Recipe Review: Vegetarian Meatloaf

My husband recently made this vegetarian meatloaf recipe posted by Flickr's Moonlightbaker. It was fabulous. The only modifications he made were using only 1 kind of veggie crumbles (Boca, I think, whatever our grocer had on hand), and omitting the onion. The green peppers added a really nice flavor/texture, and the glaze on top was outstanding. The leftovers were really terrific as well. Even my omni husband enjoyed it! Definitely a recipe to make again.

How to Make a Dirt Cake

Dirt cakes were a fixture at just about every birthday party or other celebration my sister and I had growing up. They were hugely popular with us and with our cousins. My grandma, Ardelle, would make them using the recipe below (in her own handwriting).

Recently, I inherited the planter and spade that were dedicated solely to dirt cake. Since my wedding shower was in spring and had a gardening theme (my mother filled about 25 planters with cuttings from her plants as favors!), I decided to try my hand at making a dirt cake to bring to the party.

I have to admit that I didn't follow Ardelle's recipe to the letter. For example, her recipe called for an entire stick of butter and I only used about a tablespoon. I used one package of vanilla pudding and one package of banana because its what my partner brought home from the store--this did give the cake a slight banana flavor but people seemed to really like it. I omitted the Cool Whip (which mysteriously appears in the directions but not the ingredients list) entirely. Also, instead of smashing the Oreos between two sheets of wax paper, I sealed them in a large ziplock bag (a few handfuls at a time) before attacking them with the rolling pin.

Here is the final result:

Complete with gardening spade and flower, exactly as Ardelle would have served it. Although I didn't add any gummy worms, which she liked to do.

While there weren't any children in attendance at the shower, the dirt cake was a universal hit with the guests, and was more popular than any of the other desserts we had. Leftovers, if you have any, hold up well in the fridge for a few days, although you may need to transfer them to a smaller container.

Enjoy, and if you give this recipe a whirl, let me know what you think of it!

In Memory of Ardelle

Its been quiet for the last few months here at Devil's Workshop Crafts as my grandmother, Ardelle, was ill from a stroke, and much of my free time was spent visiting with her. She passed away just before Easter, at the age of 89.

Here is a eulogy that I wrote and read at her funeral. I think it sums up a lot about who she was and what she meant to me.

This is a pendant I made from the photo above and wore to the wake and the funeral. I purchased the supplies from Collage Stuff if you're interested in making one of your own.


Lastly, here is a link to a recipe I posted a few month's ago for Ardelle's Sweet and Sour Green Beans.

Link Love--Rainbow Swirlz Giveaways

If you're not familiar with Rainbow Swirlz' Blog, Daily Finds and Giveaways, definitely check them out. Blogger/Etsy store owner Mendy highlights various Etsy store owners through interviews and fabulous giveaways. She also posts tutorials, sales and other items of interest. Through tomorrow you can enter to win a fantastic necklace from Punky Bunny Designs, and there are other contests as well. I've had the good fortune to win a beautiful throw pillow and fun print, so I definitely encourage you to join in the fun!

Recipe Review: Simple Dollar's Homemade Pizza

When I found Trent's Guide to Making Inexpensive and Delicious Pizza at the Simple Dollar, I had to give it a try. Trent has two young children, and since this is a recipe he makes frequently, I figured that it must really be inexpensive and delicious (as well as hopefully relatively painless).

I am pleased to report that the guide is fantastic, and his recipe is customizable, inexpensive, delicious and easy-to-follow. So far I've made this pizza twice. Each time I've added a number of herbs such as basil, oregano and rosemary to the dough.

Overall, I thought the recipe was terrific. If you are going to use vegetables with a high water content, such as bell peppers, or frozen vegetables, its best to warm them up first in the microwave so you can drain off the water before putting them on the pizza. Also, while Trent recommended pre-baking the crust for about 6 minutes, if you prefer a crisper crust or you oven is difficult to predict, you may wish to pre-bake it a little longer.


As you can tell from the photos, its not imperative that you get the dough rolled out perfectly symmetrically. Once you're done its fairly easy to cut into "normal" looking pieces. Enjoy!

Veggie Side: Asparagus and Brussels Sprouts

This week I decided to make brussels sprouts for the first time, since I'd never tried them and I generally like related vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. To be safe, I figured that I would mix them with a vegetable I love, asparagus.

First, I halved the sprouts and parboiled them for about 2 minutes. Then, I placed them on a baking sheet and drizzled them with olive oil, salt and pepper. I then roasted them in the toaster oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

While the sprouts were roasting, I washed and chopped the asparagus. I spritzed with olive oil and left to grill on our stove-top grill pan. While the asparagus was grilling, I also chopped a few cloves of garlic, which I quickly sauteed in olive oil.

When all the veggies and garlic were done cooking, I combined in a bowl with some additional salt and pepper. I added 1/3 cup chopped macadamia nuts for protein, crunch and flavor, although you could omit these or substitute another kind of nut if you prefer.

Although the results were definitely edible, I did prefer the asparagus pieces to the brussels sprouts pieces. If you're in the mood to turn this into a main dish instead of a side, add some whole wheat pasta and fresh chopped basil for a veggie-pesto-pasta dish.

Low Fat Crustless Vegetarian Skillet Quiche

Ingredients:

• Whatever veggies you have on hand (I used broccoli, carrots, tomatoes and red, yellow and green bell peppers).
• 6 eggs
• Cheese if desired (I added a few pieces of pepper jack).

Directions:

Dice veggies and add to lightly greased skillet, saute. Turn on broiler. In a separate container, whip the eggs together (can add milk, cream, chives, salt and/or pepper if desired). Pour eggs over vegetables in skillet. Once the bottom of the eggs has set, add cheese if desired and place under broiler for a few minutes until eggs are cooked to desired consistency. Enjoy!

Recipe pros: Quick, uses up veggies, low-fat/low carb.
Recipe cons: Not as fun as other skillet recipes. Would have been better with some potatoes or a crust!