Thursday, January 08, 2009

Recipe of the Week: The Six O'Clock Scramble

Healthy Meals, 30 Minute Meals, Quick Easy Dinner Recipes, Family Meal Planning

The Six O’Clock Scramble® is an online dinner planning service.

AS A SUBSCRIBER YOU’LL RECEIVE EACH WEEK:

  • Five family-tested, healthy and delicious and quick DINNER RECIPES THAT TAKE 30 MINUTES OR LESS TO PREPARE
  • An ORGANIZED GROCERY LIST so you can grocery shop just once per week
  • A SEARCHABLE DATABASE where you can customize your weekly dinner plan
  • Your own personal RECIPE BOX where you can save your family's favorites 30 minute meals
  • A newsletter with USEFUL TIPS for easier mealtimes, snacks and lunches
  • NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION for each recipe to help you take charge of your health

For folks like me constantly casting about for something different to fix for dinner, especially if you're stuck in a rut of the same seven meals week after week, this service seems well-worth the price of $5 a month. They advertise themselves as 'family friendly', and a cursory glance shows them conservative in the budget department as well.

Here is their mini meatloaf muffins recipe: (printable version)

MINI MEATLOAF MUFFINS
    Servings & Prep Time

    Prep time: 15 minutes. Cook time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 6 · serving size: 2 muffins

    Special Features
  • Dairy-free
  • Kosher-style or Kosher Alternative
  • Nut-free
  • Low-Sodium
  • Make ahead/Freezable

My friend, Kirsten Thistle, shared this fun recipe for mini meatloaves. Both of our families gobbled these little cuties right up. One advantage of making the meatloaf in muffin tins is that they cook in half the time of a big meatloaf. Serve it with baked potatoes and steamed green beans with mustard-lemon sauce.

  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 yellow or white onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
  • 1-2 carrots, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic, (1 - 2 cloves)
  • 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken
  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs, or use crushed crackers
  • 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

(If you are making baked potatoes in the oven, start them first.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onions, carrots, oregano and garlic for 3 - 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove them from the heat and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, then add the onion and carrot mixture, and stir thoroughly.

Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon the meat mixture into the individual cups, dividing evenly (each mini meatloaf should completely fill a muffin cup). Bake the meatloaf muffins for 30 minutes. (Meanwhile, prepare the green beans, if you are serving them.) Remove them from the oven and let them sit for 5 minutes before serving, or refrigerate them for up to 2 days before reheating and serving.

Scramble Flavor Booster: Serve the meatloaf with barbecue sauce.

Tip:

You can make the meatloaf mixture in advance and bake them just before dinner, or bake them up to 2 days in advance, as meatloaf gets even tastier after a day or two.

SERVE WITH BAKED POTATOES & GREEN BEANS WITH MUSTARD LEMON SAUCE

To make baked potatoes, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce 3 - 6 russet potatoes in several places. (If you don't have time to bake them, prepare the potatoes in the microwave: Cook them on high for about 10 minutes, flipping them once, until they are tender when pierced with a knife. If they are not done after 10 minutes, keep checking every 2 minutes.) For baking: For a crispier skin, rub the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt before baking. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake them for 50-60 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork, turning them once. While the potatoes are cooking, make a sauce with 1 cup low fat or nonfat sour cream or yogurt, 1/4 cup salsa, 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions or chives. Slice the potatoes in half, and serve them topped with a thin layer of butter or margarine and with the sour cream sauce.

To make the green beans, trim 1 lb. of green beans and cut them in half crosswise. Bring 1/2 inch of water to a boil. Add the green beans, cover, reduce the heat and steam them for 6 - 8 minutes until they reach desired tenderness. Drain them, return them to the pot, and stir in 2 tsp. butter or margarine, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, and the juice of 1/4 lemon. Serve immediately.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

FYI: Time Out for Women - Time Out for Women 2009, Houston, TX

Time Out for Women - Time Out for Women 2009, Houston, TX

This two-day event is a sort of mini Education Week that comes to Houston I believe twice a year. It is not sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, it is a wonderful opportunity to take one day for yourself and regenerate and refresh your mind and spirit. Remember, a happy mom equals a happy family. Seminars and performances will be given by LDS 'personalities' such as Sheri L. Dew, Kenneth Cope, Abe Mills, etc.

Seminar topics include:
  • TBA by Sheri L. Dew
  • Rest Assured by Mary Ellen Edmunds
  • The Best Time to Be Alive by Chris Stewart
  • Weakness: Your Curse . . . or Your Blessing? by Wendy Ulrich
  • Skills from the Scriptures (for Good Times & Bad) by Brent L. Top
Musical performances from:
  • Jenny Jordan Frogley
  • Abe Mills
  • Kenneth Cope

Although tickets may seem a bit pricey, they always sells out and ladies I know who have attended have always felt it was well worth the price. Tickets can be purchased for Friday, Saturday, or both.

