Chicken Italiano Meatloaf (Crockpot)

I'm so thankful that it is fall, and that cold weather is setting in.  I have been using my crock pot A LOT the last couple weeks.  My preferred method for cooking in the fall and winter.  Warm, cozy comfort food.  Little effort.  Maximum payback.  It helps, too, on those crazy nights when each of the 3 kids go in different directions!

Yesterday morning, I woke up with a hankering for meatloaf.  But knowing that I was not going to be home over the dinner preparation hours, it had to be a crockpot night.  Now, I know you all will find this surprising, but I have NEVER made a meatloaf in a crock pot before.  Well, I have now, and quite frankly, I might not go back!

Chicken Italiano Meatloaf

2 Lbs Fit & Active Lean Ground Chicken (sometimes my store carries Tyson, but not always)
1 Tbs Stonemill Classics Minced Onion
1 Tsp Stonemill Classics Minced Garlic
1/2 Tsp Stonemill Classics Season Salt
1 Tsp Stonemill Classics Italian Seasoning
1 Golden Hen Egg
1/2 Cup Millville Rolled Oats
1 Can Happy Harvest Whole Tomatoes
1 Large Onion, sliced
1 Large Green Pepper, Sliced
1 Box Couscous (I know the brands vary by store)* OPTIONAL

In a large bowl, mix together ground chicken, minced onion, minced garlic, seasoning salt, italian seasoning, egg and rolled oats.  Mix well, set aside.

In a large crockpot, place half of the tomatoes, squeezing/crushing as you put them in.  Top with sliced onion, then sliced green peppers.

Form meat mixture into a "loaf" and place over the sliced vegetables.  Top with remaining tomatoes, crushing in your hands as you add them, pour sauce leftover from tomatoes in can over the top of the meatloaf.

Cook on high for 1 hour.  Turn to low and cook for 6-8 hours.

After finished cooking, remove cooking liquid and use to make the couscous (this is optional, if you decide not to use the couscous, strain excess liquid and just serve with the cooked onions, peppers & tomatoes overtop.

Cabbage & Chicken Stir Fry

Hubby is cheerfully back on Medifast.  Which means that I need to get creative to make "safe" Lean & Green meals for him.  A few days ago on FaceBook, a very good (and very healthy, and very thing, and very active) friend of mine posted this recipe.  I adapted it a little bit for Aldi, but it was so delicious.  We loved it.  Even my kids ate every single bite!  There were NO leftovers, I believe I will double the recipe next time.

Cabbage & Chicken Stir Fry

3 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast Halves

1 Tbs Carlini Canola Oil

3 Cups Green Cabbage, shredded

1 Red Pepper, julienned

1 Tbs Baker's Corner Cornstarch

1⁄2 tsp Spice Classics Ginger powder

1⁄4 tsp Spice Classics Garlic powder

1⁄2 cup water

1 Tbs Asia Specialties Soy Sauce

2 Scallions, thinly sliced * (my Aldi does not sell these, but I know some do)

Cut chicken breasts into strips.  Heat oil in a frying pan, add chicken strips and stir fry over medium-high heat, turning constantly until done.  Add shredded cabbage and red pepper strips, sauté 2 minutes until cabbage is crisp-tender.  In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and seasonings; add water and soy sauce, and mix until smooth.  Stir sauce into chicken/cabbage mixture. Cook until sauce has thickened and chicken is coated, about 1 minute.

I served with Season's Best Steamed Broccoli.  You could also add shredded carrot, if you like.  (I did not because carrots are not an authorized vegetable on my husband's diet plan.

Italian Goulash

I promised you!  And I always deliver on a promise! :)

Today was an unbelievably rainy day.  No matter how much I wanted to go, we could NOT go to the pool.  Instead, I spent the day inside, assisting my MIL while she unpacked boxes, doing laundry that's been piling up (affectionally called Mount Washmore)....and taking a nap.  Yes.  Yes I did take a nap.  It was raining.  Isn't that what you're SUPPOSED to do when it rains?  It was only about a half hour nap, so don't get TOO jealous!

Well, when I got up from my nap, I knew that everyone would want to eat.  They always do.  Well, I made a variation of a recipe I call Tuscan Chicken (which I'll share later when I make it again).  I didn't want to use chicken due to the fact that my MIL and I are sincerely tired of chicken!  So I tried it with the Lean Ground Beef.  Yummy!!!!

This can be served over Fit & Active Brown Rice, or....like I did...over Cheese Club Macaroni & Cheese. :)



Italian Goulash

1 lb. Fit & Active 93% Lean Ground Beef
1 large zucchini, large dice (I do 1/2" cubes)
1 medium onion, small dice
1 carrot, julienned
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Can Happy Harvest Dice Tomatoes, drained
1 Can Happy Harvest Crushed Tomatoes
1 Can Dakota Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed

Brown ground beef in a large skillet.  Add zucchini, onion, carrot, garlic.  Add diced tomatoes.  Cook until the vegetables are crisp tender.  Add crushed tomatoes and beans.  Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

Serve.  And enjoy! :)

Haven't been cooking too much lately...

