NOT YO MOMMA'S MEATLOAF

While growing up meatloaf was a regular at my family's dinner table. While the rest of the family ate meatloaf, I usually ate a bologna sandwich. I hated meatloaf. For years I thought all meatloaf was dry and flavorless and could not understand why so many people loved it so much. One night many years ago, my husband asked me why I never made meatloaf and I told him it was dry and disgusting. So we talked about what we liked and didn't like and I decided to try to make a meatloaf using the flavors that we knew we liked. Of course, as with a lot of my recipes, it has Rotel tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce in it. I do buy these items in bulk when I go to Sam's.

I know this meatloaf is not for everybody. But, if you are like me and have stayed away from meatloaf because you thought it was all dry and tasteless, I promise you that this is one the moistest and most flavorful meatloaf you have will ever eat.

Healthy note - This works well with 1/2 ground turkey and 1/2 ground beef. The tomatoes, onion and peppers add lots of nutrients and antioxidants. Adding oats to the mixture is a sneaky way to add some fiber.

I urge you to read ALL labels. Hunts is the ONLY tomato sauce that I have found in this area that does NOT have high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and other chemicals in it. Also Lea & Perrins is the ONLY Worcestershire sauce I have found without a bunch of junk in it. HFCS is scary stuff. It is toxic to your body, especially your pancreas and liver and it causes inflammation in the body which creates pain and stiffness. And if you are diabetic, you really need to stay away from it because when it hits your blood stream it instantly raises your blood sugar.  Since I have degenerative arthritis, which is an inflammatory disease, I have noticed that any time I eat anything with HFCS it causes swelling & inflammation in my body to the point that the pain is almost incapacitating. Since I have eaten HFCS FREE & focus on eating anti inflammatory foods, the swelling & pain has drastically decreased. If you have pain or any inflammatory disease (arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, etc.), try avoiding HFCS and eat more fruits & veggies. Try it for 2 weeks and I guarantee you will see a huge difference. It really upsets me that our government allows food manufacturers to put so many toxic chemicals in our food. Sorry. That is my rant for the day. I hope you try this recipe and that your family enjoys it as much as mine does.

MEATLOAF

1 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 tbsps olive oil or coconut oil

3 lbs ground beef (or ½ each ground turkey & gr beef)

1 cup Oats

1 sleeve saltine crackers (or 1 cup of breadcrumbs)

1 can Rotel tomatoes

2 eggs

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce (I only use Lea & Perrin’s – NO HFCS)

Garlic salt (to your taste- I use a LOT)

2-4 tsps McCormick Hot Shot (or just regular black pepper)

1/4 cup tomato sauce (I only use Hunt’s - NO HFCS)

Saute onion and peppers in oil until soft.  In a large bowl mix all above ingredients together with hands.  Place mixture in 13x9 pan and bake at 350 about 45 minutes. Pour sauce (recipe below) over top and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

SAUCE

1 regular size can tomato sauce

2 tbs mustard

1/4 cup ketchup (Hunt’s has NO HFCS)

2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar + 1/4cup honey)

Mix together well and pour over top of meatloaf. Bake for 10-15 minutes more. 

Wishing you all many blessings and much love, 

Lori 

WHITE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Kevin loves enchiladas and for years I have made chicken enchiladas with cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup. Since we don't eat canned soups or processed foods anymore, I had to come up with a different recipe for chicken enchiladas. The Joyful Momma's White Chicken enchiladas  have spread like wildfire on Pinterest and does not use any canned soups, so I tried it.
(http://joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/white-chicken-enchiladas.html)

I had to leave out the green chiles because Grant does not like green chiles. He will eat Rotel, but mostly picks out the tomatoes & chiles. They were very good. Grant loved them, but they weren't spicy enough for Kevin, so I had to "kick them up a notch" as well as try to add a little more nutrient value.

Also, the second time I made them, I doubled the sauce because we do live in the South and my guys like everything smothered in gravy or sauce. A single batch is good, but they preferred it with more sauce.

