I couldn't talk this morning b/c site was down so here goes--long post! NH Suzanne~Always love Rock's pic! He's so gorgeous. Raeanne~Love ya Sistah! Trekaren~ Your chicken breast recipe sounds good. I had my eyes dilated on Tuesday but they said everything looked good. I don't think they'll do it again. My eyes are very sensitive to the stuff they use & stay dilated way longer than they are supposed to. Dee~Glad you finally had a chance to write a little & hope you get caught up soon. Wodka~Your yard must be beautiful again this year. You always work so hard on it. Milkdud~I did 3 layouts yesterday. How's the wedding album coming? Silversword~I'd just about trade ya. It's been 92 degrees here. Joyce~The clothes getting loser are the main thing--the weight loss will follow. Besh~So sorry DH has mono. Ugh! Congrats on your 10# weight loss. John~So glad to finally hear from you. I've missed you terribly. Congrats on your #18 loss, the #125 gain (lol), & the new car. Please hurry back. Elelektos~"Date Night"~What fun! We all love our children but we need adult interaction as well. Our weight fluctuates--that is why it is best to weigh the same day of the week at the same time. It is a better indicator. Try not to get on the scale so often. It discourages us too much if we let it. :-) QOD~I'm going to the Gulf Coast to scrapbook with a couple of friends tomorrow & Sunday Dave is picking up our friend who has been in the rehab center & bringing him back home. I think that is about it for us. Have a great weekend. Patti :-)

My parents enjoy tuna noodle casserole - if you need a recipe let me know. Don't forget rice - shredded chicken with some broccoli or spinach and a creamy sauce with or without cheese is nice. My parents like ground beef and its easy to eat - here are some that they like and I like too. Meat And Potato Loaf Easy meatloaf and potatoes in one dish Ingredients 4 cups thinly sliced peeled raw potatoes, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 lb. ground beef, 5 oz. can evaporated milk, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup chili sauce (or catsup), 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste Directions 1. Mix potato slices and 1/4 cup chopped onion together and place in greased 2 quart square baking dish. 2. Mix remaining ingredients together and spread over potatoes. 3. Decorate top with more chili sauce or catsup (if desired). 4. Bake 350* for 1 hour. MEATLOAF MUFFINS WITH BBQ SAUCE Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Yield: 6 servings 1 2/3 to 1 3/4 pounds ground sirloin 1 medium onion, cut into chunks 2 ribs celery from the heart of the stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces 1 green bell pepper 1 large egg plus a splash of milk, beaten 1 cup plain bread crumbs 2 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick) 1 cup smoky barbecue sauce 1/2 cup tomato salsa 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce Vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Put ground beef into a big bowl. Put onion and celery into a food processor. Cut the bell pepper in half, rip out the seeds and throw them into your garbage bowl. Cut the pepper into a few pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse the processor blades to finely chop the vegetables into very small pieces then add them to the meat bowl. Add egg, beaten with milk, bread crumbs and grill seasoning to the bowl. Next, mix together the smoky barbecue sauce, the salsa and the Worcestershire sauce. Pour half the sauce mixture into the bowl with the meatloaf mix. Mix the meatloaf together with your hands. Wash up. Brush a 12-muffin tin (1/2-cup each) with vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil. Use an ice cream scoop to help you fill meat into a each tin. Top each meat loaf with a spoonful of extra sauce. Bake about 20 minutes. Cut open 1 muffin to test that the middle is cooked through. Meatloaf Patties and Pan Gravy Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Show: 30 Minute Meals Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Yield: 4 servings Cook's Notes: Buy tomato paste in the tube, rather than a can; it makes storage of leftover product easier. Tomato paste in the tube is often kept with Italian specialty foods, rather than with the canned tomato products. 1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin, 90 percent lean ground beef 1 slice white bread, spread with softened butter, then cut into small cubes 1/8 cup (a splash) milk 1 egg 2 teaspoons grill seasoning blend, or coarse salt and black pepper combined 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste 1 medium onion, finely chopped, reserve 1/4 amount 3-Condiment Pan Gravy: 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 medium onion, finely chopped, reserved from meatloaf mixture 2 tablespoons (a handful) all-purpose flour 1 to 1 1/2 cups beef stock 1 tablespoon ketchup 1 rounded teaspoon spicy brown mustard 1 tablespoon steak sauce Place meat in a large mixing bowl and create a well in the center of the meat. Fill the well with the bread cubes and dampen them with a splash of milk. Pour 1 beaten egg over bread and add seasoning or salt and pepper, allspice, tomato paste and onion to the bowl. Combine the meat, bread and grill seasoning or salt and pepper and form mixture into 4 large oval patties 3/4-inch thick. Pan fry meatloaf patties in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat 7 minutes on each side under a loose tin foil tent. The tent will reflect heat and allow the steam to escape the pan. Remove meat loaf patties to a platter and return pan to heat. Reduce heat to medium and add butter and onion to your skillet. Cook the onion 2 minutes and sprinkle pan with flour. Cook flour 1 minute and whisk in 1 cup beef stock. Bring broth to a bubble. If gravy is too thick, thin with additional stock. Stir in condiments and remove gravy from heat. Slice meatloaf patties and drizzle with gravy. Turkey Meatloaf with Cranberry Glaze Posted by: dishesdone (My Page) on Thu, Feb 24, 05 at 11:16 This is a favorite in our house! 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup mashed jellied cranberry sauce(canned) 2 pounds ground turkey 3/4 cup milk 3/4 cup bread crumbs 3 eggs -- lightly beaten 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/4 cup diced red onions 1/2 cup (approximate!) chicken broth -- (just enough to moisten) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For the glaze, spread the brown sugar over the bottom of a greased loaf pan and spread the cranberry sauce over the sugar. In a large bowl mix all the remaining ingredients until well incorporated. Form the meat mixture into the loaf pan, laying out over the cranberry glaze. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Serving Ideas : serve with a potato gratin and string beans almondine. From Cooking Live with Sara Moulton MARILYN'S Sausage Noodles Marzetti 5 oz. packaged noodles; cook & drain 1# bulk sausage (I use the kind with sage.) 1 medium onion chopped 2 stalks celery; chopped 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes (Italian seasoned are good.) cup dry white wine (optional) ¼ cup water 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce 1 tablespoon brown sugar (donÂt leave this out!) salt & pepper to taste In a large skillet, combine sausage, onion and celery. Cook until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes, wine, water, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt and pepper; stir well. Simmer 15 minutes. Add noodles; heat and serve Mar

Basically you can use leeks wherever you would normally use onions, substituting them for all or part of the onions. I put some chunked or sliced leeks into stews and casseroles, chili, bean dishes, mince them into salads, soups, coleslaw etc. and have sliced them thickly and baked in a cream sauce as a veggie, like creamed onions; yum. They're very versatile and can be used just like onions, but have a milder flavour. Corrie

Nancy, I don't think I have tried that salad dressing before. I'll have to make it some day. :) What kind of vinegar should I use? Apple cider, white, or it doesn't matter? Kim, that recipe is so simple! Haha, will have to try it when my garden starts producing tomatoes. DH loves raw tomatoes. (He hates it when I cook sliced tomatoes in my stir-fries.) Also, has anyone watched Ugly Delicious on Netflix? I thought it is pretty fun to see how the different food cultures create the same dish in each episode. Disclaimer: think it's a either-you-love-it-or-hate-it kind of show, and there's some cussing in it.