Down Home-Style Meatloaf - Sunday comfort food at it's best...

EVERYONE has their favorite meatloaf (or if you detest it - at least the one you can tolerate)... This one is our family favorite. It has taken years to get to this point. There are certain criteria we require: moist, tender, falls-apart-as-you-slice-it, and it must take (on average) about 3-1/2 hours to bake - because we need it to be just right when we walk in the door after church on Sunday... After years of trial and error - the addition of ONE ingredient made the difference!

I’ve tried all the tricks to make a good meatloaf. They all have merit - but sometimes it’s just LUCK that it turns out well on a particular Sunday.

There are five "tricks" I have found that guarantee a great Sunday meatloaf... These are included in the post link at the bottom.

Some people have their special tomato topping (made most often with ketsup) We prefer to add all that red stuff ourselves, in our own special way(s)... My kids each have their own way of “decorating”, embellishing, or DROWNING their meatloaf... most of them like a ton of ketsup, or my signature home-bottled chili-sauce (which I can’t stand the smell of because it literally takes a week to cook it down and my house smells like it until Christmas... Maybe I’ll share that recipe with you this fall if my tomatoes survive!)

Send me a little comment, and let me know YOUR tricks to a good meatloaf - as well as how you embellish it. In the meantime - here is our version of Sunday comfort food...

For this recipe, photos, and the five "hints" for a great Sunday meatloaf - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" tab)

Taco Pancito - (Taco Roll) - the equivalent of a mexican calzone?

A mistake occasionally pays off... This resulted from trying to find a recipe idea I ran across a few months ago - then trying to reconstruct it from memory. Of course it turned out completely different than I envisioned - but it was even better that way. We think this is the equivalent of a Mexican Calzone - only rolled up like a jelly roll. Easy to store leftover slices for a quick lunch or dinner later - much like pizza!

Here's how it all started:

A pound of ground beef + hungry teenager home from work + 6:00 pm and somewhere to be at 7:00 + request for pizza = Uhhhhhhhh...... Sound familiar? 


The human mind (mine in particular) is not known for coming up with something on the fly like this - but tonight we were lucky! I happened to have two pkgs of crescent roll dough, and I remembered a recipe that I had forgotten to bookmark a LONG time ago. So I reached deep into my memory and started to put things together as well as I could remember.

After we finished dinner, we both voted that this should be kept in the “make again” file. I also wrapped pizza-size slices in wax paper and stacked them in a resealable container for the refrigerator. These will be easy for one person to “nuke” in the microwave at a moment’s notice...

So... I wonder how these would be with biscuit dough? Bread dough? Pie crust? Pizza crust in a can? I’m looking forward to experimenting.

For this recipe, and detailed photos with instructions - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" tab)

TOP Banana Cake (bread, or muffins) - understatedly delicious!

You don’t like banana bread? How about cake? Muffins? This recipe will work for all three - and it will change your mind about ho-hum banana ANYTHING. Moist and tender, no burned outer edges, exceptional flavor, and it even gets better with age. (I wish I could say that about myself...)

I found this praised exorbitantly on a food blog, and it directed me to a post on Recipezaar. Whenever I see high praise for a recipe, I must admit I’m a little skeptical (who would post anything that is LESS than exceptional anyway?!) I actually found it on several sites - so I thought it had potential. Well, that is UNDERstating it! You can’t help but love this cake/bread/muffins/bundt - or whatever you decide to call it (because it could fit the bill for all of these - no bananas about it.

A few words of advice about this recipe:
Yes - the baking temperature is correct.
Yes - the baking time is correct (although you may need to adjust it
for your own oven - some appliances are fussy)
Yes - you SHOULD really put the finished cake in the freezer as
directed (trust me).
Yes - this gets better the longer it stands before eating
(refrigerating also improves it, but isn’t required)

See if it doesn’t convince you to LOVE bananas. And yes, I DID change the name (I thought it was appropriate, because it is the best banana anything we’ve ever had...)

