I saw this recipe called Marriage Meatloaf on Kevin Williams' Amish365.com website. I read his introduction for the recipe and was intrigued. Kevin said he had received a letter from a reader who said that Elisabeth Coblentz's recipe had "saved her marriage" as it was the one thing she could do for her husband that really brought them together, satisfied him, etc.
I checked it out not because I felt my marriage needed saving, but because meatloaf just happens to be one of my husband's favorite meals. I like it, but won't usually order it in restaurants because they usually put onions and peppers in it and I don't do "onions and peppers" well in recipes. As I was thinking about making it, I decided I could make it and it would "save our marriage" as it would make my husband very happy and me, too.
You see what I decided to do was first mix up all of the ingredients except for the diced onions. Then I divided the mixture in half. Using my Pyrex "mini" loaf pans (they are actually a little bigger than mini loaf pans), I put half of the mixture in one of them and then added the diced onions to the rest of the mixture. It was quite a bit of onion in the smaller loaf because I used the full amount the recipe called for with the bigger loaf, but that just pleased him more. (I offered to add peppers even though the recipe didn't call for it, but he said that was okay.) It was easy then to divide the mixture for the topping between the two pans.
MARRIAGE MEATLOAF
2 lbs ground beef
3/4 cups quick oats
2 well-beaten eggs
1/4 cup chopped onions
3/4 cup tomato juice
2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons pepper
SAUCE
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix all ingredients together.
Pack firmly in loaf pan.
Mix sauce ingredients and spread over meatloaf before baking.
Bake for 1 hour.
My directions:
Mix ingredients except for the onions together to
distribute the oats and other ingredients evenly.
Mix with a wooden spoon and/or your hands.
Divide mixture in half using two loaf pans.
Add chopped onion to one of the "halves".
Press mixture in loaf pans.
Mix sauce ingredients, divide evenly
and spread over mixture.
Bake 45 minutes.
Mine....
My husbands....
We both were able to enjoy a delicious meatloaf for dinner.
The last recipe I shared with you that Friend Luci made was very well received. She had made Peggy's Apple Cake the last time that our Mexican Train group met at her house. I missed the game because I had been at the funeral for one of the volunteers at Hillcrest Thrift Shop. I did drop by afterwards and got there in time to eat the dessert. Actually I got some pictures of the sauce that she was making to serve with the cake since she wanted it to be warm. It was really, really yummy.
Yesterday, our group met at Luci's house again. She had quite a bit to tempt us with. The Parfait Peach Salad was one I couldn't resist. (Neither could the rest of the group.) I asked her if I could share the recipe and she said I could.
It is so delicious, you could easily eat it for dessert. (I think if you wanted to use different fruit, you could. In fact, I asked Luci if she had used fruit cocktail in it. I think that would taste good, too.)
PARFAIT PEACH SALAD
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 (8-oz) carton whipped topping
1 can drained peaches (diced)
Combine the condensed milk and lemon juice and beat until smooth.
Fold in whipped topping.
Stir in pecans and fruit.
Refrigerate.
It is always hard to get back into the "swing" of things after we have been on vacation. Last week we were able to enjoy the warmer temperatures and sun in "mostly" sunny Florida. We woke up Sunday to fog and were glad it waited until the day we were coming back home to do that. What a joy to be greeted by the sun shining in our bedroom window every morning! I am definitely a "sun person".
But we flew back home last night and life goes on. It will probably take me several days to get back on central standard time. Even though I woke up at 6ish this morning, I did stay in bed another hour before finally getting up. (I didn't have the joy of the sun back home which was disappointing.)
I did have a dental appointment this morning to get my permanent crown. (Remember the tooth I broke the corner off of earlier in January when I was sick with a sinus infection?) It surely feels better than the temporary. Before I even left for the appointment, I was searching through a couple of cookbooks looking for something to make later in the day to take to Hillcrest Thrift Shop today for the volunteers.
I didn't get excited about anything in the first cookbook I checked out. Then I picked up one of my Amish cookbooks, Heritage Country Harvest Cookbook (over 700 favorite recipes from the Amish in Indiana). I have marked several recipes that sounded interesting but haven't gotten around to trying. I guess that is a disadvantage of having as many cookbooks as I do.
This recipe of Mrs. Leroy (Betty) Yoder has an interesting name, Can't Leave Alone Bars. It doesn't take but one bite to know why she named them that. She listed a yellow cake mix in the list of ingredients, but then said at the end of the instructions that you could use a chocolate cake and then change the amounts of chips. I was going to use a chocolate cake mix but picked up a yellow one first, so just stuck to it. I did use the change in the amounts of the chips though. I also used a can of chocolate flavored sweetened condensed milk that I have. I bought several cans back last year at the commissary at Fort Leavenworth. I haven't seen them there or anywhere else. It is too bad because the taste is absolutely fabulous. (I have to admit I forgot the butter. I didn't realize it until I was writing the recipe.)
