I also made some pumpkin muffins from my favorite baking book, The Village Baker's Wife.  So good that some disappeared while they were cooling. They have completely disappeared now.  I need to make more for breakfast tomorrow, and to start on some croissants for Friday morning's breakfast.

 

 

                                 

 

 

We need something to keep us warm here in San Diego.  The temperature went down to 23 degrees last night.  Tonight will be another wintery evening.  I'm going to put bottled water on the front porch and see if I can make ice.  Will let you know tomorrow.



Happy 2013!!

It's been over a year since I ventured on to this site.  I'm back.  Hopefully for good.  I took a much needed break. Life has been too crazy to describe. 

The highlights of the last year:

• I took a cruise with my mother (only my mother). It was heaven!
• Isabelle graduated to the next class in preschool. 
• Sock making took a back seat.  Only made four pairs.
• Arielle graduated from college with a Bachelors in Game Art and Animation.
• Started working out at the gym everyday for an hour to keep the stress gremlins away.
• My nephew Robbin married his dream girl.
• Visited my family in Tennessee
• Michelle joined the Robotic Club at school. Her team won 2nd for the first time in years!
• My mom looked a horrible disease in the eye and made it back down - thankfully.
• Arielle and boyfriend Ryan moved in and happily are still here.

There is much more...

But I'm moving forward, of course, with a fresh pair of socks on my needles.

Almost a Year in Socks

I have surprisingly kept on track with the knitting goal I set at the beginning of the year. I'm currently working on October's pair, so I'm already ahead of schedule.

I already posted January's, so here are the rest:

February

March

April

Modeled by Arielle

May/June

July 

August

September

I have to confess that I cheated a bit in May and June with itty bitty socks. Below are my October socks. Just barely started, but it's unreal for me to be this ahead of schedule.  I hope I can keep it up - at least until the next project catches my eye.



Hawaiian Meatloaf

Before I sat down to enjoy my meatloaf the other night, some great news came my way.  My wonderfully talented daughter, Arielle, is on the Dean's List!  I'm so proud of her.  Her future is so bright.  It will be exciting to see where all this takes her.

So, before I start going on and on about my fabulous daughter, because I can go non-stop - yes, she's that awesome, here is my meatloaf recipe:

Hawaiian Meatloaf       

Combine all of these in a mixer.  (I like using a mixer because it mixes much better than using my hands):

1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 pound hamburger
1 egg
1/2 cup of canned crushed pineapple (save the juice for the sauce)
1 finely chopped onion
2 tsp pineapple juice (from can)
1 cup plain bread crumbs
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix until well blended.  Transfer to a metal loaf pan and cook for one hour at 350-degrees*.
Take out of oven and pour sauce over the top.


Sauce   

Combine in a saucepan:

2 tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Heat on medium low until thick and bubbly.  Pour over the meatloaf and put back in the oven for 10 more minutes.

I served this with mashed potatoes, gravy and corn on the cob.  Not our usual dinner, but this was sweet comfort food at its best. 


*I always put two pieces of bread, usually the ends because no one in my family eats them, underneath the meatloaf.  It soaks up all the grease.  Just remember to discard them before you serve the meatloaf.

Downhill

My year has not improved much. Without going into it too far - because most of it is not my story to tell- I am at my peak with disasters and medical emergencies.  The good news about being on the peak is there is only downhill ahead of me. Hopefully, it will be smooth and I won't land on my face.

A happy spot in these last few months, is Aslan.  My adopted 80-pound puppy.  I looked in every shelter and humane society for months to find the perfect dog. I finally found him at an Encinitas humane society.  I couldn't have asked for a better dog. He's gentle, patient and so snuggable despite his size. 

He's just perfect.  Aslan helps fill the house with laughter and love.

Since the last year has been dark and dreary, I spruced up the blog.  It needed some happy colors.  This is the same reason why my livingroom is now a bright purplish pink.  (Don't tell Doug it's pink. He's colorblind and thinks it's a dark purple.  Who am I to burst his paint bubble?)

 I'm off to experiment with combining three different Hawaiian Meatloaf recipes for dinner.  I'll post the finalized recipe. Something sweet yet comforting is what I need right now.