But I will start again soon, I promise.

I know I mentioned that my MIL moved in with us back in the end of March.  I've had little time to be creative lately.  But as things start to slow down and get more settled, I will be back at it soon.  I've been dabbling with Aldifying a few new recipes.

I'll be posting soon! :)

Meanwhile, check out your local Aldi for some amazing summer deals!  Mine has had some very fun flavors of ice cream, and some of our favorite summer snacks (love Clancy's Cheese Puffed Popcorn).  Prices on berries have dropped as well!  Our local Aldi has had gorgeous strawberries for .99/pint!  UNREAL!

See you soon, folks!  Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Protein-packed Pudding

Hubby started on Medifast over a year ago (and boy does he look good!)  One of his favorite treats that he's allowed to have on the diet is sugar-free pudding and jello.  I was always disappointed that Sugar-free pudding was never available at Aldi.  Well, GUESS WHAT!  Bakers Corner makes a sugar-free pudding now!  Vanilla and Chocolate!  YAY!  It's, of course, cheaper than the "other" brand!  It's even a good 10 to 15 cents cheaper than the store brands at other grocery stores! AND it's yummy.  

Well, to help boost it's nutritional factor, I make it with half milk and half greek yogurt (My Aldi sells Fagé, but your Aldi might sell something else.  You can also use the Fit & Active Plain Yogurt instead of greek yogurt.  The texture's not as thick, but it does boost the protein and nutritional values!

Recently, my mother-in-law moved in with us.  Her favorite treat has been her nightly pudding.  She asks every evening with a gleam in her eye "do you have any chocolate pudding tonight?".  :)  She looks like a little kid asking for ice cream.  She's been known to lick the little jars.  She told me last night that I really must share my recipe on my blog.  So I am! This one's for you, Mom!

Protein-Packed Pudding

1 Package Baker's Corner Sugar Free Pudding (your favorite Flavor)

1 Cup Friendly Farms 2% Milk (or whatever milk you get from Aldi)

1 Cup Greek Yogurt (whichever brand your Aldi sells, OR Fit &  Active Plain Yogurt)

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together milk and yogurt until very smooth.  Add in pudding mix and continue to mix well.  Divide into 4 4 oz containers OR 1 large container to serve from.  (We do individual servings to make it an easy grab-and-go snack).

Matt's Mug Brownie

Please don't judge a recipe by it's photo!

I have a very dear friend, who has this amazing 19 year-old son, Matt.  Matt is quite the baker.  I envy his talent.  I really, really do.  He takes simple ingredients and makes them astounding!  He's not afraid of any recipe.  He's an avid bread baker, cookies, cakes, brownies, muffins, you name it....he makes it.  For Christmas Dinner he brought this cheesecake that was at LEAST 1000 calories a slice...and it was oh. so. yummy.

Well, my friend recently posted that they're addicted to his new brownie recipe.  And they can make it in a mug.  In the microwave.  A quick and dirty little recipe for when that chocolate craving strikes.  Of course, I made the sacrifice and tried it out for all of you so that I could share it with you.  It was a hardship, I will tell you.  I even burnt the roof of my mouth b/c I could not wait for it to cool down to eat it!   And I had to try it over and over and over again.  Not because there was anything wrong with the recipe, mind you, but because it was so yummy, I had to make sure I wasn't dreaming!

Matt's Mug Brownie (serves ONE)

1/4 Cup Grandma's Best Flour
1/4 Cup Grandma's Best Granulate Sugar
2 Tbs. Baker's Corner Cocoa Powder
Pinch Sebree Salt
2 Tbs. Oil (matt's recipe recommends olive oil, I used Carlini Vegetable oil)
3 Tbs. Water

Mix dry ingredients into a mug.  Add oil and water and mix with a fork.  Cook on high for 1 minutes and 40 seconds in the microwave.  Don't burn your tongue!

Spring Sensations Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

In keeping with the pizza theme, we made a pizza cookie to celebrate my youngest daughter's birthday (again, yeah, this kid's had like 4 parties so far!).  My oldest wanted to play with the sugar dipped marshmallows like we used for the cupcakes, but she wanted to make them into butterflies.  I think it turned out really cute.

All we did was follow the recipe on the back of the package of the Baker's Corner Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips.  EXCEPT FOR ONE THING....the recipe calls for 1 cup butter (which would be two sticks).  I do 1 stick butter, and a half cup Carlini Vegetable oil.  this works better for a larger cookie.

Press into a 12"-14" pizza pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked in the center.

Allow to cool before frosting.

We used the marshmallow technique from the cupcakes to make the butterflies.  Do do the frosting around the edges, you place the frosting into a pastry bag with frosting tips and squeeze out onto the cake.  We sprinkled with the Spring Sprinkles, too.

So fun!  I think it turned out really cute!