CAN'T LEAVE ALONE BARS
1 box yellow cake mix (or chocolate)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used 1/4 cup of special dark)
1/4 cup peanut butter chips (I used 3/4 cup of peanut butter chips)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (I used a chocolate flavored sweetened condensed milk)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cake pan. (Mrs. Yoder didn't indicate the size of the pan. I decided to use my 8 x 11 - inch Pyrex one.)
Mix cake mix, eggs, and oil
(until well blended).
Spread half of the mixture in the bottom of the baking pan.
Put the other side aside.
Melt next 4 ingredients together.
(I placed them (remember I forgot the butter) in a quart size dish and heated them on High for 20 seconds intervals, stirring after each interval.
After the third one, it was all melted.) Mrs. Yoder says you can use 1 cup of chocolate chips instead of chocolate and peanut butter chips. (I personally like the taste of the peanut butter chips.)
Pour on top of the cake mix
and crumble the rest of cake mix on top. (The cake mix is too wet to really crumble. I just dropped small amounts around the top leaving some of the chocolate mixture showing.)
Bake for 30 minutes.
Then Mrs. Yoder says you may use a chocolate cake mix then use 1/4 cup chocolate chips and 3/4 cup peanut butter. (I interpreted that to mean peanut butter chips.)
Cool on a wire rack.
When cooled, cut in squares to serve. (It did sink in the middle but that didn't ruin the taste.)
It has been many years since I first enjoyed this dessert. I remember that my sister-cousin Marie made it and brought it to my mother's when the family was all getting together. I fell in love with the sweet/salty combination. I actually made it a couple of times, but that was a long time ago.
Thursday, our quilters' canasta group met at Friend Ellen's house. I missed because I was enjoying the sun and warmer temperatures in Florida. Imagine my surprise when I got an email from Ellen telling me about the afternoon game and that I was missed AND also pictures along with the recipe of this Strawberry Pretzel Dessert that she made and served.
Seeing her pictures brought back memories of that first time when Marie made it for our families. I remember thinking - I would never have thought about using pretzels in the crust. It's funny now when I think about it. I have even made chocolate chip cookies that had crushed pretzels in them and they were so good. You can check that recipe out HERE.
The recipe for this dessert is so old, container sizes have changed. I have reflected those changes in the recipe. Some people consider this a dessert, but you could also use it as a salad. When I was growing up, Mother often made congealed salads that we loved.
STRAWBERRY PRETZEL DESSERT
3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups crushed pretzels (do not crush too fine)
3/4 cup melted butter
Mix the above ingredients together and pat into a 9 x 13 - inch pan. Bake for 15 minutes in 350 degrees F oven. Cool.
2 cups powdered sugar
1 8 - ounce package cream cheese
1 8 - ounce carton whipped topping
2 cups miniature marshmallows
Mix the powdered sugar and cream cheese. Fold in the whipped topping and marshmallows. Spread over the cooled pretzel crust. Chill.
2 3 - ounce packages of strawberry gelatin (Ellen used sugar-free strawberry gelatin)
2-1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 teaspoon strawberry flavoring (Ellen omitted)
1 15 - ounce package frozen strawberries
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add flavoring and frozen strawberries. Chill until partially set. Pour over cream cheese layer and refrigerate until firm.
Thanks, Ellen, for thinking of me and sharing your dessert with me so that I could share it with you.
I am so impressed with Friend Ellen. I asked her to take pictures of a casserole she was going to cook for dinner so I could share it here with you. (I will be sharing it next week.) She sent me the pictures the next day and sent me another email telling me she was roasting a pork loin and had taken pictures that I could share if I wanted to. If I wanted to? If I wanted to? Seriously? Of course I will share them. I am always telling my friends when they tell me things they are making/baking to take pictures, send them to me, and I will share them. Finally, someone is taking the initiative. And I love her pictures!
Ellen writes: I buy a whole Cry-o-vac wrapped pork loin. It is usually 7 to 8 lbs. I ask the butcher to cut about 1/3 of it off for a roast and then cut the rest into Iowa chops. He calls them American Chops. Whatever you call them, they are thick chops about 1-1/4 inches thick. I have the butcher package them 2 in a package and then I freeze them.