This weekend, I put the enchiladas together (except the cheese) Saturday night & placed in refrigerator. Sunday morning I set them out on the counter before we left for church so they could come to room temperature. When we got home I just sprinkled cheese on top, put them in the oven while I made some taco rice and dinner was on the table in 30 minutes.

Here's my version of White Chicken Enchiladas.

 WHITE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS 

10-12 soft taco size tortillas (use your favorite- corn, flour, wheat, etc)
2-3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 can Ro Tel tomatoes, drained
2-3 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar Cheese
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste (I used McCormick Hot Shot)
2 tablespoons chili powder (we like McCormick Spicy Mexican Chili Powder)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.

2. Mix chicken, tomatoes and 1 cup of cheese.

3. Put a couple of tablespoons of chicken mixture (more or less depending on how much chicken you want in each one) in tortilla, roll up and place seam side down in pan. Continue until pan is full.

4. In a sauce pan, melt butter, add onion and saute until onion is soft (about 5 minutes). Add flour and cook about 1 minute.

5. Add broth & milk, whisk until smooth. Add salt & pepper to your taste and chili powder and garlic powder. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

6. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

7. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

8.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Chopped cilantro or parsley can be sprinkled on top if desired.

NOTE: To soften the tortillas, add a little more flavor and great health benefits, you can heat the tortillas in a little coconut oil. Just put a few tablespoons of coconut oil in a skillet. When it gets hot, place tortillas in one or 2 at a time, just for a minute or two on each side. When the start to bubble up, I flip them over. Let cool on paper towels a few minutes before assembling the enchiladas. It is worth a few minutes of your time for the added flavor and health benefits. In case you have been living on another planet and have not heard about the incredible benefits of coconut oil, here's a link to get you started. http://www.deliciousobsessions.com/2012/05/122-uses-for-coconut-oil-even-more-of-the-simple-the-strange-and-the-downright-odd/http://joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/white-chicken-enchiladas.html
http://www.deliciousobsessions.com/2012/05/122-uses-for-coconut-oil-even-more-of-the-simple-the-strange-and-the-downright-odd/

GLUTEN FREE/WHEAT FREE VERSION - Use corn or brown rice tortillas and gluten free flour. King Arthur makes a wonderful gluten free flour. 

Wishing you all blessings, joy, happiness and lots of love,

Lori

PROS AND CONS OF HOME DIALYSIS

Kidney failure has become a common disease. Just 10 years ago it was a rarity and mostly from complications of diabetes. But, now there are more and more otherwise healthy people having to go on dialysis and/or get a kidney transplant. We have had several people ask us about it and Kevin's nephrologist has Kevin talk to patients that are considering home dialysis. So, I thought it might be helpful to post a blog about the pros and cons of home dialysis from a patient and caregiver point of view. Chances are that you know someone that will have to go on dialysis, so please feel free to share this post with them.

There are different types of dialysis. Peritoneal is done through a port in the abdomen and usually done at night while the patient is sleeping. Since this is not the type that we do, I do not know much about it.  

Kevin does hemo-dialysis which is done by inserting 2 needles in the patient's arm, one needle pulls the blood out and runs the blood through a filter on the machine which cleans the blood and then the other line pushes the cleaned blood back to the patient. They say that hemo is the most efficient type. Hemo is done in dialysis clinics usually 4 hours a day 3 days a week. Or you can choose to to do it at home. 

PROS OF HOME HEMO-DIALYSIS: 

1) The home machines are smaller and gentler than the clinic machines, therefore they are easier on the patients' bodies. 

2)  Does not leave the patient "wiped out" like the clinic machines do. 

3)  Since you are cleaning the blood 6 days a week instead of only 3, the patient feels much better. "Bad" feeling days are much less frequent. 

4)  Fluid buildup (swelling) is almost non-existent since you are pulling the excess fluid off 6 days a week instead of only 3. FYI - since their kidneys don't work, the fluid that normal kidneys get rid of everyday, just sits in their bodies and accumulates which could result in fluid building up around their heart and/or lungs which would lead to death. The machine takes the excess fluid off while it is cleaning the blood.
5)  Can be done anytime that you are home. Do not have to work around clinic hours, which is very beneficial if you continue to work.
6)  You can load up the machine & supplies and take them on vacation with you.

