Meatloaf & Smashed Potatoes

Feb 29, 2012 by lovelypantry

Have you ever had meatloaf before? It may sound strange to ask. But when I had meatloaf for the first time, I knew I was missing a great deal! I saw the recipe on Everyday Food and decided to give it a go. Of course, I made changes to their recipe. I generally do. Ha! I enjoyed preparing it but found that it’s really a lot of meat! I may have to find a way to prepare it differently or make mini meatloaves or something. All in all, it tasted great and the family enjoyed it. I chose to mix the meats to get the most flavour. Originally I was going to use the usual ground turkey but felt the flavour would not be rich enough. I’m sure there are many variations of meatloaf so if you’re a food blogger, and you happen to come across my version, please leave a comment and a link to your recipe. I’d love to see.

Oh, and as for the smashed mini potatoes – I saw Laura Calder do it and I thought it was hilarious! But after the first few times I did it, I found them to be cute little things. And I LOVE the taste of baked mini red potatoes. LOVE.

I have to tell you guys that my son ate his dinner with no fuss. Knowing that he would not eat meat for so long, and finally he’s eating like a “big boy” really makes me happy. My daughter is now going through this meatless phase, so I’m being patient with her but I look forward to when she can eat just like her brother. She might even start asking for broccoli or string beans with her dinner, just like her big brother! It’s a daily task, offering her different veggies, and foods, but she’s just 2 and still trying to figure it all out. I’m here to help and show her by example. A mother’s work is truly never done.

I’m proud of my first attempt at meatloaf. Here’s the recipe and photographs.

 

 

 

 

While taking into consideration the fact that some ovens are hotter than others, I wanted to ensure that the loaf was cooked through. You can never be too sure.

 

 

It looked great, and smelled wonderful. I couldn’t wait to cut it into slices.

 

 

The tomato sauce was so sweet… a perfect combination.

 

 

When will you be making meatloaf for your family?

 

 

Take care folks! See you again soon 🙂

 

 

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Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Feb 14, 2012 by lovelypantry

Today is Valentine’s Day and although I don’t celebrate it, I thought it would be awesome if I made something I’ve been wanting to make for a while now. A friend of mine made it and it was really nice and ever since, I keep seeing the recipe everywhere. It was a sign! So I did it. And it was FABULOUS. I swear, I ate my cupcakes in moderation.  I will not swear the same for the frosting! My daughter ate the frosting and half a cupcake. She then refused to eat any other cupcake without frosting. Major meltdown if her frosting had no sprinkles.  MAJOR.

 

 

 

I’ll say this now – I will likely make these Red Velvet darlings once per year. Or maybe on a REALLY special occasion. No more than that. Perhaps this will be my Valentine’s Day treat for the family. I guess it’s better than nothing 🙂 It tastes great but oh my, could we use a bit more oil? Sugar? Please? I’m sure there’s a “light” version out there somewhere in cyberland. I’ll come across it eventually.

A general warning…don’t wear white or a light coloured shirt while making this recipe. Don’t say I didn’t tell you. I really ought to invest in an apron 🙂

 

Here’s the recipe and a few photographs. Cupcakes are awesome models.

 

This recipe was adapted from Annie’s Eats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So anyway, I had a great time photographing my cupcakes. Like my silicone hearts? Beats the reusable cupcake liners! There were only 12 in a pack so I used 12 paper liners also. Fact: The cream cheese frosting was the star of the show. It’s just so GOOD!

 

 

 

I won’t be doing much romancing today – no more than the usual (wink). But I’m sure I’ll be watching some romantic comedy or the other on television tonight with the husband. If you celebrate Valentine’s Day, have a good one. If you don’t celebrate, have a good one!

 

~Lyn

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Lyn’s Oxtails

Feb 3, 2012 by lovelypantry

 

 

Oxtail is one of my most favourite and beloved dishes – ever. It’s a popular Jamaican meal which has a deep, rich flavour that I love so much. It’s a heavy meat so I choose not to eat it too often. I think its safe to say I have it about 3-4 times per year, at most. I’ve had it at a few restaurants here in Canada as well as in Jamaica but I’ve always been concerned with the taste and how it is prepared. Oxtails taste differently every where I go. Some places are better at preparing it than others, and that’s expected.

Traditionally, the Oxtails are seasoned (often overnight) then browned in oil before being cooked down in water over a few hours, and may include dumplings or as we call them in certain dishes – “spinners” (elongated shaped dumplings). This is how my maternal grandmother used to cook it for me and it took her hours! I have fond memories of her at the stove making it, because we both loved it so much. Alas, this is when I was young and slender and nothing could change my figure (LOL). So now that I’m older and more conscious of what I consume, I try to have my favourite things in moderation. I also find ways to prepare them that I find acceptable. For me, this means no frying in oil. This may not be acceptable to some traditionalists, and that is okay 🙂

I bake my Oxtails in the oven. I’ve been doing this for years and I’m thinking it tastes better than some of what I’ve had at restaurants… hmmm…

Here’s how I do it.

 

 

I should mention that there is usually a certain amount of “heat” in most Jamaican fare. And by “heat”, I’m referring to Jamaican Scotch Bonnet Pepper. If you wanted to add heat, I would probably add the pepper at the beginning and remove it half way through so that it does not burst. I personally cannot eat too much pepper because it gives me some major heartburn! Plus, my little ones palates are so darn sensitive. A little is fine though, it gives it a little extra kick.

There are so many variations of Oxtails that I would love to try. One of my Aunts introduced me to this method (as in, using the oven). Another Aunt of mine prepares her Ox with BEER. I think I’ll be giving her a call soon for that recipe 🙂

 

A special shout out to my cousin Shelley – Happy Birthday sweetie! This recipe is for you ~ now at least you’ll have it in writing 🙂

Take care, guys! Have an awesome weekend! ~ Lyn

 

 

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

Jan 18, 2012 by lovelypantry

I wanted to post the recipe for these cookies for a few days now but alas, I’m slightly behind in my posting. I’m so happy to share this with you though, as these are my husband’s favourite cookies. I kinda love them too. I promised him I’d make a batch this week so me posting is great timing. I love the simplicity, and also that I’m using  low-fat peanut butter, less sugar than what the original recipe called for plus I used dark chocolate chips. Sounds like some good stuff right? You can substitute peanut butter for the organic kind. I plan to use vegan dark chocolate peanut butter to see how it comes out. I may omit the chocolate chips to avoid overkill. We’ll see!

This recipe is adapted from Everyday Food.

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t you just want to dive in? Seriously.

 

 

Take good care guys! ~ Lyn

 

 

 

 

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Apple Crisp

Jan 9, 2012 by lovelypantry

For those that don’t know me, I have a deep love for my family. I suppose it only gets magnified knowing that I’m so far away from them. But it warms my heart whenever we do get a chance to talk and catch up with each other. I’m always so happy to help with any recipes or techniques should they inquire. Recently, my cousin called me with a question that was so simple, but somehow I didn’t have an answer for her. She had an apple and wanted to know if I had any recipes for a single apple. I looked for recipes for a while just to satisfy that desire to have a recipe for a single apple 🙂 Although I did not find exactly what I was looking for, I played around with the basic concept of apple crisp and came up with my own version. I did it quite a few times until my husband and I agreed that we had arrived at something special. So thanks to Kim, I’m able to share this recipe today.

I wanted to keep the ingredients as simple as possible and good for you too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For some reason, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon look so beautiful together…

 

 

 

 

The result is a very clean and lean Apple Crisp that I’ve enjoyed many times. Thanks, Kim!

 

 

 

 

Have a great week everyone!

~Lyn

 

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