Italian Crockpot Meatloaf

Some of you may have seen this photo of the beginnings of supper recently my Instagram.

Today I posted the recipe over on She {hearts} It!

Black Bean and Corn Dip

*One of my favorite appetizers*

Diced Tomatoes

1 can black beans

1 can corn

1 med red onion

1 tbs cumin

1/2 cup italian dressing

1/4 cup diced jalapenos

Mix well together. Serve with Tostidos Scoops! :)

One of my co-writers at She Hearts It posted a recipe similiar, you might like her Black Bean Dip better.

Hobos

Ingredients:

Ground Beef

Worchestire Sauce

Onions

Potatoes

Butter

Salt & Pepper

Mix 1 lb. of ground beef, a tsp of Worchestire Sauce, and a tsp of garlic salt. Form ground beef into patties. Place patties on foil squares. Top with slices of onions, then 1/2 tbs butter, then potato slices. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic salt on top. Wrap tightly. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Happy 4th!

Our calendar on our refrigerator looks like this:



Isn't Grace's little hand, just the sweetest!? I hope to go through and photograph this whole calendar to share on the blog soon. Her handprint is showcased each month and it was decorated with a theme/holiday from that particular month!

I'll be making these easy and festive treats tonight:


The recipe for them and a fun patriotic drink is over on She {Hearts} It today!

You can also check out all of the fun Independence Day decor, recipes, and crafts on my 4th of July Pinterest board.

Tis' The Season

I'm use to not be a fan of eating soft shells. Just recently have I begun to eat them (like last year). I happened to get some last week and was going to fry them up for dinner as soon as Scott cleaned them for me. However, Scott wasn't able to so, so I dove in and with the help of my Dad talking me through the first one, I cleaned my first 12 dozen soft shells and then fried them for supper, and boy were they good! :)

Before:


After:


After I cleaned them, all I did was roll them around in milk, bread them with seafood breader (mixed with a little Old Bay), and fry them!

Soft shell crab is a term for crabs that have recently molted their old exoskeleton and are still soft.
A Beginners Guide to Soft Shell Crabs

Here are some soft shell recipes I've found online:
Sauteed Soft Shell Crabs with Garlic and Butter
Panko Crusted Soft Shells with Ginger Sauce

Snack time

How do you do snack time at your house?

Scott bought Grace this silicone Mickey Mouse cupcake/muffin pan back from his trip to Orlando. I haven't used it to bake yet but I have used it quite a few times as a snack tray for Grace.

She usually gets something different in each of the compartments but there are times she'll get two compartments of the same.

Snack might include:
Carrots
Goldfish
Cashews (her favorite)
Cheese
Grapes
Cheerios
Tomatoes
Cheese balls
Onion slices (another of her favorites)
Cucumber
Pretzels

What's some of your little ones favorite snacks?

Guess we were having an orange theme this particular day? :)

Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

I think I've found a new favorite recipe. It was so easy.

What You Need

5 Pounds of Russet Potatoes

1 garlic clove minced

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup butter, cut into small cubes chunks

1 1/4 cup light sour cream

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/3 cup milk, warmed

2 ounces of cream cheese

What To Do

*Set crock pot out to high.

*Peel and chop potatoes. Add to crock pot with Chicken Stock and Butter.

*Cook for 4.5 hours

*Roughly Mash Potatoes

*Add garlic, sour cream, salt, pepper, milk, and cream cheese and finish mashing.

So easy and so good. I think I added way too much garlic though. Even thought I'm a big garlic fan, I think this recipe would be fine without the garlic too.

I'm also usually a big fan of mashed potatoes left over, but these weren't as good the second time around. And remember if you have a family of 2 or 3 or even 4, this recipe is WAY TOO much! ;) We had mashed potatoes coming out of our ears!