CONS: 
1)  Machine and medical supplies take up a LOT of room. You need to have a room just for your medical supplies. We had to turn our college son's room into the medical supply room.
2)  If the patient and caregiver work full time, as we both do, your free time is extremely limited. We get off at 5 & have to rush home to get him hooked up so that we can get in bed by a decent hour. It takes 30-45 minutes to get machine & supplies ready. Treatment time is anywhere from 2.5 to 3.5 hours. Then it takes about 20 minutes to unhook & tear down machine. You only get 1 day a week off of dialysis, so how you spend that time is so precious. No more spur of the moment dinners or movies or time with friends. If anyone wants to see us they have to come to our house & visit while Kevin is on machine. We only make it to one church service a week and we miss being with our church family so much. We have to miss a lot of our nieces' & others' ballgames, birthday parties, weddings, showers, etc.
3)  If you are a homeowner and work full time you know how hard it is  to keep up with maintenance, repairs, etc. It is almost impossible to take care of your home and yard when you work full time and do home dialysis.
4) Machines break down and have problems. Technical support for dialysis machines is just as bad as they are for cell phones & everything else. Except you have the added pressure of having a person hooked up to the machine with a pint of his blood hanging out there waiting for you to do something.
5)  Experience in nursing is very handy for the caregiver. Medical terminology, procedures, drawing blood, etc. are not normal to most people. I went to college to be a legal assistant and have worked in oil & gas for 25 years. I can tell you how to drill a well from start to finish. Division Order Title Opinions (DOTO), Joint Operating Agreements (JOA), assignments, deeds, drilling reports, etc. are my "normal" & I am very confident at what I do. I did not go to medical school & never had a desire to be a nurse. My brain is not "wired" that way. I have got it figured out now, but it does not come as easy to me as chains of title, legal descriptions & that type of thing does.
6)  Insurance and medicare will not approve for home health nurses to help a patient with dialysis in the patient's home. We have been told it is because dialysis is such a specific type of nursing that the nurses would have to be specially trained and since they would have to be in the home about 4 hours everyday it would be too expensive.

I could list more pros and cons, but I'm sure you get the idea. We are so thankful that we can do dialysis at home so that Kevin can continue to work and he feels so much better than he did when doing it in the clinic. However, we are so ready for him to get a new healthy kidney so that we can get our lives back. I told him that once he gets his kidney and feels good that we are not going to be home for a long time. I get so tired of staying home. I am ready to go have fun with our friends and family again. I look forward to the day when we can drive to Durant after work and have dinner with my precious son and daughter in law. It's only an hour away, but is impossible right now because of dialysis.

Of course, if the patient and caregiver do not work, then they do not have the time constraints and added stress. A patient is eligible for disability immediately upon starting dialysis. Kevin still feels good enough to work. He just tires more easily and has to be careful with his left arm because of the fistula. He is not supposed to lift anything over 50 pounds. He works for a great company that has been very supportive and he has a great co-worker that doesn't let him do the heavy stuff. Because he has such great insurance through his employer, medicare was going to cost us more than it was going to help, so he opted out of medicare and disability. We are so thankful that God has kept his hand upon him and allowed him to continue to work. All of the doctors say that he is the healthiest dialysis patient they have ever seen. They believe that once he gets a transplant that he will heal quickly and be back to his old self in record time. I can't wait to have a big party with all of the wonderful friends and family that have been so supportive throughout this journey.

I hope this post helps someone to better understand dialysis. If you know of anyone that needs someone to talk to about it, let me know. We would be glad to talk them. We believe that God allows us to go through things so that we can glorify Him and help others along the way.

Wishing you all many blessings and good health,
Lori 

CHICKEN FAJITA RICE

People are always asking me how I have time to cook every night. Well, the truth is that I don't cook big meals every night. It really is just a matter of planning ahead. If your meat already cooked then it takes only a few minutes to whip up a healthy dinner. And at least one night a week we have turkey or chicken smoked sausage with sauerkraut which takes no more than 10 minutes. We also eat lots of salad and popcorn for dinner.

