Stove Top Meatloaf

Hey guys!

Here at Tuesday's with Dinah & Ma we have developed a meatloaf bandit. Yes, he's furry and cute but don't be fooled our pup Charlie is a sneaky meatloaf stealer. Let me explain more. A few weeks back Ma made meatloaf for dinner and forgot to put the extra pieces away immediately so when Ma didn't hear a peep from our poodle she had Aunt Jane scope him out and figure out just what he was actually up too. One thing you guys need to know is when my dog is quiet he's up to something and it won't be good. Aunt Jane tracked him down in the kitchen...on the table...eating the leftover meatloaf then he jumped down and ran away (swiftly mind you) with said meatloaf in his mouth. So needless to say we have to keep an eye out for this cute but deadly bandit.

Charlie got me thinking for some reason I don't think we've done a recipe for the blog that involved meatloaf. We may have but my memory has escapes me. I think meatloaf over the course of decades has gotten a bad rap. People automatically see a hunk of meat with ketchup on it and turn their noses up at it but what if we're all just the food snobs at the table and meatloaf is really a rockstar that we've judged too harshly? I mean think about it this creation could actually be very tasty. So in honor of this classic we're going to make a version with stove top stuffing mixed in. Yep, you read right. Lets see if we can finally break this snobby attitude towards the loaf shall we?
Here's what you'll need:



Stove Top Meatloaf
Ingredients:
*1 lb. ground turkey or beef
*1 box Stove Top Stuffing
*1 egg
*1 cup water (can use less/no water if you like a more firm/crusty meatloaf)

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together (do not prepare the stuffing mix – stir it in the meat mixture dry).
2. Press into a greased loaf pan (or I like to use an 8-in round casserole dish).
3. Bake at 350 for 45-60 min or until the center is no longer pink.
4. Let cool for 5 min before serving.  Enjoy!

WW Points: *6 Points per slice





Tid Bits:
*None tonight guys




Ma's Spot: I am a huge fan of meatloaf. I have made all different variations of it. Mexican style, regular, Italian, etc... but this one is a winner winner great meatloaf dinner. The true test of a meatloaf is whenever or not it can make up a good sandwich the next day. Yes, this one does. So make you a big pan, use half for dinner that evening and save the other half for a good sandwich the next morning. I have never heard of stove top stuffing being used in a meatloaf before but since I'm a huge fan of it I'm glad it works in this recipe. It was so easy. Stuffing, meat, egg and you're done. If you like an easy tasty dinner then this one is the one to try folks.

 

SNACK CORNER:* It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not.

WW Points: *19 for a small



Dinah: Arby's Salted Caramel Milkshake is the worst. Yep, I said it. First off 19 points for a small is ridiculous. Who would actually save all their points to drink this bland shake. Speaking of bland they say this shake is salted caramel. Which I find hard to believe. Your blog mistress is a huge fan of anything salted caramel and I know the taste fairly well. This is more like a vanilla shake with just a hint of caramel. I ask Arby's where's the salt?? It sure wasn't in this drink. Blog readers skip this disaster of a shake and use your points on something else salted caramel that actually has the real taste.


Ma: This milkshake I have to say let me down. You have to drink half of it to even get to the caramel. I thought it was really lacking. I would rather buy a vanilla milkshake and add caramel sauce on my own. I didn't find anything different or special about it. It's like the old commercial where's the beef? Well Arby's where's the salted caramel?? So for me it's a pass. I'll never buy this one again. I'd save the money and buy ice cream and put caramel sauce on it instead. Sorry Arby's you missed the mark on this one.




That's all folks, we'll see you here next week with another recipe. Have a great week guys!



Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Juicy Salsa Burgers

Hey guys!
Is there anything more classic American than the burger? Eh, maybe they're might be but in the food world it tops the list. You're blog mistress is a bit of a picky polly when it comes to burgers. Turkey burgers are king to me but when I want a real made from beef burger then the patty has to be so thin there is more bun than actual meat and it has to be well done. No pink for this gal. Odd? I know but hey isn't it in our food dna (thanks to Burger King) to have it our way?
So why all this talk about burgers? Well that's tonight's recipe. Ma stumbled upon this one on the side of a Hellman's mayo jar. Hey, we get our recipes from everywhere.

Here's what you'll need:

JUICY SALSA BURGERS

INGREDIENTS:
*2 lbs. ground chuck
*1/2 onion, grated
*3 Tbsp. Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
*3 Tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce
*1 Tbsp. chili powder (optional)
*1/2 cup salsa
*8 hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine ground chuck, onion, Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise, Worchestershire sauce and chili powder in medium bowl. Form into 8 patties. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Grill patties to desired doneness. Top with salsa and serve on buns.

