Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf

I love meatloaf, it's definitely a comfort food in our home, though I do make it the normal way, sometimes I turn to this recipe when I'm in the mood for a more gourmetish (not even a word I'm sure LOL) meatloaf.

I don't really have a recipe for it, it's just the way I've made it since forever.

CHEESE STUFFED MEATLOAF

1/2 cup crushed saltines or bread crumbs if you don't have the saltines around
2 pounds ground meat (beef, sausage, turkey or a mix)
1 egg
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 small onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
cheese ( can kind, I use swiss cheese slices and some shredded colby & monterey jack)
some ketchup for the top


Preheat oven to 350°. Spray loaf pan with non stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together meats, bread crumbs, egg, garlic, onion, salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup. Don't over mix, just mix with your hands until everything is combined well.

 Split meat mixture in half.

 Place half in the pan. Layer with the cheese slices and the shredded cheese.

Top with second half of the meat mixture, then go around the edges and make sure you seal the meatloaf to keep the cheese inside.

Pour tomato sauce over the top and then bake for about 60 minutes or until meat is done.

Enjoy

FANCY CHOCOLATES

The taste of this chocolate is awesome! This chocolate makes a fabulous sauce as well (use right away). The hedgehog shapes are fun and substantial.  If you want fancy-looking, tasty chocolate, this recipe is a great recipe for that purpose.  Again, with this recipe, you're cutting down on the amount of sugar alcohols (tummy distress - who wants that?!) or eliminating them entirely, except for the erythritol, which typically isn't a problem for most people.



I like them all.  I have to watch dark chocolate as I can get migraines.  I love LOVE chocolate, however, it doesn't always love me back anymore.  That's too bad, hey?  I can typically have white or milk chocolate (in rather small amounts), however.

1 Batch Condensed Milk (For Baking)
2 oz cocoa butter (melt about 3 min in microwave oven - careful - very hot!!)
1 oz unsweetened baker's chocolate
1/2 cup (3 oz) sugarless chocolate chips, OR
use 70% Lindt chocolate, or gluten-free chocolate of choice
1 - 2 tbsp liqueur of choice (optional)

Prepare condensed milk as directed in blender. Add cocoa butter, melted chocolate (pour boiling water over all the chocolate in a bowl until molten - pour water off - do it twice if necessary) and liqueur, if using.

Spoon into candy molds. One could first add some chopped nuts or whole almonds or hazelnuts to the forms and then pour in the chocolate. Freeze. Use a knife to lift out of forms (from one corner) or flip and flex slightly to release the candies.  Keep the chocolate in the freezer.

In the photo some frosting is visible on the surface of the chocolate, but it does not interfere with the taste which is smooth and creamy.

Helpful Hint: They can be poured into bon bon foil cups (use two foil cups for stability and to keep the shape better).   I don't know how many chocolates you will make, so a carb count is not really possible. The carb count is given for the condensed milk and the chocolate and cocoa butter are minimal carbs spread over many chocolates.

The Amazing Turmeric Benefits

Turmeric benefits : turmeric popular Indian spice, has a long history of use in the traditional Ayurvedic system of medicine turmeric benefits. It has been in use for centuries to treat a wide range of conditions. Even today, it is a popular home remedy. The spice has been receiving a lot of attention lately due to its immense health benefits. Some researchers even term it as "Indian Gold".

Treating Arthritis

Turmeric comprises curcumin and curcuminoids turmeric benefits. Both are potent anti-inflammatory phytochemicals. They act as natural cyclooxygenase-2inhibitors and prevent prostaglandins production that leads to swelling and inflammation of the joints. Turmeric has been shown to relieve joint pain in people afflicted with arthritis, turmeric benefits without any side effects.

Reducing Free Radicals

Research has revealed that turmeric is rich in antioxidants turmeric benefits, which helps to decrease the effect of chemicals and free radicals that can travel through the system and cause harm to the cells.

Preventing Cholesterol

Curcumin prevents cholesterol oxidation in the body, which causes damage to blood vessels, and leads to plaque build-up in the body turmeric benefits. This in turn can cause stroke or heart attack.

Fighting Cancer

Studies suggest that frequent turmeric benefits use of turmeric can lead to low rates of lung, breast, prostate and colon cancer. Curcumin prevents the tumors from forming and if cancer is already present, curcumin can work to prevent the spread of the cancer cells in the body.

Skin Treatment

Turmeric is an excellent remedy to treat a wide array of skin conditions. It helps to brighten the complexion and reduce wrinkles turmeric benefits. It makes for a wonderful exfoliating agent that brings a glow on the face. It can be used to treat blemishes, acne turmeric benefits, blackheads, dark spots and skin irritations.

Curing Depression

Turmeric has also been shown to be very effective in treating depression. A study was conducted to note the efficacy of Prozac (a medicine for depression) and turmeric. The results showed that both had the same degree of effectiveness. In fact, turmeric had an edge over the drug as it did not have any side effects.

Mockafoni and Cheese

I've been so busy with redesigning my business site & hosting 2 linky parties that I haven't added any new content for nearly 2 weeks. Here is one of our favorite recipes that I found at Linda's Low Carb Recipe site. I serve this as a main dish, so I double Linda's recipe with a few tweaks.

Mockfoni & Cheese

 

two 16 ounce bag frozen or 2 heads fresh cauliflower
8 ounces cream cheese
4 tablespoons heavy cream
3-4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Cook the cauliflower until tender & drain. In a 9x13 casserole dish; soften the cream cheese in the microwave about a 90 seconds on HIGH. Whisk in the heavy cream until smooth, then stir in about 2 cups of the cheddar cheese. Microwave on MEDIUM about 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper and stir. Add the cauliflower and stir to coat. Top with the remaining cheese and bake at 350º for 35 minutes, until bubbly and brown on top. We like to let it stand a few minutes. We've taken it to potlucks and it disappears, even when people know it's cauliflower and not macaroni. Even kids like it!