Saturday, January 03, 2009

For the Strength of Youth: A Brand New Year



A Brand New Year

Sisters,

On New Year's Eve, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints broadcast via satellite from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, "A Brand New Year". This was a special production of music, dancing, and inspiration by and to the youth of the Church all over the world, during which the new YM/YW theme for 2009 was introduced. Any of you who have seen it know how uplifting and enlarging it was, as well as the Spirit that prevailed as both youth and leaders of the Church bore their testimonies of the truthfulness of the Gospel and their love for our Savior, Jesus Christ. More than 500 young people participated in the orchestra, choir, and stage crew, and truly dazzled all with their talent.


In conjunction with the program, the Church has launched a new website called "A Brand New Year". Chock full of the latest web effects and widgets, the Church has made it the Youth's site on lds.org. I highly recommend it to all of you, whether or not you have teenagers. Here are some of the features:
  • Read: Read current or past New Era Magazines, as well as search for articles or key words.
  • Photo Gallery: Lots of pictures taken during the rehearsal and performance of "A Brand New Year".
  • Listen: Download MP3's from "A Brand New Year", as well as ring tones, a great way to keep the music and the message fresh in anyone's thoughts. Also really great is the 'print music' feature, which allows members throughout the world to make "A Brand New Year" music their own songs.
  • Watch the Videos: Recording of the production in several three- to five-minute segments. Full of catchy tunes, amazing production values, and uplifting messages, each individual piece or taken as a whole can provide an excellent addition or focus of your Family Home Evening.
  • Commit: A place to print out personal commitment cards, as well as to subscribe to the site's e-newsletter.
  • Share: This is the comment section where youth are encouraged to share their own experiences as they keep their commitments to pray daily, read the Book of Mormon daily, and to be happy, as well as read the thoughts of others.
  • Resources: A great place for young people to go to read the scriptures online, watch, listen, or read messages from General Conference, learn about a specific gospel topic, access the New Era Magazines, and a terrific set of activities to help memorize the Scripture Mastery scriptures. Other sites on their links list include: LDS.org, Mormom.org, JesusChrist.lds.org, and Especially for Youth.
  • Widgets: This is a tool which can be used to embed music and video on personal sites and blogs, such as the one in the right-hand column of this page. This is a great way for teenagers to share what matters to them with their friends, and can be a terrific missionary tool.

Visit the site, watch the video, surf through the different features, and find new ways to inspire your family with the joy that is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Link of the Week: gethuman database from Paul English

gethuman database from Paul English

Bookmark this site. It is a simple list of phone numbers to call and how to react to prompts to get through the automated phone systems of hundreds of US companies and actually talk to a human being. There is no advertising and is absolutely free.

Categories of companies listed include:

credit

finance

government

hardware

insurance

internet

mobile

pharmacy

products

shipping

software

stores

telco

travel

tv/satellite

Friday, December 19, 2008

Blog of the Week: Dr. Laura’s Blog » Blessings in Disguise

Dr. Laura’s Blog » Blessings in Disguise

I don't listen to Dr. Laura, but my sister sent me this article posted on the radio host's blog, and I thought it was very cool and you'd enjoy the read. It's good to hear people talk well of Mormons, but it's even better to see that some actually 'get' us as a people, if not our religion. Dr. Laura seems to be one. In speaking of the Welfare system of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, after touring the main facility, she explains the concepts of those in need donating whatever service they can in exchange for the help they receive:

The basic concept is to preserve a sense of dignity and pride in those who have temporary need by giving them an opportunity to use their skills in the service of others. Walking around the premises, I felt the uplifted attitude of all who were there: smiles, waves, and straight backs.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints provides for people all over the world – not only with goods and goodwill, but with the opportunity to not lose a sense of self when “things” are lost.

I probably sound like an advertisement for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am not a member of their religion, but I am impressed with their charitable philosophy, because I believe it teaches our children their real value, while motivating and uplifting them at the same time.



This article also brings to mind an article in the February 2008 Ensign by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin. In 'A Band of Brothers', he states:

If someone were to ask you who we are as a people, what would you say? Who are we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

The answer, I believe, is a simple one given to us by the Savior Himself. We are a people who love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, and minds. And we are a people who love our neighbor as ourselves. (See Matthew 22:37–39.)

This answer satisfies many of the questions asked about why we do what we do. Why does the Church ask so much of its members? Because we love the Lord, and we love our neighbor. Why do we do temple work? Missionary work? Welfare work? Because we love the Lord, and we love our neighbor.

These are the roots of all that we do. We do not send our missionaries out into the world to collect statistics. We send them into the world because we love our Heavenly Father, and we love our fellowmen.

That is who we are as a people. That is why we do what we do.

Especially at this Christmas season, when so many of us 'do what we do' in expressing our love for one another with gifts, caroling, parties, and help for the needy, let us remember why we do it. Let us make our love for our neighbors our gift to the Savior in celebration of His birth.