Saturday, January 22, 2011

Recipe of the Month

I want to start posting recipes that I've tried and love.  I'm going to make it a monthly thing.  This way, I won't have to always blog about my boring life.  I can shake things up a bit.  I'll try to post pictures next time.  I just decided to do this while heating up some leftovers.  Leftover meatloaf doesn't make a pretty picture.


Robyn's Meatloaf (aka The Meatloaf Hater's Meatloaf)

This dish is some serious comfort food!  I have always hated meatloaf until my sister, Robyn, made this for me one night.  It is so good and easy to make!  It's perfect when the weather is cold and you need some warm deliciousness in your belly.  Here is how I make it:

1 lb ground beef
1 lb spicy pork sausage (I like it hot)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the meats until they're good and mixed.  Now get out your food processor and throw the following in it:

3 slices of bread
2 carrots
1 yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 Tb parsley

Pulse until you have a crumbly mixture.  Add this to the meat.  Then add the following:

1/2 Tb pepper
1 Tb salt
2 Tb Dijon mustard
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs

Mix it up really good.  You may need to use your hands.  Then form a loaf in a large baking dish.  I used to use a large loaf pan, but the center never seemed to get cooked through.  Also, it's easier when you have some room around the edges of the loaf for this next step.  Here comes the BEST part:

8 slices of BACON!!

That's right!  Wrap that sucker up in bacon.  It may take more or less than eight slices, depending on the brand you buy.  But wrap it horizontally as if the bacon were measuring each slice.  Now for the glaze:

1 cup brown sugar
2 Tb dry mustard
2 Tb tomato paste

Combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and really mix it up.  It will take a while and you'll wonder why it still looks like powder instead of glaze.  That is because you are not done mixing.  Eventually it will soften up and be the consistency of very thick paste.  Now spread this all over your loaf.

Pop it in the oven (uncovered) for 1 hour and you have yourself a tasty meal!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

January

My sister did this cool thing with her blog where she lists everything she loves (and hates) about each month.  I wanted to do this (after all these years I'm STILL copying my sister!!) but needed to start in January.  Now that it's almost over I figure I better get on the ball and post so I don't have to wait another year.  So here goes:


January

Likes

Clearance sales!  This is the BEST time to use those gift cards from Christmas.  I love going children's clothes shopping because you can buy the winter clothes for next year at $1.99 a top (Crazy 8 & Children's Place Outlet).

Network TV comes back.  The DVR gets a little thin during the Christmas season.  I like having new shows to look forward to.  Shows I watch:  Law & Order (LA & SVU), NCIS, Modern Family, House, The Office, and 30 Rock.

My anniversary
We celebrated 7 great years on the 16th.  The last few years, we've either have been separated by deployments, hired a crazy sitter that told us to come home early, or had been too poor/lazy to go out.  This year we actually went on a fabulous date to Roundtop Ski Resort. 

Dislikes

I get really sick of snow by the end of this month.  At Christmastime it's charming, by the end of January, it's a pain in the rear!

Dry, dry, dry, skin!  My fingernails chip and I have to put lotion on my hands at least 5 times a day to keep from turning into a reptile.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

2010 Review

I know this is a little late, but I thought I'd take fond look back on the year that was.

January
Got a new short haircut
Called as Primary Secretary

February
Snow, snow, snow!
Found out we were expecting little Charlotte
Supply Corps Birthday Ball
Went to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia

March
William tries out his new tricycle
Ward Talent Show (I played one of my piano compositions)
Breakfast with the Easter Bunny at Boyds Bears (William gets scared of the Easter Bunny)

April
Easter with Grandpa
Trip to Washington DC to see the cherry blossoms
 Stake Roadshow (I was in charge of costumes for our ward)
Girls Getaway in Chicago with college roommates (Melissa Fowler and Rachel Lingmann)

May
Armed Forces Day and Harrisburg Senators baseball game
First ultrasound; it's a girl!
Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus
Peterson Kids Reunion and trip to Washington DC

June
Trip to California
Visit to Fairytale Town with Grandma
San Francisco Trip with Grandpa
Cousin Marc and Kristen's wedding
Family Camp Out

July
Independence Day with the Candlands
Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A
Supply Corps Picnic
Sean leaves for Maryland for 2 weeks
Robyn's Summer Camp

August
William's Shark Birthday Party (4 years old!)
Primary Pool Party
Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire
Ryan Candland's Fireman Party
William learns to ride a bicycle (with training wheels)

September
 
William starts preschool
Surprise baby shower
Baby Charlotte comes!
October
Come home from the hospital
Mom and Dad visit to help out with Charlotte
William's field trip to Paulus Orchards
Natalie Candland's baptism
Primary Fall Festival
Charlotte admitted in the hospital for a fever
Preschool Halloween Parade
Trick or Treat night

November
Primary Presentation
Charlotte's Blessing Day
My mom gets engaged
Trip to Hersheypark with Candlands, my mom and her fiance, Robert
Preschool Thanksgiving Feast
Thanksgiving with the Candlands

December

Sean's Lieutenant Promotion Ceremony
Tree Lighting Ceremony at Carlisle Barracks
Breakfast with Santa at Wegman's
Preschool Christmas Program
Christmas at the Candlands with Grandpa


2010 was exciting and fun for us.  Here's to another great year!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Christmas in Virginia

This year my dad came out for Christmas so we met up with him at my sister's house in Northern Virginia.  It's always a great time at the Candland's house.  We headed down on Christmas Eve and stayed until Sunday night.  We had festive food (featuring my dad's AWESOME cioppino soup), played a few rounds of Catch Phrase, and stayed in our jammies all day on Christmas.  William was so excited to get the gift he has been wanting all year, a GeoTrax train set with remote controller.  I don't think he stopped playing with it for more than 20 minutes since finding it under the tree Christmas morning.  Although now he's all about the V Smile game set up on the TV.  Thanks Aunt Robyn!  Sean got a Kindle and a couple of Amazon gift cards to keep him reading until next Christmas.  Charlotte's favorite gift (and by Charlotte, I mean me) was a super cute tag owl that Aunt Erin made.  I got an Android phone that is awesome.  I now know that it's totally addicting and I'm pretty good at online Boggle.  I have yet to get into Angry Birds even though Sean tells me I don't know what I'm missing.  It's been a great season.  Now on to the new year!

Paige-y LOVES Charlotte!
Charlotte's Favorite.  So Cute!

Chub-a-lub!

Grandpa's Boys

Santa Came Through with the GeoTrax Train

Early Christmas Morning

Christmas Jammies

Grandpa and Charlotte