 

WW Points: *11 points per burger



These were extremely tasty! Never thought to put salsa on a burger but it's a great trick. While juicy and delish they seemed to fall a bit apart on the grill so watch out. Otherwise these are definitely worth giving a try.





Tid Bits:
*Be careful on the amount of wet ingredients you put into the mixture. It can make the meat fall apart.




Ma's Spot: I love hamburgers to begin with but these burgers changed your perspective on how good hamburgers can be. I've tried your basic dried onion soup mix in it and I've experminted with different flavors for burgers but this recipe was on the money. The flavor is nothing like I've had before. Th juiciness of it was out of this world. My son in law grilled these up on his grill but I suspect you can cook these up any way you want and they'd still be good. So this one was a hit out of the park. Remember to grill those buns for a added crispiness. PS. No cheese needed on this one!








SNACK CORNER:* It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not.

WW Points: *7 per cup




Dinah: I'm doing this solo tonight since Ma would rather have a root canal than eat mac and cheese. So! It looks like it's just your blog mistress reviewing tonight's snack. Lets get right to it. Those crafty people at Goldfish decided to branch out from their mini snack and create the Goldfish mac and cheese. Being on Weight Watchers can provide some tricky issues with mac and cheese. Since pasta is so high in points and the powdered stuff isn't that great for you. Nonetheless this was the best tasting mac and cheese I've ever had. Weird right? I was expecting to hate it but it definitely brings on the cheese flavor and it actually is filling. So on your next trip to the grocery store pick up the fishies and taste them in a new way.



That's it for tonight folks. We'll see you here next Tuesday with another recipe. Have a great week guys!




Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Weight Watchers Crockpot Jambalaya

Evening all,


Dearest blog readers, this week's recipe was a huge mess. Why is it every time Ma and I try to make a slow cooker recipe it just doesn't turn out right? Oy, gather around for story time guys. This one is a doozy! So I came across this Weight Watchers recipe (on Pinterest of course lol) for Jambalaya. I've never really been a fan of said dish. Not sure why since I never decided to partake in the meal. So I figured why not at least try it and get out of my food comfort zone. I prepared this week's dish and made the recipe exactly to a "T". After the first hour of "slow" cooking the rice was completely done. I was worried since it still had 3 hours to cook. I knew then it was a sinking ship but I wasn't going to let it stop me. After all we have to evaluate every recipe we do. After the 4 hours was up it was a pure grainy mess. It looked like tomato grits. Where was my jambalaya? This whole giving it a shot thing wasn't doing anything to change my mind on said dish. When Ma tried it her disappointment set in as well.

Let me let you guys in on a secret of ours. We LOATHE wasting food. Especially for the blog since we go all out for it and we love bringing you guys something fun and a new recipe to try. It's just sad when money goes down the drain and a good night of food.

I'll post the recipe but be warned: MAKE AT YOUR OWN RISK!



Here's what you'll need:


Weight Watchers Crockpot Jambalaya


Ingredients:
*1 cup diced lean boiled ham
*2 onions, coarsely chopped
*2 celery stalks, sliced
*1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
*1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
*1/4 cup tomato paste
*3 garlic cloves, minced
*1 tablespoon chopped parsley
*1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
*2 whole cloves
*1 tablespoon vegetable oil
*1 cup long-grain white rice
*1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined


DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine the ham, onions, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, parsley, thyme, cloves, oil, and rice in  a slow cooker.
2. Cook on High 4 to 5 hours.
3. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp are pink, about 1 hour longer.

                                   (See this is how they showed the outcome of the recipe)

                                                                  (Yeah, not twins.)

WW Points: *7 per serving



ATTENTION: We will be remaking this dish differently in the future!



Ma's Spot: I was looking forward to this recipe all day. A nice hot bowl of Jambalaya, yum. Well that didn't work out as well as I thought it was going to. Seriously, what a disaster! I will say that last night's dinner was fantastic I had Happy's Pizza's Ribs instead, ha! As far as the jambalaya though it tasted like a thick, pasty, overcooked rice tomato mess. The minute I tasted it I started thinking how I could of redone this. First of all the rice had been cooked too long. It broke down and it was a starchy mess. The ingredients are all tasty that we added but I think it wasn't a slow cooker recipe as it's originally written. I would love to redo this next week but it's my blog pick and I already have my next recipe picked out. When it's my turn again I'll be redoing this recipe for us and you guys. So I urge you to not try this yet. Let us redo it for you and hopefully (and I retract that)....I know it'll have to be better than that one was.



SNACK CORNER:* It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not.

