Sweet Saturday #28: Turkey Loaf

I've been sick the past few days, so apologies for this link party being a day late!...Today's post isn't exactly sweet, but I wanted to share this recipe for those of you who don't have to/want to go all out for Thanksgiving this year. If I wasn't traveling to North Carolina to be with my extended family, I'd be home making this simple and tasty turkey loaf for Paul, Lily, and myself. I found the recipe in a book called 100 Best Slow Cooked Dishes and really enjoyed it when I made it a few weeks ago. Although the recipe was for making in a slow cooker, I made it in my oven instead.

Turkey Loaf
(serves 6-8)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lb ground lean turkey meat
1 onion, chopped
2/3 cup rolled oats
2 tbsp fresh chopped sage
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ground turkey, onion, oats, sage, Worcestershire sauce, egg, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Spoon mixture into a greased 9" loaf pan and smooth the top out with a spatula. Place loaf into oven on center rack and bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until loaf registers at 170 degrees in center. Slice up and serve after allowing to cool for a few minutes. See? Easy!

We had this with corn on the cob and asparagus baked eggs and it was all very good. The turkey loaf had a savory flavor from the sage and onion, and was just the right texture, didn't even need gravy! It's the perfect recipe for a small family, or for the mom who doesn't want go crazy making a huge turkey that just ends up being leftovers for weeks. The oats contain a lot of vitamins and nutrients that provide you with a natural burst of energy, and support for a healthy heart and immune system. They are high in fiber and can help lower cholesterol, and even lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Had it all again as leftovers the very next day

Lily ate every bite

She LOVES corn on the cob

 Now for our awesome fall-themed most-clicked features!

 
These scrumptious-looking maple brown sugar granola cookies were our most visited sweet treat. A healthier cookie that will still satisfy your sweet tooth ;) Thanks, Tammy, at Our Neck of the Woods! 

Diane at Simple Living and Eating shared this mouth-watering recipe for apple sage chicken that I cannot wait to try. Truly a unique and cozy recipe. Thanks, Diane!

Mary from Back to the Basics shared a post about gifting eco-friendly seeds that is not exactly fall-related, but with the holidays right around the corner, it's no wonder so many decided to click it! Take a look at her array of heirloom seed offerings if you missed it last week!

And the most clicked-on honorable mentions are:

What Can Grow in Your Heart? from Saved by Grace Bible Study

Creamy Dill Chickpea Salad from Determined Darling

Please Help Victims of Sandy from A Writer Weaves a Tale

Thanks to everyone who linked up, and welcome new linkers! Grab a button below if you were featured!

<a href="http://jessica-healthymommyhealthybaby.blogspot.com/search/label/sweet%20saturday" target="_blank"><img alt= src="http://draft.blogger.com/%E2%80%9CADD%E2%80%9D"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z327/ruffandcut/HMHBfeatured_Button.jpg"/></a>

Now on to the party!

Just follow these simple rules:

1. Link up something sweet to really WOW us all- your blog, Etsy store, Pinterest, Facebook, whatever you want! 

2. Link-up as much as you want and please follow me if you are not already. Leave me a comment if you are a new follower so I can follow you back!

3. Don't forget to hop around and say hi!

4. Share my button to get more people to join us (not required, but it would be nice!)

<a href="http://jessica-healthymommyhealthybaby.blogspot.com/search/label/sweet%20saturday" target="_blank"><img alt="Healthy Mommy, Healthy Baby" src="http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z327/ruffandcut/sweetsaturdaybutton-1.jpg"/></a> <br> <br> <br>

Thanks for stopping by, this little get together really makes the weekend even more enjoyable for me, and gives me the encouragement to keep my little blog going :) 

Sweet Saturday #26: Pumpkin S'mores Cookies

Happy almost-Halloween, everyone! I don't know about you all, but I'm getting excited! I'm also going pumpkin-crazy, so I just had to make something pumpkin-y. I came across these AH-mazing sounding cookies recently and had to try them. Don't they look so yummy? I only did some slight tweaks, and I honestly was not 100% satisfied with them, but wanted to share anyway. The original recipe is called "Pumpkin Swirl Sugar Cookies", but they made me think of s'mores, so I gave them this cute name for my post. I Read on for how it went...

Pumpkin S'mores Cookies
(makes about 30 cookies)

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (+ extra for rolling) 
Chocolate chips  
Mini marshmallows
Raw brown sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350. Combine sugar, coconut oil, and butter, then mix in the eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin puree. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. 

