My First Homemade Meatballs!

Yum! Yum! Yum!

Sloppy Joes Go Chic

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A couple weeks ago I asked Andy what he wanted for dinner and he said Sloppy Joes. My response was “EEWWW Yuck.” Then I thought ‘Ya know, you asked, maybe you should just make him what he wants.’ So I pulled out my faithful ol’ cookbook and thought I’d do it up right (no Joe’s out of a can for us). I followed the recipe and doctored a little here and there. They turned out SO good! I know all you chic chefs bring these fabulous ethnic recipes and here I am bringing comfort food from 1963 but don’t judge a recipe by its name – I did and had to give up my seconds as a result! I hope you enjoy this yummy meal, brought to you courtesy of Andy. :)

NOTE: You may find that the measurements need a little adjusting for your taste. This recipe is flexible enough for variation.

Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground beef

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped red pepper

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

¼ cup water

3 Tablespoons quick oats

2 Teaspoons chili powder

3-4 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Salt to taste

White dinner rolls

In a large skillet brown meat and drain fat off. Add onion and pepper and sauté until veggies are just softening. Stir in remaining ingredients (except rolls); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered until desired consistency. Serve over rolls. Serves 4-6.

This recipe I got out of Rachael Rays magazine this summer and thought it looked good. I haven’t tried it yet but wanted to pass it along to the Chic Chefs!

Sweet Milk Cake

6 large eggs, separated

1 ¼ cups sugar

2 cups evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 quart heavy cream

Papaya slices for serving (or most any fruit you prefer).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking dish. Using the electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with 1 cup sugar on low speed until combined, then increase to high and beat until fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add ½ cup evaporated milk and the vanilla; beat until combined. Fold in the flour and baking powder.

Clean the beaters. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Beat in the remaining ¼ cup sugar until stiff peaks form.

Working in batches, fold the egg white mixture into the yolk mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 45 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 ½ cups evaporated milk, the sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup cream. Ladle over the cooled cake. Cover and chill until the liquid is absorbed, about 4 hours.

Beat the remaining 3 cups cream until soft peaks form. Serve with the cake and fruit slices.

Morocco Here I Come

This was a fun, different recipe that I really enjoyed. I liked the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and cinnamon combined with the spice of the onions. And I love couscous because it is so versatile - you can add just about anything to it! I added chopped pistachios, raisins and lemon juice as that was what I had on hand, and it turned out tasty! The only suggestion I got on the meal (from my husband) was that the texture of the soup might be bettered if you blended part of it to make it thicker, which I agree might be a nice spin on the recipe though I liked it with a clear broth too. I also think a few added veggies could be fun too - like carrots and/or celery. All in all a great exotic meal that totally convinced me that I need to take a trip to Morocco to try out more of their food! Thanks Eva!

Thirds

Hey Gals!
Since I have had limited response to my proposals for round three I will assume that all is well. I am going to put up the new schedule today and we will proceed with a non-theme. Happy cooking!