I buy meat in family packs. For instance, cook a family pack of ground beef, put 1/3 or 1/2 in a container for later and use 1/3 or 1/2 now. First night can be used for spaghetti, the next night or a few nights later, use the other 1/3 or 1/2 for fast & easy tacos, burritos, sloppy joes or pizza. I buy chicken breasts in the family pack, bake them all in the oven, then put 2-3 in Ziploc bags & freeze. When I cook roast beef, I always cook two. We eat one with potatoes, carrots and gravy, then later in the week I shred the other one and simmer with our favorite barbecue sauce. Or send one home with Cole. Before he got married, I sent lots of food home with him every weekend. And, of course, I enjoyed doing it.

Kevin has made great progress in eating healthier, but Grant is a whole different story. He is very picky, so coming up with something healthy that he likes is very challenging. Grant loves fajitas and he loves rice so a couple of months ago I had some leftover fajitas, cooked some brown rice, mixed them together and Grant ate it up. This has become a new family favorite and a regular in our dinner routine. I hope your family loves it as much as mine does.

CHICKEN FAJITA RICE

2   cups brown rice, cooked

2   cups (more or less) chicken fajitas, cut into bite size pieces

     (SEE PREVIOUS POST FOR FAJITA RECIPE)

1    can Ro Tel tomatoes

1/2  cup cheddar or Monterey jack cheese, shredded

1/2  onion, chopped

Veggies – your choice (corn, peas, chopped zucchini, etc.)

Cook rice in microwave according to package directions.  While waiting for rice to cook, heat a little olive oil or coconut oil in skillet, add onion and your choice of veggies and sauté until veggies are soft.

Add chicken fajitas, rice, tomatoes and cheese to skillet with veggies. Mix together and heat until cheese is melted.

NOTE:  See previous post for chicken fajita recipe. This is a great way to use leftover chicken. You could also use a rotisserie chicken from your grocery store or buy the pre-cooked chicken fajita meat for a super fast & easy meal. But, making your own fajitas only takes about 20 minutes, you have control over the ingredients & it tastes sooooo much better.

Blessings to you all, 

Lori 

FABULOUS FRIENDS & FAJITAS

Since 1995, our family has camped for a week at Lake Texoma with my husband's dad, stepmom, siblings and their families. Grant was only 3 weeks old the first time he went camping. Luckily we all have RV's, so it's not roughing it too bad. It has been wonderful for our sons to spend an entire week with their cousins every year. They have made great memories. I don't like the heat, but I went every year while the boys were little. However, the last few years, the boys were old enough to take care of themselves and I only have 10 days of vacation at my current job, so I have stayed home and worked while the guys go play.

Kevin takes the dialysis machine and LOTS of bags of dialysis water and needles and gloves and all the other medical supplies with him to do dialysis in the RV. Since I was not going, his little brother, Brad, came over every weekend for a month so that I could train him to be Kevin's nurse. They would fish early in the mornings, then do dialysis in the afternoon when it was too hot to go outside anyway. I'm so thankful for Brad and glad that Kevin still got to spend time with his family.

I stayed busy every evening after work doing things that I don't have time to do because I usually have to run home as soon as I get off work and get him hooked up. I got a massage, got my hair done, spent one evening with my lovely BCF (best cousin forever) and her wonderful hubby, and spent a glorious evening with two of  my best friends celebrating a big birthday for one of them. I didn't get much rest, but I had so much fun all week long.

My friend, Fran, loves Mexican food. My other friend, Jaree, is trying to watch what she eats just like I am, so I made healthy Mexican food. We had chicken fajitas with whole grain tortillas, avocados and corn & cabbage salad. Fran's favorite dessert is coconut cream pie. I am not ashamed to admit that meringue intimidates me. I have made it and it turned out okay, but it stresses me out! However, my friend, Kathy, is one of the best pie makers in the universe!! Here is a picture of one of Kathy's incredible pies. She was nice enough to make a coconut cream pie for Fran. God has truly blessed me with the most incredible friends.