For this recipe, photos, and instructions - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" tab)

Classic Biscuits & Gravy - for when it's been a REALLY long day!

Half the battle in this classic meal is making the biscuits... and that has already been achieved (see biscuit recipe from a few weeks ago) Now - it’s time to tackle the meat gravy! Any meat can work for this comfort food - and you can put your mind on “autopilot” while you enjoy this after a long day. Substantial and filling - yet uncomplicated.

Bet you didn’t know all the MANY variations of this dish that most of us recognize from our childhood... THIS biscuits and gravy recipe however, uses chicken & mushrooms. Somehow anything using biscuits seems like a good idea whenever there is a lot happening that requires my attention.

This is a fast recipe to put together with homemade or canned biscuits (but I think we ALL prefer homemade) See the post from a few weeks ago for Flaky Layered Biscuits - it always works well. You can use leftover cubed cooked chicken - or (like me) use the refrigerated grilled chicken strips that saves you all that preplanning and effort when you're the only one coming to dinner!

For this recipe, photos, and a little historical background on "biscuits & gravy" - to to:
www.changeabletable.com ("empty nest" tab)

Blueberry Pancakes - get ready for "Blueberry Month" in July

Everywhere I go I see blueberries... When my family was here (in mass) this past holiday weekend, we decided to give this recipe a try. By the way - did you know...
Wild bears will eat nothing except the succulent, juicy blueberries when they are in season. It has been documented that they will travel, with an empty stomach, from ten to fifteen miles per day to sniff out a blueberry patch (and so will hungry children if they are waiting for breakfast...)

I knew my family would all congregate over the Memorial holiday weekend - so I was looking for something different from the standard big batch waffles we are used to.

I really wanted to buy fresh blueberries - but when I saw that I could buy a five pound bag of frozen berries for the same price as two pounds fresh - I reconsidered. BUT - if given a choice - I would not hesitate to use fresh over frozen. The first reason is that they don’t give off that blue tinge when mixed into a batter. The second reason is they are less likely to “water down” your batter as it cooks or bakes. But there are ways to get around that...

We like using both buttermilk syrup (I’ll post that soon...) and grape syrup (leftovers from bottling our grape juice) on this pancake - although I have children who won’t use anything BUT maple syrup... Blueberry syrup on top of blueberry pancakes is almost too much of a good thing - we like the contrast of using a different flavor of syrup so the blueberry flavor can really stand out.

For this recipe, photos, and lots of blueberry hints and trivia - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" tab)

Summer's Coming... and food blogs (and awards) are popping up everywhere!

Nothing like a change of seasons to whet the appetite! As the title of this blog implies - NOTHING stays the same - ever!

I noticed on one of my most recent posts that a kind fellow-food-blogger gave me an AWARD (see it listed in the sidebar)... Oh my goodness - how could that be? I was flattered (and actually quite shocked...) So, I'm trying to learn blog award etiquette and pass that award on. Here are two blogs that I found quite charming (and also relatively undiscovered by the general food-blogging world) Check them out and congratulate them:

mychocolategarden.blogspot.com
A personal collection of all things chocolate

nettsnook.blogspot.com
A fellow empty nester that has found eating at home is enjoyable, healthier and saves money


A week ago I was having stir-fried zucchini and asparagus for lunch by myself. But over the Memorial Day holiday it changed to PB & J and grilled cheese with fifteen at the table - and six of these were my grandkids under the age of five... (I just had my daughter calculate a modest estimate of how many peanut butter and jam sandwiches I have made over the course of the past 29 years - and it was FIFTEEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED... and still counting!)

Today after I kissed everyone goodbye, shed a few tears over not seeing my newest grandbaby for a very long time, and loaded up my college daughter with all the leftovers from the BBQ and Sunday dinner - I am sitting at my keyboard feeling both sad and relieved! How can that be?

Just as Spring brings me a new lease on life, my constantly changing table adds to that pleasure... See you tomorrow with another recipe!

