This is how you know it's cold outside.

Dex takes a 3 minute pee break and then goes straight to the heater when he comes back in.  I couldn't find him for a second because he is always at your feet.  So I called and he didn't come, then I got up and found him here.  Snuggled up to the heater in the bedroom.  If its going to be this cold, I want some serious snow.  Hopefully after the new year!

Hope everyone has some fun holiday plans in store for the weekend.  We leave at 3 today for the good ol city of Hoquiam.  Christmas with Kam's fam this year.  Not sure how much attention my lil' blog will be getting over the next few so if I don't get a chance to say it later, Merry Christmas everyone!  Tis the season to be jolly...

Weekend Adventure

Balsamic Glazed Meatloaf

I love meat-loaf!!!  No shame in admitting it.  None.  Meatloaf sandwiches, probably in my top 10.  I have to share tho... I remember when I was a kid and my mom would make meatloaf sandwiches for my dad, I thought that was the NASTIEST!!! thing you could ever ever... ever make for someone.  Well, I was MISS'N OUT!  Now I make meatloaf just for the sandwich.  I went out on a limb and tried something new with this one, no regrets, it was perfect!

Balsamic Glazed Meatloaf
1 pound ground pork
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large carrot grated
2 stocks celery chopped
1/2 large onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 turnip chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons balsalmic vinegar
1 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons sweet hot mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Glaze:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon worcestershire
1 teaspoon hot sauce

Add olive oil to a pan and heat over medium heat.  Add carrot, celery, onion and garlic and saute until veggies are tender.  Set aside and allow to cool.  Preheat oven to 350.  Add remaining ingredients into a large bowl.  Once veggies are cool enough to touch, add to bowl and mix with hands until well combined.  Spray loaf pan with cooking spray.  Place meat into pan and form into a large mound being sure to leave at least 1/2 inch  on the sides from the top of the pan.

Place all glaze ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until combined.  Pour half over top of meatloaf being sure to cover the top evenly, most of it will run down into your moat.  Bake for 60 minutes.  Place remaining glaze into a small sauce pan.  Just before timer goes off, reduce glaze by half over medium high heat, stirring fairly frequently.  Once timer goes off, add a little of the thickened glaze to top of meat loaf and bake for another 15 minutes.  You can use a meat thermometer of you'd like to check doneness, ours was perfect.  Use remaining glaze as a dipping sauce.

This baby was AWESOME!  There was enough left over for sandwhiches the next day (my fav) and for some random meatloaf soup I whipped out.  The glaze is soooooo packed full of tangy sweet flavor, it was heaven.  So make it now! Enjoy!

ps. sorry for the weird photos, lovely winter light!

Fortune Friday

Theme Thursday: Christmas Sweaters

(1) (2) (3 & 4) (5) (6)

So the crazy thing, I was on some random website looking at pictures of ugly christmas sweaters and #4 is actually an old friend one mine.  I couldn't believe it...so I had to add him to the collection of awesomely ugly sweaters!  

WWW Dec 14, 2011

Is anyone feeling holiday pressure.  I am I am.  Not because of gifts, but projects.  Freelance projects, sewing projects, cooking projects...ok maybe one gift project.  We are going out of town for the weekend and then just a few more days and were off again for the holiday.  I saw this little print and it made me smile.  Cook christmas goodies with awesomeness!  And the rest of the stuff I thought was cool this week...

Yet another awesome plant thing.

If I used a money clip, I would order this one right now!

Kam and I have been looking at second hand stores for cheesy christmas sweaters, this skirt is ultimate!

This looks kinda fun.

Why do googly eyes make the simplest thing awesome?  Simple trash can, give it googly eyes, instantly transformed into something that makes you smile.

This is so cool!  Oh my goodness...

Love this DIY!

Cool new form of street art.

Cute christmas song.

Have you seen this?  Very inventive!

and this.

...k bye!

Photo Credit: Design Love Fest

Go Zags!

Saturday we had the opportunity to go the Gonzaga game.  It's probably the only opportunity we will ever have to go to a Zags game, and we had a blast.  Lots of energy packed into that gym.  Good times.

 

 

 

See the bananas?

Vanilla Cranberry Walnut Banana Bread

I have never bought fresh cranberries before. I saw some at the grocery store the other day and impulse grabbed them.  So they sat for a few days before I came up with something to do with them. This was a perfect start!

Vanilla Cranberry Walnut Banana Bread
What you'll need:
2 over ripe bananas
1 egg
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 vanilla bean
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I pulsed mine pretty small in my food processor)
1 cup fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease your loaf pan, set aside.

Cream butter & sugars.  Add in egg, yogurt, bananas, & vanilla extract and seeds scraped from the vanilla bean and blend until well combined. Mix in flour, baking soda & salt.  Fold in walnuts and cranberries.  Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 50-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  I usually start checking mine at about 50 minutes.

I made two loafs and shared one with some friends.  I really loved the tartness of the cranberries in contrast of the sweet bread.  Has anyone ever made the sugared cranberries before?  I might try that soon.  They almost look to pretty to eat though. Enjoy!