Day 26: Grandma's Meatloaf

What you will need:

1(ish) lb of ground beef
1 onion
About 15 crackers (crushed)
A quarter size of yellow mustard (eyeball it)
1 egg
Ketchup to drizzle

Directions:

Mix meat, egg, mustard, onion, and crackers in a large bowl. Once everything is mixed, mold the meat mixture into an oval shape. Drizzle desired amount of ketchup on top of meat. I bake at 450 for 35-45 minutes (until no longer red in the middle).

(this picture is what the meatloaf should look like before it goes into the oven)

What we thought:

Jimmy loves this meatloaf. He rated this a 10/10. I wasn't in the mood for beef tonight, but this meatloaf is still good. Usually this is a 8/10, but for some reason, im going to rate this a 7/10.

Day 25: Baked Chicken Salad

I am trying to expand my salad skills, so I decided to take a baby step into the chicken salad realm. I was going to grill, but I am not a fan of the dark "stuff" my george forman grill leaves, so I decided to bake instead.

What you will need (for 2 people):

2 chicken breasts

3/4 head of lettuce

2 carrots

1 stalk of celery

1 small onion

cube of cheese

1 tomato

Directions:

Bake chicken breasts. Once cooked, cut chicken breasts into small slivers. Dice onion, celery, carrots, and tomato. Mix chicken and salad together. Top with cheese and dressing.

What we thought:

I added crushed roman and topped my salad with with the roman and avacado. Jimmy thought this was a 9 or 10/10. He even went back for seconds. I enjoyed this, and will make this again!

Day 24: The Office Jello Prank!

I am soooo excited about this one! I am pranking Jimmy by putting his accounting calculator in jello. Its only a four function calculator. I don't believe he knows this is coming, though I've asked randomly what would he do if he lost his calculator or something happened to it. We both LOVE the office, thats what she said, and I know he will appreciate this joke, or at least I hope he would.

What you will need:

1 stapler or calculator (you can even use someone's glasses if you wish)

5 boxes of jello (I used three: Sugar Free Cherry)

Enough water as box calls for

1 pan

1 tupperware

2 pieces of dental floss

Measuring cup

Tape

Directions:

Prepare the jello according to the box. If you are going to use the stapler and dental floss way, just go to this website: http://www.jellostapler.com/stapler-in-jello.html

What I did was I added some jello to the pan and filled it halfway. I will let the jello firm, and right before it firms all the way, I will add the calculator and fill the rest of the pan with jello. I will place in the refrigerator and let firm.

What we thought:

I thought it turned out in the ball park of what I thought would happen. I would rate it a 7/10, but I also figured I would get more of a reaction from him as well. I think he was upset about it being his "lucky" calculator drowned in jello instead of the $1 calculator laying by the tv. I didn't see the $1 calculator or I would have used it! lol. Jimmy says his first reaction was, "omg my calculator, omg my calculator". His second reaction, "Does it work?". No, it didn't work. He then started to warm up to the idea of his calculator drowned in jello. I shall try the stapler another time. My only thought, "what to do with all this jello???". Three boxes were too much. I would have gone with like one box, not three or five!

Day 23: Husband's Delight Casserole

You will need:

1 1/2 lb ground beef

1/4 tsp garlic

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 large onion

1 tsp pepper

1 jar of spaghetti sauce (your choice)

8 oz cream cheese

8 oz sour cream

8 oz egg noodles

1 cup grated cheese

Get cookin' ya'll!

Brown ground beef and onion. Add seasonings and spaghetti sauce. Simmer 15 min. Cook noodles as package says. In a baking dish: layer 1/2 noodles, 1/2 meat mixture. Add cream cheese and sour cream. Layer remaining noodles and meat mixture. Top with cheese, cover with foil. Refrigerate for 8 hours. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

What we thought:

Jimmy gave this a 9/10. I will give this a 8.5/10. It filled me up for sure, it is a delight, but this will be one of those once every two weeks, once a month kind of meals. I am more of a chicken person and I try to stray away from pasta. I did use light/low fat cream cheese and sour cream as well as egg yolk pasta....i think thats what it is called. It doesn't sound too healthy but I believe the pasta I used is healthier for you compared to the regular pasta.

Day 22: St. Patrick's Day Special: Corned beef and cabbage

Happy St. Patrick's Day! This will be my first St. Patrick's Day meal. I got this recipe from Rachael Ray.

2 packages corned beef in brine

2 fresh bay leaves

6 carrots, peeled and halved across

Celery heart, trimmed and halved across

4 small to medium yellow onions, halved

6 russet potatoes, peeled or whole Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Salt

1 teaspoon sugar, divided

1 head cabbage, cut into 6 wedges

In a large Dutch oven, place the corned beef, bay leaves and brine from the package and cook according to package directions.