Crunchy Sweet Pickles CONVERTED - brings back memories of picnics past...

Do you ever find yourself craving the sweet “gherkins” your grandmother used to make? The ones that are at the same time tangy, tart, super-sweet, with satisfying crunch that leaves you looking for the bottle and a fork... If you have ever bottled your own sweet pickles - perhaps you’ve said after the experience is over - “NEVER AGAIN!” This little “recipe” will bewilder you - leaving you thinking “How can this be so easy?”

As you read through this little tutorial - I wish I could see your face as it dawns on you that you can perform a dill-to-sweet change... You may be skeptical, but believe me - this is easy AND possible!

Better yet - as the summer picnic season is upon us - you can often find the large bottles of dill pickles for a real steal... I found mine the week before Memorial Day for two for $5.00 - almost half off the regular price. When you calculate the price of all the specialty ingredients required to make your own sweet pickles, the time involved, and the attention you have to give those little cukes (not to mention the pungent odor that will permeate your home until NEXT pickle season!) - you’ll want to at least TRY this method.

For the "recipe", photo tutorial, and tips - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" tab)

Small Batch Blondie Brownies - with maple cream sauce

With Memorial Day coming up - it's nice to have a "packable" cookie... This one works well.

This recipe is available on almost every “restaurant detective” website out there. It is similar to one I used to make for my family for years. Mine was great, except that it always fell in the middle and left a large gooey section (that only SOME of my kids would eat) The chewy outer edges were always gone first. This recipe however is chewy all the way through, and isn’t overly sweet. And the small batch is so nice - it’s gone in a few days and the leftovers don’t tempt me for weeks...

On all the websites I found this recipe - they claim it is “identical” to the Applebee’s® Restaurant version. I wouldn’t know because I’ve only eaten there once - and I didn’t go there JUST to have their Blondies. This is a great recipe - very moist and chewy and transportable (for picnics and potlucks) The Applebee’s® recipes always called for 1/2 cup vanilla flavored baking chips to be folded in. I thought that was overkill - so we made ours without. I also added my nuts on top, instead of folding them in - and only on half of the batter (maybe your families have nut issues also?)

I tried the sauce also, and it was almost too rich. The maple flavoring really added a nice touch, and we liked it. If you like cream cheese in a sauce, give this one a whirl. I would probably prefer a hot caramel ice cream topping drizzled over a scoop of ice cream.

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

For this recipe & photos - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("empty nest" tab)

Cherry Chews - you can't help but love these...

I am NOT a coconut lover... Yet, I can honestly say I really enjoy this cookie/cake/treat/confection (how would YOU describe this?) I was lucky enough to get this recipe from a neighbor years ago who used to work at the Cougareat while a student at BYU. She sheepishly told us that she “lifted” this recipe, and repented later. I’m sure since so many people have enjoyed this so much - she has been forgiven!

If you (like me) aren’t a fan of coconut - don’t worry. You’ll hardly know it is there - and the same with the nuts. All your children will notice is the flecks of cherries (always a draw with kids...) The light almond/cherry flavor is just perfect - and the texture is moist and tender.

You’ll wonder if there is a mistake in the ingredients. Nope... There is NO leavening (baking powder or soda) and NO salt. And yes, it has a LOT of butter and sugar (we are talking about a Mormon recipe here).

Keep in mind that these are chewy right after baking - they become more tender the longer they stand. My children say they improve with age - but I love them as soon as they cool off.

For this recipe, photos, and a link to the Classic BYU Recipes site - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" link)

Roasted Potato & Green Bean Salad - a nice change from the ordinary potato salad this holiday!

When I was asked to bring a unique potato salad to a lunch last week, all I could think of was the classic “Utah” recipe I posted a few days ago. I decided to “throw a study on it” (as my husband used to say) - and I ran across several versions of this one. The crispy potatoes, tender-crisp beans, and tangy dressing will surprise you...

