Quinoa Meatloaf

Source

This meatloaf is so tasty! It is really moist too and you feel really healthy eating it too which I always love!

For 2 servings:

1 pound minced beef

2 eggs
1/4 cup of uncooked quinoa

1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves
2 chilies
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil

1 teaspoon Thyme

1 teaspoon Rosemary
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Cook quinoa as directed. Preheat oven to 350 F. Add onion, chili, and cloves to a food processor and chop finely. Add cooked quinoa and all ingredients to a large bowl and mix together. Grease a loaf tray with coconut or olive oil, then add the mixture and bake for 1 hour.

Baking My Way: Almond Anise Biscotti

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 tablespoon anise seed
3 eggs
3 cups All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped almonds

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheets. In large bowl, beat sugar, brown sugar and margarine until well blended. Add anise seed and eggs; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Stir in flour and baking powder; mix well. Stir in almonds. Shape dough into two 10x1-inchrolls. Place rolls 4 inches apart on greased cookie sheet; flatten each to 2-inch width.

Bake at 350°F. for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely; cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices.

Arrange slices, cut side down, on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350°F. for 6 to 10 minutes or until bottom begins to brown; turn. Bake at 350°F. for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until browned and crisp. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container.

Baking My Way: Treasure Chest Bars

 This is an interesting bar. I'm not sure that I like nuts in it. Next time I'll either put pecans or no nuts at all and just up the chocolate. It's still a very good bar. It's light but yet very decadent and rich if that makes sense. The icing is wonderful and I just wanted to sit and eat that on its own.

BARS:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup soft butter
Dash of salt
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
3 Hershey bars, cut into pieces (or 1 cup of chocolate chips)
1 cup maraschino cherries, drained, halved
1 cup chopped mixed nuts (pecans are best)

ICING:
1/4 cup butter
2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2-3 tbsp. milk

In a large bowl, combine all bar ingredients except cherries, chocolate and nuts. Blend until smooth at medium speed, about 2 minutes. By hand, stir in rest of ingredients; spread in greased and floured jelly roll pan, 15"x10". Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

In a small saucepan, brown butter until golden brown, stirring constantly over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Add milk and blend to spreading consistency. Spread over warm bars. Cool completely. Makes 48 bars.

Health Tip of the Week: Chemicals in Makeup pt. 1

Mercury is both a deadly poison and a heavy metal. The skin easily absorbs mercury, and it accumulates in the body. 

Mercury exposure may cause allergic reactions, skin irritation, or neurotoxicity problems.

Phenyl mercuric acetate is a highly toxic chemical used as a preservative in eye makeup, even though it does not protect the consumer from bacteria in products that have become contaminated by use.

Bronopol is used in mascara and other cosmetics. A skin irritant, bronopol has caused blindness and death in laboratory animals at concentrations much higher than used in cosmetic products.



Formaldehyde-releasing ingredients are found in nearly all brands of skin, body, and hair care products, antiperspirants, and nail polishes. Imidazolidinyl urea and DMDM Hydantoin are just two of many preservatives that release formaldehyde, which can irritate the respiratory system, cause asthma, allergies, or skin reactions, even trigger heart palpitations. Formaldehyde exposure can cause joint or chest pain, depression, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, immune dysfunction, and cancer.

Hexamethylenetetramine is a carcinogenic formaldehyde-compound used in lotions and creams, and must carry a warning label if used in concentrations greater than 0.05%. Trade names: Aminoform, Formid, Uritone, and Cystamin.

Lanolin, a fatty secretion from sheep's wool, is found in many cosmetics. Although lanolin is a natural product, it may be contaminated with DDT and other pesticides used on the animals.1


Information found at townsendletter.com

Baking Goal: Red Berry Macaroons

I love macaroons so I decided that I would finally give it a go and try and make some. It seems super complicated but everything is worth a try right? Here's the recipe that I've picked from Tartelette. I'll let you know how it goes!! I think I might have to set an evening aside just for these!

