Cookie Dough Bites

For Easter, my task was to make ice cream (using my mom's new ice cream maker). What sounded most interesting to me was to make cookie dough flavor! :) I ended up making vanilla ice cream with bits of cookie dough mixed in.

This recipe is based on one I found at www.allrecipes.com, and what makes it unique is that it has no egg in it- so it's perfectly safe & edible while raw! Perfect for mixing in ice cream, or just eating out of the freezer! (I don't recommend baking this though- its texture wouldn't turn out right)


I didn't take a picture of mine, but this is what it looked like before adding to the ice cream.

Cookie Dough
Printable version here

1/4 cup and 2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened (or even a little melted)
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch of baking soda
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup flour

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Start with the wet ingredients, end with the flour. Store in the refrigerator, or in the freezer for longer storage.

Why I love it? Cookie dough you can eat raw, without feeling guilty. Enough said! ;) It's delicious and easy.

Glazed Meatloaf

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, life has been just a little nuts! Sick kids, sick mommy, trip across the state for Easter, car falling apart after said trip, and replace car with a newer one! Whew!

Anyway, here's a meatloaf recipe that I love. I found it in a Cook's Country magazine, and I'm so glad I tried it! It is delicious! The ingredient list is a little long, but they're all items I normally have on-hand. Also, the steps seem a little goofy, but trust me it all works out. :)



Glazed Meatloaf
Printable version here

8 Saltine crackers
1/6 cup milk (use half of a 1/3 cup measuring cup)

1 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup ketchup (and/or tomato sauce)
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (or a little less for a less strong taste)
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1. Make binder: Crush Saltine crackers in a ziploc bag. Pour into a large bowl; add milk & stir.

2. Cook vegetables: Heat oil in small nonstick pan over medium heat until shimmering. Cook onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic & cook 30 more seconds. Transfer this mixture to the large bowl.

3. Meat mixture: Add beef to the bowl, and mix until well combined. Then add remaining ingredients (from the egg to the pepper) & mix until just combined. Shape meat into a loaf shape on a baking sheet (that has been covered with foil & sprayed with nonstick spray).

4. Broil: Adjust oven racks so one is about 4" from broiler and the other is in the middle. Preheat broiler on high. While preheating, make glaze.

5. Glaze: Whisk the remaining ingredients (ketchup through Tabasco) in small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

6. Bake: Broil the plain loaf until well browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, brush 2 tbsp. of the glaze over top & sides and broil about 2 more minutes, until glaze begins to brown. Then brush 2 more tbsp. glaze over the loaf, insert probe thermometer (if using), and bake on middle rack at 350º until loaf registers 160º, about 28-30 minutes.

Transfer to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 10-15 minutes. While resting, simmer remaining glaze over medium-low heat until slightly thickened. Slice meatloaf & serve with cooked glaze.

The formed loaf, just before broiling


Broiling away!


After broiling & brushing with glaze, ready for the final baking


That funny-looking thermometer above, if you haven't seen one before, is called a probe thermometer. Since I "discovered" these a few years ago, it has made several cooking tasks much easier!! They are SO nice for cooking meat- like meatloaf, whole turkey, chicken, etc. You set the timer to beep at a certain temperature, then you always know that your meat is perfectly cooked! This is the one I have:

Thermoworks Probe Thermometer/Timer, it's $25 with shipping at Amazon.

Minestrone Soup

Tonight's dinner came from an old recipe from my grandma. I wish she were still here, as I know we would have a blast together talking about cooking! She cooked for years for her family of 7. This soup recipe of hers is pretty simple, thrifty, and hearty!

Minestrone Soup
Printable version here

4 slices bacon, chopped
½ cup diced onions
2 ribs celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil (or Italian seasoning)
1 (14 oz.) can beef broth (or 2 cups)
1 (11 oz.) can bean & bacon soup
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
½ cup small noodles (any kind)
1 medium zucchini, diced

1. Cook bacon, onion, and celery until vegetables are softened. Next add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add dried basil, broth, bean & bacon soup, 1 1/2 empty soup cans worth of water, and can of tomatoes; bring to a simmer.

3. Add noodles; when halfway done add zucchini and cook until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Why I love it? Well I'm attached to it because it's from my grandma, but other than that, I like that it's pretty healthy, quick to make, and just different from all my other soup recipes. It's also adaptable- you can add other ingredients, change the amounts, etc.

Spreadable Butter

Lately I've been using margarine less often. I'm still on the fence about if I believe it's bad for you or not. I know butter tastes better though, and bakes better, so I've been mostly using that. The one thing I hadn't replaced yet was tub margarine, for spreading on things like toast.

Then I found a recipe online for "Spreadable Butter", and it works! (Found here) If you can get butter for a good price, it's cheaper to make this than to buy margarine. I used unsalted butter when I made this, but next time I would probably add a little salt, or use salted butter. I don't miss the slightly salty taste, but my toast-fiend husband does. ;)

Done mixing


Done & ready to chill! It fit in this margarine container, with just a little extra.

Spreadable Butter

Printable version here

2 sticks butter, room temperature

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup water, room temperature

1. Using a stand mixer or electric hand-held mixer, beat butter on high until fluffy.

2. Continue mixing, and slowly add oil. After that, slowly add water. (I turned down the mixer to med. so it wouldn't splash)

3. Pour into a container, and store in refrigerator. It will become set in a few hours.

Why I love it? It's easy, cheap, and tastes pretty good! There are no "fake" ingredients in it. It's a little firmer than margarine, but still very spreadable for butter.