The one I thought had possibilities was found on www.staceysnacksonline.com - and I was right! It was a real hit with everyone.

Since there is no egg-based dressing involved - it can be served hot or cold. I liked it right as the potatoes and beans were finished cooking and coming out of the oven. The dressing seemed a “mystery” to everyone who tasted it - and it was the perfect finishing touch.

But - don’t do what I did and forget to add the onions last. I had them sliced and ready in the refrigerator - and ran off without putting them in. But there is onion in the dressing - so it still had plenty of flavor. I’m not sure I would add them next time (even if I DO remember)

Enjoy this long Memorial Day weekend!

For this recipe and photo tutorial - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" tab)

"Mex-Italian" Enchiladas - you'll think this is PASTA...

So - yes! This was a reach, to say the least... but you should at least give it a chance! I love enchiladas, and I love manicotti even more. This seems to be a nice combination of the two - and is very simple to put together in a hurry. If you didn’t know better, you may even think this is PASTA - the flour tortilla is deceiving! This recipe would be very easy to adapt for one or two people.

I enjoy using random ingredients I have on hand - and discovering something that really works. I often do a search on the web when I’m too tired to tackle the grocery store before dinner. I find recipes that use my random ingredients, and it may take a few tries - but when I combine a few it sometimes works. That is how this recipe evolved last weekend.

Flour tortillas are wonderful when they are fresh, but nobody will touch them once they are about a week old. Even though they are dried up and less-than-appetizing in appearance - I just can’t force myself to throw them out. I didn’t have ricotta cheese, so I used a container of cottage cheese and whipped it till it was the same consistency. My garden has finally been yielding spinach - so I used a couple of handfuls (so FRESH!)

After all was said and done - my son looked me in the eye and said “not bad Mom”... (which interpreted means: “I’m totally shocked that I like this so much”) We just had the leftovers last night - and they are even better the second time around.

For this "recipe", photos, and tips - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("empty nest" tab)

(Everybody's Mom's) Classic UTAH Potato Salad - for your Memorial Day BBQ

If you are like me, you will have “BBQ” on the brain come Thursday or Friday of this week... It IS Memorial Day weekend, you know - the official start of the summer BBQ season. I am not a huge fan of potato salad - but I do have a standard that I strive for when I make one for any summer meal. And that standard is my mother’s (thanks Mom!) It appears that many of you have that same gold standard in mind for classic potato salad. Nothing weird, just plain old UTAH potato salad. Wherever I take this, I hear the comment... “This is JUST like the salad my Mom used to make.” See if you don’t agree.

This salad reminds me of the one we all remember enjoying on the hottest summer day of the year. The good friend I got this from insisted that she doesn’t use a recipe... So I promptly sat her down and quizzed her until she gave me THESE proportions. The only compensation she asked for was to swap me for some of my own recipes - fair enough!

This recipe is just the way she narrated it to me. It’s not how a “normal” recipe reads... so please forgive me, and enjoy the secrets she shares...

For this recipe, photos, and links to a fun "egg-timer" gadget - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" tab)

Biscuit Capped Beef Stew - another solution for your leftover Sunday Roast

“A chicken in his pot every Sunday” - is the CORRECT quotation that we all remember as “A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage” (from US President Herbert Hoover) - Well, at OUR house - it’s a POT ROAST in our pot almost every Sunday. And the rest of the week I’m trying to come up with ways to use the (sometimes small) amount of leftover beef. Not quite enough for another meal, but too much for one person. Sometimes it just needs to be “capped” with a new ingredient to give it a new lease on life. This uses the Flaky Layered Biscuit recipe from yesterday...

This post also gives instructions on making a gravy without using a "roux" - instead, using just flour and water. You may call this Lazy Gravy 101 - but it is the quickest way to successful gravy, if you pay attention to a few tips.

For this recipe, photos, and instructions (as well as a little "Herbert Hoover" trivia...) - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" tab)

Flaky Layered Biscuits - new recipe for an old favorite...

