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Recipes and Stuff

twitrec

I tweeted about my dinner last night and some peeps wanted the recipes, so here I am! With recipes! I aim to please.

This is actually fantastic because it’s the perfect time to tell you about what keeps me from entering the Land of Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches for Dinner Every Night on a weekly basis.

(p.s. – This is not a review of any sorts. I read about this service on Twitter long ago and have been using it ever since. I haven’t been contacted by the company, I don’t know who runs the company, I don’t know anything except that I LOVE RELISH MEAL-PLANNING. Holla!)

If you like to cook, but hate planning and choosing your menus, this is sooooo for you.

I won’t go on and on, but basically, you choose your weekly recipes from a crapload (hahaaaa, potty training is getting to me) of great options, the grocery list is tabulated for you, you print your shopping list in PDF form (organized by grocery store AISLES, awwww yeah), buy your groceries and voila, you have everything you need for a week’s worth of seriously delicious dinners for 7 bucks a month. Best 7 bucks I’ve ever spent.

I have been using this service for 11 months now, and the recipes are fantastic. It makes my life so much easier because if it was left up to me, I would spend hours looking for recipes online, only to start playing old school Donkey Kong on my laptop and forget what I was doing entirely. Hence the whole PB&J Land issue.

Anyway, check it out. (You can view sample menus here.) It’s awesome and has totally changed the way I approach cooking for my family.

In other news, I should have a new potty training post up soon. I guess it takes the Pull-Ups team some time and effort to edit through the sea of  “I HATE POTTY TRAINING STAB STAB STAB,” “SOMEBODY KILL ME NOW” and “GO TO HELL, PISS ASS ELMO UNDERWEAR” statements.

(Okay, I really didn’t write those things. I think. It’s all a blur.)

(Although, things have really taken a positive turn as of late. Double holla!)

Okay, recipes!

BASIL JACK MEATLOAF

Prep and cook time: 60 minutes, Serves 4

1 pound ground beef
1 cup ketchup, divided
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 red onion , chopped
3/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

[1] Combine the ground beef, half of ketchup, breadcrumbs, onion, basil, cheese, eggs and garlic. Mix well. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray. Shape the meat mixture into a loaf to fit into pan.

[2] Spread remaining ketchup over the top of the meatloaf and bake for 45 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

CHEDDAR MASHED POTATOES

Prep and cook time: 25 minutes

4 medium baking potatoes , peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup extra sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 green onions , chopped

[1] In a medium saucepan, cover potatoes with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, 15 minutes.

[2] Drain potatoes and return to pan.

[3] In a small saucepan, bring milk and butter to a simmer over medium heat. Pour half of hot milk mixture over potatoes. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until just smooth, gradually adding enough of remaining milk mixture to reach desired consistency. Mix in cheddar; season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with green onion and additional cheddar cheese.

Enjoy!

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15 comments
  1. Mama Bub

    September 10, 2009 at 3:35 pm

    We had meatloaf and mashed potatoes last night too, with about half of the awesome of your recipes, but still. After cooking, the house was so hot we had to eat outside.

    And I NEED some meal planning help. Thanks for the resource.
    .-= Mama Bub´s last blog ..Get Happy =-.

  2. bethany actually

    September 10, 2009 at 4:07 pm

    Hmm, I might have to look into that service, because I have the same problem with loving to cook, hating to plan.

    Also, I’d like to tell you how happy it makes me that you spelled the word “voila” correctly. I wouldn’t exactly call it a pet peeve, but it hurts me a little bit each time I see it spelled “walla” or “viola.” :-)

    Glad to hear potty training’s going better!
    .-= bethany actually´s last blog ..Joe took a lot of pictures in two and a half days =-.

  3. Laura

    September 10, 2009 at 4:14 pm

    Those mashed potatoes sound awesome.

    I need help with meal planning, grocery shopping, and actually cooking the damn food before it goes bad in the fridge. Is there a website for that? :)

    Also, I’ve been putting off even thinking about potty training my son, but maybe it won’t be the total nightmare I am expecting? Glad things are going better for you guys.
    .-= Laura´s last blog ..Eighth anniversary: bronze and pottery (or toilet plungers and text messages) =-.

  4. Cass

    September 10, 2009 at 4:16 pm

    Thank thank THANK YOU for the link to Relish, that’s the kind of thing I desperately need. Even when I can come up with a recipe I’d like to make at the grocery store it’s all overwhelming and I get stuff that wasn’t on my list or forget others entirely (even w/a list).

    The BF & I are trying to stop eating out so much to save $$ and eat healthier so this would be awesome.
    .-= Cass´s last blog ..A smell of wine and cheap perfume… =-.

  5. Jenni

    September 10, 2009 at 4:29 pm

    Wait, wait…

    You have old school Donkey Kong on your computer? I need this!

    Oh. Great recipes, too!

  6. Megan

    September 10, 2009 at 4:52 pm

    Thank you! I was one of the many who hounded for a recipe, so THANK YOU. :-) I can’t wait to make this!
    .-= Megan´s last blog ..Family Fun…Gracie Turns One! =-.

  7. Andrea

    September 10, 2009 at 6:46 pm

    Thank you for the link! I am so excited about this service. I’m curious if the recipes include nutritional information…thanks!

  8. whoorl

    September 10, 2009 at 6:47 pm

    Andrea, the recipes do include the nutritional info.

  9. Andrea

    September 10, 2009 at 7:00 pm

    Thanks! I’m totally sold on this idea. I’m actually excited to think about organizing dinner next week!

  10. Jessica J.

    September 10, 2009 at 8:40 pm

    Yum Yum!
    Thanks so much for sharing.
    Also, I don’t have kids, but I think that website would be an awesome timesaver for moms.

  11. pawpaw

    September 11, 2009 at 12:27 am

    hey that’s awesome! Are the recipes quite seasonal, though? Although I’m currently living in the northern hemisphere, home is in the southern hemisphere and I’m likely to be moving home soonish.

  12. Laura E

    September 11, 2009 at 7:18 am

    Perfect! i was starting to wonder if there was some sort of app for my Mac that would do this all for me. Thanks for the tip! The meatloaf looks delish – I would have never thought to use basil!

  13. Abby

    September 11, 2009 at 8:06 am

    Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting the link to Relish. It’s exactly what we need at my house, and for $7 a month, you can’t go wrong. We’ve been trying to eat less fast food (a mealtime crutch), and this will definitely point us in the right direction.

    I love that they’ll portion the meals for 2 people — it’s so hard cooking for 2, and we often end up with leftovers that just sit in the fridge and go bad.

    So…a huge thank you!
    .-= Abby´s last blog ..do you fondue? =-.

  14. andrea

    September 11, 2009 at 5:10 pm

    I am absolutely making that meal next time I am in need of some comfort food. Anything that includes cheese in both the main and the side is right up my alley.

    Good luck with the potty training. Soon this will all be a distant memory.
    .-= andrea´s last blog ..bath brother and suds sister =-.

  15. Becca

    September 24, 2009 at 10:41 am

    This is awesome! I totally just signed up because I needed something like this… it’s the menu planning/making the grocery list that really stress me out each week but I love to cook! I already printed out our first week’s worth of groceries and the meal, woot woot!
    .-= Becca´s last blog ..The perfect chicken wings for the first-time-chicken-wing maker like me. =-.