Flour a flat surface for rolling the dough out on. Take a section of the dough, and roll out onto the floured surface with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 1/4" thick. Spread chocolate chips and mini marshmallows onto the dough like shown below.

  
Roll the dough into a log.

  
Slice roll into slices about 1" thick, then spread onto ungreased baking sheet about an inch apart. Sprinkle some of the raw sugar on top of each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slightly browned on top. Allow to cool before serving.

  
Now, as awesome as these cookies look, I was a little disappointed. I thought dough was too doughy, and the pumpkin flavor was too subtle. This may have something to do with my using whole wheat flour or omitting the ginger, but I really don't think that should've made a huge difference. Also, the marshmallows practically completely dissolved into the cookies, which may have been because they were a cheap brand, perhaps? Honestly, I don't know. I followed the recipe to a tee except for the slight ingredient changes, but what I changed shouldn't have changed the cookies flavor too much I feel, but what do you think? I'm not the most experienced baker, maybe I did miss something...

Let me know what you think if you give them a try! Now, onto the features! Last week's most-clicked on posts were....

Simple Sweet 'n Savory is being featured here again for these too-cute cupcakes!! Love the cobweb frosting!

This yummy apple and honey challah is from Something Sweet, a blog that always has the most amazing baked goods on the web! 

Pinkoddy shared this sweet and simple DIY ghost tutorial made from upcycled materials.

This adorable unicorn-themed birthday party post is sure to inspire you! Congrats, Becoming SuperMommy, for being the most clicked-on feature!

I invite you to link-up Halloween-themed posts, but feel free to link-up whatever you want, as long as it is family-friendly and sweet! Fall-related posts are also encouraged. Our guest-hostess today is Good Girl Gone Green, and her blog is one of my favorites, so please check her out and be sure to leave some comment love if you like what you see ;)

Just follow these simple rules:

1. Link up something sweet to really WOW us all- your blog, Etsy store, Pinterest, Facebook, whatever you want! 

2. Link-up as much as you want and please follow me and Good Girl Gone Green if you are not already. Leave me a comment if you are a new follower so I can follow you back!

3. Don't forget to hop around and say hi!

4. Share my button to get more people to join us (not required, but it would be nice!)

I am still working on my Halloween costume, so expect some sweet pics of that and Lily's coming soon, as well as our pumpkins! Have a great weekend! 

<a href="http://jessica-healthymommyhealthybaby.blogspot.com/search/label/sweet%20saturday" target="_blank"><img alt="Healthy Mommy, Healthy Baby" src="http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z327/ruffandcut/sweetsaturdaybutton-1.jpg"/></a> <br> <br>

Meatless Monday: Asparagus Baked Eggs with Golden Yukons

Asparagus may not be in season here in NJ, but after viewing this lovely recipe on Miki's Scrapbook (adorable blog, check her out!), I just had to try it! I paired this simply delicious and easy baked dish with some equally simple to make sauteed Yukon potatoes, and dinner was served! It was a big hit with the whole family, and I think yours would enjoy it as well :) Lily and Paul are not usually the biggest asparagus fans, but they both ate this up, and especially enjoyed the potatoes covered in crunchy, flavorful garlic.

Asparagus Baked Eggs with Golden Yukons
(serves 2-4)

For the asparagus:

12-20 asparagus spears, trimmed and rinsed
2 large eggs
1-2 tbsp bread crumbs (depending on how crusty you want it to be)
1-2 tbsp grated Parmessan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to broil. Spread some of the olive oil onto bottom of ramekin or baking pan, then the rest onto the spears. Lay spears onto the ramekin or pan, then carefully crack eggs over top, keeping yolks in tact. Next, sprinkle the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper on top of that, then place in oven on center rack. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until eggs are set and topping is lightly browned. Serve right away, cracking the yolks if desired.

For the Yukons:

4 medium Yukon potatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the Yukons into quarters, and then slice into thin slices. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a medium pan over low heat. Add two-thirds of the garlic and onion to the pan and heat until fragrant. Raise heat to medium-low, the add the potato slices, layering them on top of garlic and onion. Drizzle remaining olive oil on top, and add the rest of the garlic and onion. Cook over low heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes, then cover. Cook for about 10 minutes until potatoes are tender, then uncover and cook, frying until slices are lightly browned. Serve alongside the asparagus baked eggs.