I spray a 9 x 13 - inch pan and a roasting rack with non-stick cooking spray. I place the roast on the rack with the fatty side up. After combining and applying the rub, I cover it with foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (The recipe says to let it stand for at least 2 hrs. I'm not sure if it's okay outside the refrigerator so I refrigerate it.)
Remove the foil and roast it uncovered at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F and roast 2 hours more or until meat thermometer registers 185 degrees. (Ellen adds, "I think the guidelines have been changed to maybe 165 degrees F now. I cooked mine to 178 degrees F and it was a little dry.)
ROASTED LOIN OF PORK
1 boned & rolled 5 lb loin of pork
1 crushed clove of garlic
2 tablespoons coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon each thyme and pepper
Spray a 9 x 13 - inch pan with roasting rack with non-stick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix the garlic, salt, thyme, and pepper.
Place roast on rack with the fatty side up and apply rub on roast. Cover with foil and place in refrigerator for two hours.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Bake for 30 minutes and then reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F and roast 2 hours more or until meat thermometer registers 165 degrees F.
Slice to serve.
Thanks, Ellen, for sharing your pictures and recipe with me.
Last Friday was the first time this year that Friend Janice and I got out to some estate sales. We didn't have many to choose from, but the ones we went to were fairly good. It is amazing what people collect. One house we went to had so much merchandise that was still unopened. We only had one sale that Friday was the first day. The other two had started on Thursday which meant everything was 25% off on Friday. I bought almost new Lee jeans and Dockers jeans for $2 each. I was so excited. I know you are wondering so I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Yes, I did buy two new cookbooks. The recipe I am sharing with you today came from one of the cookbooks.
OATMEAL BUTTERMILK MUFFINS
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 cup raisins
Combine the oats and buttermilk in a bowl and allow to soak for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease or spray a 12-cup muffin pan.
With an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar
until light and fluffy.
Add egg. Beat to combine. (Looks like I forgot to take a picture.)
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Stir the flour mixture alternately into the butter mixture with the oat mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
(The oat mixture after it sets for an hour.)
Fold in the raisins.
Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about 2/3rds full.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.
Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool. (Running a knife around the inside of the cup will help remove the muffins.)
Great still a little warm.
Hilaire Walden's Cookies - irresistible biscuits, brownies, and bars.
I really love this Overnight Macaroni Casserole. It was almost better warmed up if you can believe it. It makes so much; I was able to enjoy quite a bit of it for several days warmed up. So I know what I am talking about.
Mary Miller, one of the ladies from the northern Indiana Amish community (Heritage Country Harvest Cookbook) prepared the casserole, let it set overnight, and then baked it the next morning. I didn't want to bake it in the morning because we wouldn't be eating it until dinner. So I got to thinking. (I know that sometimes can be dangerous.) I decided eight hours sounded like "overnight". So why couldn't I prepare it first thing in the morning, let it set all day (8 hours), then bake it for dinner? I decided it was worth the try.
I cooked the chicken breast the night before and cubed it. That was the only thing I needed to do ahead of time. I got up a little earlier than I usually do so that the casserole would have the eight hours to set before I cooked it that night.
It turned out so cool. Our farkle group met that Monday afternoon and I didn't have to think about what I was going to make for dinner. When I got home, my husband was still at the gym working out, so I waited a little longer before putting the casserole in the oven.
It was so good. It's like mac 'n cheese with chicken.
OVERNIGHT MACARONI CASSEROLE
2 cups uncooked macaroni
2 cups cooked chicken, (shredded or cut in bite-size cubes)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups milk
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 medium onion
1/2 teaspoon pepper (my husband said it needed more - I just sprinkled some on top before I ate mine)
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup grated cheese (I used sharp cheddar block cheese that I grated)
Heat milk and soup; then add seasonings
and cheese. Stir til cheese melts.
Cool.
Combine the macaroni and chicken in a large bowl. (I used my large batter bowl.)
When cool pour over remaining ingredients.
Mix and
put in a greased casserole.
Let set overnight (8 hours). (Maybe it was obvious, but I put mine in the refrigerator.)
Next morning (or 8 hours later) bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Serve....
To heat it up, I put a generous helping in a microwavable bowl - a little over a cup -, sprinkled a little water on it, covered the dish, heated it for 1 minute on 50% power first, and then 30 seconds on High (full power). Stirred it and it was ready to eat.
Mix ingredients except for the onions together to 
distribute the oats and other ingredients evenly.
Mix with a wooden spoon and/or your hands.
Divide mixture in half using two loaf pans. 
Press mixture in loaf pans.
Mix sauce ingredients, divide evenly 
and spread over mixture.
Bake 45 minutes.
Mine....
My husbands....