Red Berry Macaroons:

Makes about 15-18 depending on size For the shells:
3 egg whites (about 90 gr)
30 gr granulated sugar
200 gr powdered sugar
110 gr almonds
2 Tb powdered red food coloring

For the whites: the day before (24hrs), separate your eggs and store the whites at room temperature in a covered container. If you want to use 48hrs (or more) egg whites, you can store them in the fridge. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites to a foam, gradually add the sugar until you obtain a glossy meringue. Do not overbeat your meringue or it will be too dry and your macaroons won't work. Combine the almonds and powdered sugar in a food processor and give them a good pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Pass through a sieve. Add them to the meringue,with the coloring and give it a quick fold to break some of the air and then fold the mass carefully until you obtain a batter that flows like magma or a thick ribbon. Give quick strokes at first to break the mass and slow down. The whole process should not take more than 50 strokes. Test a small amount on a plate: if the tops flattens on its own you are good to go. If there is a small beak, give the batter a couple of turns. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip (Ateco #807 or #809) with the batter and pipe small rounds (1.5 inches in diameter) onto parchment paper lined baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 300F. Let the macaroons sit out for 30 minutes to an hour to harden their shells a bit and bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on their size. Let cool. If you have trouble removing the shells, pour a couple of drops of water under the parchment paper while the sheet is still a bit warm and the macaroons will lift up more easily do to the moisture. Don't let them sit there in it too long or they will become soggy. Once baked and if you are not using them right away, store them in an airtight container out of the fridge for a couple of days or in the freezer.

For the cream cheese buttercream:
1 1/2 sticks (170 gr) butter at room temperature
4 oz (120gr) cream cheese, softened
3 egg whites
1/2 cup (100gr) sugar
2 Tb water 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste or 1/2 vanilla bean split open and seeded.

In the bowl of stand mixer, whip the egg whites until they have soft peaks. In the meantime, combine 2 Tb water with the sugar to a boil in a heavy saucepan and bring the syrup to 250F. Slowly add the sugar syrup to the egg whites. If you use hand beaters, this is even easier and there is less hot syrup splatter on the side of your bowl and in the whisk attachment of the stand mixer. Continue to whip until the meringue is completely cooled. Slowly add the butter, one tablespoon at a time. The mass might curdle but no panic, continue to whip until it all comes together. Add the cream cheese, the same way, a little at a time until everything is smooth. Whisk in the vanilla extract, or paste or bean. Keep it to spreadable consistency for the macaroons and refrigerate the leftover for cupcakes or mini toast in the fridge up to 3 days or in the freezer.

For the quick red berry jelly:

1 cup raspberries (250ml)
1 cup redcurrant (250ml)
1/2 cup sugar 1 Tb lemon juice
1 Tb lemon zest
2 tsp powdered gelatin
3 Tb cold water

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let it bloom. In a heavy saucepan,combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice and zest. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer 10 minutes to let the fruits release their juices. Remove from the heat, add the gelatin and stir until completely melted into the fruits. Pour into a small plastic container line with plastic wrap, let cool to room temperature and refrigerate until set. Can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer.

To assemble: pipe or spoon a small amount of macaroons on one shell, position some jelly right in the center and top with another shell.

Don't her's look amazing?! That's the goal, I hope mine at least slightly resemble these!

Baking My Way: Old-fashioned Sugar Cookies

(The recipe doesn't call for icing but everything is better with it!)

These cookies are super tasty. They're nice and soft, super buttery and just so, well, like I said, tasty! A must in everybody's master cook book.

Ingredients 
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract


Directions 
Combine first four ingredients; mix well. Using a fork cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. In a small bowl beat eggs. Gradually add sugar, vanilla, and lemon extract to eggs. Beat until light. Add flour mixture. Stir by hand until dough forms.

Refrigerate for an hour

Preheat oven to 375. 

Roll out and cut into whatever shapes you want. Place on cookie sheet.

Bake for 6-11 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. 

The icing I used is:

• 
  Frosting
• Recipe makes 3 cups
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, room temp
• 5 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon almond extract or clear vanilla extract

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