Clearly, I had way too much fun taking pictures of this beautiful dish

Although eggs are used, this is still a meat-free dish, albeit not animal product-free. Use cage-free, organic eggs to keep it in line with eating a diet bettering the environment for Meatless Monday. Also use organic Parmessan if you can find it! (organic everything for that matter).


Now it's your turn to share your Meatless Monday dish below! No rules, other than please only link-up meat-free recipes. No other un-related links or I will remove them. Sorry to sound so harsh, but let's keep it true to what it is, ok? Link up as much as you want, and feel free to spread the word with the button below. Thanks, and have a great week! 

<a href="http://jessica-healthymommyhealthybaby.blogspot.com/search/label/meatless%20mondays" target="_blank"><img alt="Healthy Mommy, Healthy Baby" src="http://draft.blogger.com/%E2%80%9CADD%E2%80%9D"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z327/ruffandcut/HMHBMMHop_button.jpg"/><

Meatless Monday on Tuesday: Layered Veggie Casserole

I was all set to make this amazing and cozy-sounding dish yesterday after the Bookcase Foodie linked it up over the weekend. But, then I started getting some weird stomach cramps and figured I should stay away from all the dairy...for now, anyway. I will DEFINITELY be making those Yukons in the near future, I already have a bag ready to go!

So then I remembered this other yummy recipe from My Sweet and Savory and realized I had most of the ingredients already in my kitchen. And my dear neighbors were kind enough to share some fresh, homegrown string beans, grape tomatoes, and zucchini from their garden that I was vying to use. My mind was made up.

A great gift from my neighbors :)

All the veggies I used to make this, except for the string beans which I may use tonight

What I came up with is not exactly the same as Sweet and Savory's but it's pretty close and uses the same seasonings. I used Yukon potatoes, onions, garlic, tomato, cauliflower, and zucchini and it was AMAZING! Read on!

Drooling yet?

Layered Veggie Casserole

Ingredients:
(serves 4-6)

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
6 grape tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium Vidalia onion, quartered and sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup cauliflower, chopped and thinly sliced
1/2 cup garlic rice vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Crumbled feta for topping

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Coat an 8x8" square pan or dish with part of the olive oil. Layer the bottom of the pan with the potatoes, then top with some of the garlic, onion, vinegar, salt and pepper. Next, layer the sliced tomatoes, then the zucchini plus more of the onion, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper. Next, the cauliflower and anymore onion and garlic you might have left, plus the rest of the olive oil and more salt, pepper, and vinegar if desired. Follow the picture below.

Place dish into oven uncovered for 20 minutes. Next, put the dish in the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until roasted to desired blackness. Lastly, top this casserole with as much crumbled feta as you'd like and place back in the turned off oven for 3 minutes until feta is slightly melted. Serve immediately. This would be a great side dish with just about anything or as a main course for a small family or couple. We had it with some steamed broccoli that was about to turn, and it would've been really good with some warm, crusty bread. 

The final product...

The flavors of this dish are so delicious! The tangy vinegar with the hearty garlic, and all those fresh veggies...this is a new favorite recipe of mine, for sure! The saltiness of the feta was an incredible addition, too. You could replace it with mozzarella or goat cheese if you'd like, I think either of those would work well too, but definitely use feta if you got it! I can't wait to serve this at a dinner party!

I am sorry to say my husband was not too into it due to his "delicate" palate (meaning he is not a big fan of onion, zucchini, or tomato, how unfortunate!), but Lily asked for seconds! If you are trying to get your young toddler or child to get into a variety of veggies, this is the way to go. You could also add to or replace the ingredients with any of the following:

• yellow squash
• bell peppers
• other type of potato
• other type of tomato
• eggplant
• carrot
• mild greens

I'm sure just about anything that is not too bitter tasting would be great in this. I was even thinking about adding some sliced string beans, but opted not to. Perhaps next time...

Lily-approved!

To be honest, I am not a big squash eater. I think I may have mentioned that before, and zucchini is one in particular that I never really got into. But this one fresh from the garden with only a few seeds was so good! Nice and green and crisp-tasting like a cucumber.

Zucchini contains lots of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins C and K, all the B vitamins, potassium and manganese.  Zucchini also contains large doses of fiber and healthy omegas, and can assist in lowering cholesterol. It is a great diet food!