WW Points: *5 points per cone


Dinah: Oh Blue Bunny how I love thee. These Mini Swirls Birthday Party Ice Cream Cones are quite the funny little treats. I like the idea of having a small cone and not all the points that come with a huge ice cream cone. While 5 points can be considered alot since usually 1/2 cup of any ice cream is around 3 points these come with a cone and sprinkles. It's a great trade off, well to me at least. Next time you're craving something tiny and sweet drop that half cup and pick up a box of these. Save the half cup for your next cake.


Ma: What can I say about this delicious, tasteful, wonderful ice cream creation in a cone. First of all the size is perfect. I can see this little bitty hand eating this cone. Oh hell lets face it, it's perfect for big hands! You know how you always get the ice cream cones that have the chocolate on the bottoms? This has the white chocolate. I love the change. These are a really tasty treat. It's like having a birthday cake in a cone. I know I've said this before and probably continue to say this but seriously please go pick these up. They are a wonderful little treat.




That's it for tonight. We'll see you here next Tuesday with more food goodness. Have a great week guys!




Spoons & Spatula's
~Dinah & Ma

Taco-rific Grilled Cheese

Hey guys!


So I'm starting to think Ma is on a mission to use every single Morningstar product in some form. Ha. Oh come now your blog mistress was just kidding. So when Ma was looking around for this week's recipe she came across this recipe from Hungry Girl which incorporates Morningstar Crumbles and grilled cheese. Yes, you know what that means another sammy. Gotta say I was quite shocked when she suggested making this one for a blog recipe. Considering Ma has been known to loathe cheese since she was a tiny tot. I'm guessing she's stepping out of her comfort zone for this one. Join her shall we?

Here's what you'll need:


Taco-rific Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:
*1/4 cup frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles (like the kind by Boca or MorningStar Farms)
*1 tbsp. finely chopped onion
*1/4 tsp. chili powder
*1/8 tsp. cumin
*1/8 tsp. garlic powder
*2 slices light bread
*1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese
*2 tbsp. shredded reduced-fat Mexican-blend cheese
*1 tbsp. finely chopped tomato
*1 tsp. finely chopped cilantro
*2 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)

Directions:
1. In a small microwave-safe bowl, mix soy crumbles, onion, and dry spices. Microwave for 45 seconds, or until warm. Stir well.

2. Lay bread slices flat, and spread both with the cheese wedge. Top one slice with 1 tbsp. shredded cheese, followed by the soy crumble mixture, tomato, cilantro, and remaining 1 tbsp. shredded cheese. Top with the other bread slice, cheesy side down. Spread the top of the sandwich with 1 tsp. butter.

3. Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Carefully place sandwich in the skillet, buttered side down. Spread the top with remaining 1 tsp. butter.

4. Cook until bread is lightly browned and cheese has melted, about 2 minutes per side, flipping carefully. Eat up!


MAKES 1 SERVING

                                                   (Sorry for the lighting in the pictures)


WW Points: *6 per Sammy




These were super yummy. I honestly didn't get the taco flavor per say but they were very tasty. The mix of tomato, crumbles, and laughing cow cheese gave it a creamy texture and the bread added a nice crunch. I'd definitely make them again.



Tid Bits:
*Can't find Morningstar? Use any meatless soy substitute



Ma's Spot: Oh how I enjoyed this sandwich. It got me to eat swiss cheese. I have always hated swiss cheese but some reason this time was different. It was very quick and easy to make. Everything in this dish was good for you. So if you're a busy mom or dad this is really a great go-to meal. Also If you're watching what you eat this is perfect.




SNACK CORNER:* It's time for snack corner! Where we take new snacks in the grocery store and break it down for you. We tell you which are hot and which are not.

WW Points: *6 per 1/2 cup


Dinah: So those nifty hippie fellas over at Ben & Jerry's have come out with a limited edition Cotton Candy ice cream. While this one is a tab better on points than the last ice cream we reviewed I gotta say it wasn't one of my top 5 favorites from the guys at B&J's. I couldn't really taste the cotton candy flavor (geez first the meal now this. I need my taste buds tested lol). It seemed like a lot of vanilla and sugar with colorful flecks of what looked like cotton candy but yet not actual cotton candy KAPOW flavor there. Oh how I was disppointed in this one since I'm a huge fan from way back. Sadly I'll be skipping this one on my next shopping trip and jumping for the Chunky Monkey.



Ma: Unlike Dinah I thought this ice cream tasted exactly like cotton candy. Actually, I was wondering how you get cotton candy taste into ice cream? I'm ashamed to say (and I'll admit this in writing) I did finish off the rest of the pint. :X
So if you like the flavor of cotton candy with out the grainy candy taste then this is the ice cream for you!




That's it folks. We'll see you here next Tuesday with another recipe. Have a great week guys!



Spoons & Spatula's
~ Dinah & Ma