Meatloaf "Cake"

Well, this year for April Fool's Day I wanted to make a silly dinner, but before I knew it, April 1st was over and I ended up making this a few days later. But hey, who's keeping track anyway, right? This was quite a hit with the kids and my hubby found it entertaining as well. Plus, it was mighty delicious!

Meatloaft "Cake"
1 lb. jalapeno chicken sausage, casings removed (I found this at my local Sunflower Market)
20 oz. lean ground turkey
1 bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange are fun colors for the cake look)
1/2 c. crumbled cojita cheese
1/2 c. oats
2 t. onion powder
6-7 medium potatoes, washed and cut in large cubes
1/3 c. milk
1 c. sour cream (or more)
salt and pepper

For meatloaf, combine meat, cheese, oats, and onion powder. Press into two 8-9" cake pans. Bake at 400 F for 45-60 minutes. Meanwhile, boil potatoes until very tender. Drain and mash with milk, sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When meatloaf is done, just assemble like a cake, using mashed potatoes as frosting.

My kids just LOVED this dinner!You really could use any meatloaf recipe you want. I was very happy with how this turned out. Enjoy!

PB Banana Goodness

My whole little family loves peanut butter but it gets a little boring to eat the same thing everyday. So if you're tired with the plain old PB&J, try mixing it up and add some different ingredients to your sandwich. Here are some that I tried:

Peanut Banana Avodaco:

Whole wheat bread, peanut butter, sliced banana, mashed avocado.
(Inspired by H.E.A.B.)

I found this peanut butter at Target and I gotta tell you, it's DELICIOUS!!! I used it for...
Cinnamon Banana:
Toasted whole wheat bread, cinnamon raisin swirl peanut butter, sliced banana. Yum!


And finally, my lunch today was an idea I got from my Rachael Ray cookbook:

Extreme PB Sandwich

Toasted whole wheat bread, crunchy peanut butter, sliced banana, 2 slices turkey bacon, drizzle honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Now, if you're thinking, "Ew, gross!" I understand because I thought that, too...at first! But just try it. The salty bacon and peanut butter mixed with sweetness is surprisingly delightful. I am definitely going to experiment more with my favorite legume and I hope you will, too. Enjoy!

Turkey Wraps

This is a fun summer dinner. It doesn't take much time, and it's very versitile. You can use any veggies that sound good and you could use any meat in place of turkey.

Turkey Wraps
3 whole wheat wraps/tortillas
deli mustard
horseradish (optional)
3/4 c. shredded cheese
12 slices deli turkey (or other meat)
1-2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
1 bunch spinach

Place wraps on a cookie sheet and spread with mustard (and horseradish, if desired) then sprinkle with 1/4 c. cheese each. Place under a broiler until cheese is melted. Arrange four slices of meat on each wrap. Fill each wrap with sliced avocado, tomatoes, and two large handfuls of spinach. Roll up and enjoy. These are the tortillas that I used. They have lots of fiber and protien and only 80 calories. They were perfect. There are lots of different brands of tortillas that would work just fine. Buy one that your family likes and experiment with your fillings. Enjoy!