I hope you give this one a try, you won't regret it! What did you have for Meatless Monday yesterday?

Don't forget I am still looking for the perfect BBQ recipes for my upcoming family cook-out, share yours in the comments! Also, please stop by tomorrow for this month's Up-and-Coming Blog of the Month, which is also a goodbye to a great blog I recently got introduced to. Unfortunately, the writer is not able to keep up with it after this week, but I felt I should honor her blog anyway since it will still be up, just no longer active. 

Enjoy the rest of your day!

 

Meatless Monday with Green Goddess Pizza!

I have toted the benefits of having my own bread making machine before, but for the first time I recently made pizza dough, and now I can say I have tried one of the best pizzas ever! Yes- I am not shy to say I did an amazing job on this little dish that I can't wait to make for a future dinner party. Who's coming???


This recipe uses whole wheat pizza dough, caramelized onions, and plenty of green goodness. I hope you like :)


Green Goddess Pizza

Ingredients:


Dough: 

• 1 cup room temp water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 ½ tsp yeast

Topping:

• 2/3 cup tomato sauce (I used from my own recipe) 
• 1 4 oz package mozzarella or 1 cup fresh mozzarella
• 1 cup kale, de-ribbed and chopped
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1/4 arugula
• 1/2 cup broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 
  

To make the pizza dough, place all dough ingredients into bread maker according to bread machine directions (mine has wet go in first, with yeast on top). Press the button for the "Dough" setting and choose the "1.5 lb" setting. Press start and let the 

machine do the rest!

Meanwhile, it's time to caramelize the onions using these instructions. Since we are only using 1/2 a cup of onions, it will only take about 15-20 minutes until the onions are ready. Just don't let the onions get too burnt and crispy! It's important to stir frequently! Caramelized onions are a really nice touch to this green pizza, so I wouldn't recommend skipping this step even though it can be a bit of a pain to caramelize onions. I have found that it's always worth the wait and effort!

Nice and brown, but not too crispy

Once the onions are caramel brown and fragrant, put aside in a separate bowl, then in the same pan you used to cook the onions, add the other tbsp of olive to it and heat over low heat for a couple minutes, then add the kale, spinach, and arugula. Saute stirring until greens are well-coated with the oil for about 5 minutes, or until slightly wilted. Add more olive oil as needed. Set aside if the dough is still working.

Preheat oven to 425. Once the dough is ready, take it out and knock it back on a lightly floured chopping board. Next, roll it out with a rolling pin, then place it into whatever shaped pan you're using to bake the pizza in. I used a basic 15.5" x 20" cookie sheet. If you roll it out and have any dough left over, just pop it in the fridge for later or make garlic knots with it!

melty cheese 

Once the dough is flattened out to your liking, spoon the tomato sauce over it until covered until about 1" away from edge of dough as shown in picture above. Next top that with the mozzarella cheese, oregano and basil, then pop in oven for about 7 minutes, or until cheese is just starting to melt. remove from oven then top with the remaining ingredients, along with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Put the pizza back in the oven for another 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

About to go into the oven 

Fresh out of the oven

This pizza is loaded with plenty of good-for-you goodness! Greens, whole wheat, homemade tomato sauce, garlic, olive oil...and it tastes incredible! Seriously, if you have the means and find the time to make this, you won't be sorry. The basic pizza dough recipe can be made with white flour as well if you prefer, and you can just put on whatever toppings you like! So easy! Just a bit time-consuming, but not really when you remember the bread machine does most of the work. If you don't have a bread machine, here is a recipe for making pizza dough with your hands. It's fairly simple either way you make it.


Lily loved this too- what kid doesn't like pizza? Broccoli is one of her favorite veggies, and combining that with gooey cheese and tomato sauce which she also enjoys, this dish may become one of her favorites. I've only made it once, but plan to make it again very soon, possibly using different toppings. Paul said it was the best pizza dough he ever tasted, so that made me feel pretty good too :)


Normally I do a recipe link-up, but like I said in my last post, the free trial for my Linky Tools is used up and I'm saving every bit of cash I can, so hopefully the link-ups will be back soon, but for now just enjoy this extra special Meatless Monday recipe. Have a great week!


P.S. I apologize for the weird spacing in this post, I can't figure out why Blogger is making it do that because I didn't mean for it to be double-spaced and can't figure out how to fix it. If anyone has a clue, please fill me in, thanks!