Now that you've read my ramblings, here is my recipe for fajitas. Bottled marinades can have HFCS or other sugars & lots of artificial & unnecessary ingredients. This marinade is very simple & uses ingredients that most people keep on hand. It works great with chicken, steak or shrimp. Making your own fajitas is easy, plus much healthier and less expensive than a restaurant.

FAJITA MARINADE

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2 cup Lea & Perrin's worcestershire sauce        

1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder

Whisk all ingredients together and pour over chicken, steak or shrimp. My favorite is a combination of all three. Place marinating meat in refrigerator and let set overnight or at least a few hours.

I make this up the night before (or in the morning before work) and when I get home from work it’s fast & easy to throw it in a skillet with a little hot oil, sliced onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc.

Serve with your favorite tortillas & toppings. Add a side salad or veggies and you’ve got a delicious healthy meal. 

NOTE:  Lea & Perrin's is the most natural worcestershire sauce I have found. All of the other brands have HFCS & artificial junk in them. I actually wrote to Lea & Perrin's thanking them for making such a great product with great ingredients and they sent me several coupons. Woo hoo!

COCONUT OIL - If you are trying to use more coconut oil for the great health benefits, fajitas is a great way to get your coconut oil. Cook your fajitas in a little coconut oil. And put a little coconut oil in a skillet, when it gets hot, put your tortillas in the hot oil for 2-4 minutes on each side. It makes the tortillas absolutely delicious!

TANGY CHICKEN & APPLE SALAD

It's too hot to cook! Using a rotisserie chicken from your supermarket makes this chicken salad fast and easy. Apples and nuts add a nice crunch, while the spicy mustard, lemon juice and hot sauce add a little kick. And the hint of cream cheese makes it tastes indulgent. 

Using mayo with olive oil cuts back on the bad fats normally found in mayo and adds good heart healthy fats.

Time saving tip - I buy family packs of boneless skinless chicken breasts and bake on the weekends, then put 2-3 in ziplock bags and place in the freezer.

TANGY CHICKEN & APPLE SALAD

3 lg or 4 small chicken breast, cooked & shredded

1/4 cup chopped pickles (your choice) or relish

1/2 small red onion, chopped

1/2 apple, peeled & chopped (any kind)

Dressing:

3/4 cup mayo with olive oil

2 tbsp cream cheese

1 tbsp spicy brown mustard

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp garlic powder

1-3 dashes hot sauce (optional)

OPTIONAL: 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds

In a large bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together until well blended. 

Add chicken, pickles, onions & apples and stir until well coated with the dressing. 

Can be eaten immediately, but I prefer to make this up the night before and have it for lunch the next day. Delicious on whole grain bread, croissants or a bed of romaine lettuce. 

I hope you like it! 

Lori 

PEPPERONI PIZZA BALLS

THESE ARE NOT HEALTHY.  However, they are very tasty and a great crowd pleaser for a party. 

My sons LOVE sausage balls. When they were younger, I would make double or triple batches on the weekends, put them in ziplock bags & put in the freezer. It was so easy to grab a few out of the freezer, wrap them in a paper towel & microwave for them to eat in the car on the way to school or babysitter. During their teenage years, our house seemed to be overflowing with teenage boys all the time. And teenage boys are always hungry! I came up with the idea of combining sausage balls and pepperoni pizza together.  These quickly became a favorite of my sons and their friends. 

PEPPERONI PIZZA BALLS

2 lbs ground beef OR 1 lb ground beef & 1 lb sausage

4 cups Bisquick

1 pkg Lipton Savory Herb & Garlic Soup mix

1 cup marinara sauce

1/2 pkg Hormel pepperoni (chopped)

12 oz shredded Italian cheese

a few sprinkles of grated parmesan cheese

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together thoroughly using your hands. Roll into golf ball size balls and bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. The bigger the balls, the longer they need to cook. If your balls are smaller, they won't need to cook as long. 

NOTE:  For a healthier alternative - ground beef and sausage can be replaced with ground turkey and turkey sausage. However, if you are using all turkey, you probably should add 1/4 more marinara sauce to keep them from being too dry. 

You can also omit the pepperoni or use Tofu pepperoni. 

I hope you all have a safe and happy Independence Day. God bless America and keep all of our soldiers safe. 

Lori