About 45 minutes before the meat is done, add carrots, celery heart, onions and potatoes to another Dutch oven, add 2 inches of water, a drizzle of EVOO, some salt and a sprinkle of sugar. Top with cabbage, another drizzle of EVOO, salt and another sprinkle of sugar. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, reduce to low and steam for 45 minutes. Platter the vegetables alongside sliced corned beef.

What we thought:

Jimmy rated this a 8/10. I would rate this a 9/10. I've never cooked corned beef before and I had some complications with this meal. The recipe called for two dutch ovens. I don't even have one! I ended up putting the beef in the crock pot, cooked for 4 hours, and put the vegetables in a pot and let it steam for about an hour. It turned out great! Through all the confusion and adjustments, it ended up tasting good so thats why I would rate this a 9/10. I may make this again on a St. Patty's Day.

Day 21: Cumin Grilled Chicken

What you will need:

cooking spray

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves pounded to 1/2 inch thickness

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Spray grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high heat. Rub chicken breasts with olive oil. Combine cumin, salt, and pepper and rub spice mixture evenly onto chicken breasts. Grill until grill marks have formed and chicken is cooked through; about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from heat, let rest for 5 minutes, then slice into 1/2 inch thick slices.

What we thought:

Where to start....well, I was on the phone the whole time so I wasn't looking at the directions, but I did something sort of to the directions. I combined the oil and cumin (forgot the salt and pepper, but I usually dont season with them anyways) in a bowl and put the chicken breast onto the grill. I did not pound them out, instead, I left them as is. With that said, this is a healthy dinner and it still tasted good. Jimmy rated it an 8/10 since it was a healthy meal (he has given worse) and I would rate it a 7/10. I really like the idea of just using cumin and oil and saving all the marinades and bbq sauces to save calories. I will be doing this again for sure.

Day 20: Chicken Casserole

This is supposed to be a "healthy" version, only if you get the right ingredients.

4. C cooked chicken
1 bell pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

1 can Healthy Request cream of mushroom soup

1 (8 oz) container low fat sour cream

2 ribs celery, finely diced

Saute onion, pepper, and celery in skillet sprayed with Pam. Stir to keep from sticking. Mix chicken, vegetables, soup and sour cream together. Salt to taste. Pour into 2 quart casserole dish. Top with crushed corn flakes. May garnish with paprika and parsley flakes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

What we thought:

Jimmy rated this a 9/10. He went back for seconds. I would rate this a 9 because it was simple and really good. Just because I made it, I would lean towards an 8, but I will go ahead and rate it a 9. I will make this again for sure!

Day 19: Crispy South West Chicken Burrito

I am leaving the house for a week, so I am trying to use up a lot of the food in the fridge and pantry. I am looking forward to this meal because it reminds me of the grilled stuffed chicken burrito which you can get at Taco Bell. I havnt had the GSCB in ages because I found out it has like 400 or so calories in one burrito. I am going to try to make this with the fewest calories possible.

What you will need:

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese
Sour cream (optional)
1/2 enchilada sauce (optional)
6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open.Place on a greased baking sheet and very lightly rub top of burrito with vegetable oil.

Bake until just starting to get golden brown. While they cook, warm the enchilada sauce.
Spoon warm enchilada sauce on a plate, place baked burrito on top, add a spoonful of sour cream and sprinkle with cheese and cilantro

(i heated the oven to 400 and left them in for 5 minutes. I didn't want them to get too brown. I wanted them just crispy enough.)

What we thought:

First off, I forgot to add the lime UNTILL I was done with the burrito. Jimmy says he would rate this a 8/10 . I think he was looking for that Taco Bell sauce taste. I would rate this a 9/10 because I found this kind of "fresh" and healthy. It would have been even "fresher" if I had added that darn lime! I did not add the enchilada sauce, and I used a yellow onion instead of the green onion. I sprinkled shredded cheddar cheese on top of the burrito and added a dollop of sour cream as well. I will make this again, except i may drizzle enchilada sauce next time, then bake for a few minutes.

Day 18: Tater Tot Casserole

This recipe was from my friend, Melinda Clower. She had just gotten back from Iraq and was staying at my house for a while. She brought up this recipe and it sounded great!

What you will need:

1 1/2-2 lb ground beef

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can cream of celery

1 pkg kraft singles

1 bag tater tots

Get Cookin' Yall!

Cook ground beef, drain fat. Add in both cans of soup after meat is cooked. Stir until warm, pour into casserole dish. I used a 9x13. Place cheese slices ontop of meat, place tater tots on top of cheese. Cook in oven 400' until tater tots are golden brown and cheese is melted. Roughly 15-30 minutes.

What we thought:

Jimmy rated this a 10/10. Melinda said 20/10. I say 9/10. The flavor is really good, and since it was SUPER easy to make, I will bump it up to a 10/10. This would be a great dish if you have little kids, and they could help you put the cheese and tater tots on. I think next time I will try using Velveeta cheese instead of kraft singles. I have a feeling I will be craving this, a lot!