You will love this unusual spin on a biscuit recipe... The result is a lightly sweet flavor, tender flaky layers, and not even a hint of dryness. I usually have leftover biscuits that slowly turn hard on the countertop. The next day - these had vanished. They taste freshly baked when warmed in the microwave. Serve with jam or honey for the ultimate biscuit...

The original recipe for these biscuits called for fat-free buttermilk - but when I saw the amount of butter in the ingredients list, I thought that was probably pointless! I keep buttermilk in the refrigerator all the time - it just makes quick breads turn out SO much better.

Another ingredient called for that is unusual in a biscuit recipe was honey... This gives the finished biscuit just a hint of sweetness, and keeps it moist even days later.

I was skeptical when I read “flaky” in the title (Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits from Cooking Light) - but when I tried this method of rolling out the dough, I was pleasantly surprised...

For this recipe, (my) photo tutorial, and instructions - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" tab)

And check back soon for using this recipe for beef pot pie, and biscuits with gravy...

Baked "Divinity" Cookies - hard to describe "candy/cookie" combination

If you love divinity - this cookie will endear itself to you immediately. There’s just something about meringue that has “special” written all over it... The texture is light and airy - yet chewy and crisp all at the same time. (And the chocolate and nuts certainly don’t hurt either!) Easy to throw together, and no standing around waiting for them to be done in batches - you can’t go wrong with these...

I’ve stumbled upon several versions of this recipes and the idea of a “meringue” type cookie has fascinated me since I first saw it. I finally couldn’t contain my curiosity any longer and decided to try it last night. We often bring things to snack on at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City - and I use my shift as my volunteer taste testers / guinea pigs / willing food panel... (you get the idea!) Well - I think I gave out a verbal draft of this recipe at least ten times this morning - so it was obviously successful. Upon doing a little more research - I liked this version of the recipe best (I found it on several food blogs - and they were ALL the same, with a small variation of measurements)

The most common name for this cookie is “Forgotten Cookies” because you literally put the cookie sheet in a hot oven, turn it off (important!), and forget about it for at least six hours.

When I tasted the batter, and then the finished cookie the next morning - the first thing that came to my mind was “divinity”... So I have renamed them... DIVINITY cookies.

For this recipe, photos, and tips - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("empty nest" tab)

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas - the new "fast-fix" alternative to pizza and tacos

Enchiladas have become the new fast-fix entree around here. It used to be pizza - but we are lightening up on the bread lately (with track season upon us). First, I must mention that when I think of making this - I’m in a hurry, a BIG hurry! We have usually arrived home after a sporting event and I wasn’t on the ball enough to get dinner ready beforehand - which is often. That necessitates speeding up the cooking process somehow. If you want to serve this by dinnertime, and you only have less than an hour - you simply need to have everything preheated. Enough said!

Isn’t “recipe morphing” fascinating and fun?! I’ve had several recipes on hand over the years for chicken enchiladas - and there are elements I like in each. But it’s just been recently that I’ve combined the promising recipes into one. There are also a few more in my son-in-law’s family cookbook (which is a treasure by the way! Thanks for sharing it with me...) Hence - here is the REAL ENCHILADA! (the one we like anyway...)

For fast-fix tips, recipe, and photos - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" tab)

Reunion Salad - it's not CLASSY, just delicious

A long time ago I found this recipe in one of my MANY church cookbooks from years gone by. The first time I made it, the family made it clear that it should be a tradition. This is another one of my recipes that would not qualify as “classy” fare. We are talking about KIDS loving it - they don’t care about classy...

As long as it has mandarin oranges, jello pudding, and colored marshmallows - you can’t go wrong with anyone under the age of 12. When I can’t think of a large salad to take to a reunion - this one always works.

Did you know there is a trick to keeping your jello salads from melting during hot summer meals? To find out how - (and to see this recipe & photos) - go to:
www.changeabletable.com ("full house" tab)